Virtualization of Research Data Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic as an Opportunity to Enhance Research Data Support

For Canadian academic libraries, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an unprecedented switch to virtual services. An abrupt halt to in-person activities required almost all libraries to utilize new technologies in order to continue serving patrons. While the Academic Data Centre (ADC) has traditionally offered both physical and online services, with the emergence of the pandemic, the ADC pivoted to exclusively online service provision. Through new initiatives such as remote desktop access to statistical software, embedded virtual spaces for consultation and breakout discussions, online workshops and teaching, and the use of social media--the Academic Data Centre emerged successful in supporting student and faculty data needs. While virtually scaling up data services was essential to avoid disrupting researchers working with data, the shift to online services also presented an unexpected opportunity to reflect meeting the data needs of users and, in turn, strategize innovative future data service delivery. Three themes emerged from our reflection: emphasis on greater accessibility; more flexible instruction; and the benefits for cultivating a data community. As emerge from the pandemic, the ADC expects to further embrace newly implemented technologies and virtual services to further scale and augment research data service support.

PENGGEMBALAAN YANG EFEKTIF BAGI GENERASI MILENIAL DI ERA SOCIETY 5.0

The results of the Barna Institute stated that 57% of children aged 18-29 years did not regularly worship. While a survey from Number Research in the age range of 15-18 years, adolescents who do not usually worship are 7.7%. That increased to 10.2% at the age of 19-22 years and reached 13.7% at this age of 23-25 years. Their level of concern for God and worship decreased drastically. The local church lost its way of shepherding them. Shepherd stewardship did not develop linearly with the development of social media. How should shepherd be? What strategies are used be in face-to-face pastoral care and virtual spaces? This paper aims to restore the quality of pastoring function and bridge the logical church pastoring caretaker with the virtual world. The research method used is a qualitative method with literature study and observation. This research hoped to maximize the shepherding and discipleship of millennial children. So that millennial children experience spiritual growth, remain committed to shepherding, and contribute to local and virtual services on an ongoing basis

Tele-Healthcare in Research and Education: Age Differences in Access and Utilization of Healthcare Resources

Societal needs highlighted during the pandemic have led to significant changes in healthcare, including the rapid development and implementation of tele-care consumer options. This study examined video-based, virtual healthcare access and utilization before and during the pandemic. Participants included traditional college-aged students, middle-aged adults, and retirement-aged persons (n = 685); measures included access to physical and mental health services, consumer satisfaction with type of services accessed, and anticipated use of virtual healthcare following the pandemic. Results showed that approximately half of participants (49.2%) had experience with virtual healthcare, with most of these cases during the pandemic. Virtual healthcare was more often used for physical compared to mental healthcare services, with college-aged participants more likely to use mental healthcare services than adult and retirement-aged participants. Laptop computers were most widely used to access services, with smartphone use proportionally lower in retirement-aged participants (31.4%). Overall satisfaction with virtual services was high (Mdn = 5 on a 6-point Likert scale), but college-aged participants trended toward a lower satisfaction (Mdn = 4.25) than other age categories. These results support that virtual healthcare service development and access experienced significant growth during the pandemic. Age differences in the types of services, types of devices, and satisfaction with virtual services all suggest a similar theme for age-related considerations of life stage, life responsibilities, and comfort and familiarity with technology that must be addressed for virtual healthcare to reach its full potential and reach equitably across the lifespan.

Age Differences in Anticipated Use of Virtual Healthcare Services After the Pandemic

Healthcare has undergone a significant transformation during the pandemic, with virtual services being rapidly developed and implemented to keep pace with societal needs. This study documented this change in healthcare by examining access and use of video-based, virtual service use before and during the pandemic. Participants for the study (n = 685) included three groups, including retirement-aged persons, middle-aged adults, and traditional college-aged students. Measures for the study included access to and utilization of physical and mental health services, satisfaction with services accessed, and anticipated access and use of virtual services following the pandemic. Results showed that most participants (94.2%) believed that virtual healthcare would persist after the pandemic; three-quarters of adults (75.2%) but only half of college-aged (52.8%) and retirement-aged (57.6%) participants anticipated using virtual healthcare in the future. Prior use and satisfaction with virtual healthcare services mediated anticipated future use for retirement-aged participants (p < .001), but only satisfaction with virtual healthcare was a marginal predictor for college-aged participants (p = .051), and neither were predictors for adult-aged participants. These results support that people believe virtual healthcare will persist after the end of the pandemic, but that there are age-related differences in who anticipates using these services in the future, and which factors will make the most difference in attracting clients. These differences can impact how healthcare providers market and develop further tele-health services to increase the likelihood of use by retirement-aged participants, and suggests that client satisfaction is a key mediator for different age groups.

Redesigning library orientation for first-year medical students during the pandemic

Background: Prior to 2020, library orientation for first-year medical students at Weill Cornell Medicine took the form of an on-site treasure hunt competition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the orientation for the MD class of 2024 was shifted to an all-virtual format. This shift mandated a full redesign of the library orientation.Case Presentation: The Samuel J. Wood Library sought to preserve the excitement and fun of the treasure hunt in the new virtual format. The competition was redesigned as a Zoom meeting using breakout rooms, with library faculty and staff serving as team facilitators. Tasks were rewritten, shifting the focus from the library’s physical spaces to its virtual services and online resources. The redesigned orientation was evaluated using two data sources: a postsession survey of student participants and a debriefing of the library employees who participated. Student evaluations were positive, while the faculty and staff provided numerous suggestions for improving future virtual orientations.Conclusions: A successful virtual library orientation requires careful preparation, including testing the competition tasks, full rehearsal with library facilitators, and a thoughtful approach to technology and logistics. We have chosen to share the materials we developed for other academic health sciences libraries that may wish to take a similar approach to their own virtual orientations.

Canadian Collaborations: Library Communications and Advocacy in the time COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic forced libraries to unexpectedly and suddenly close their physical locations, necessitating a remote working environment and a greater reliance on digital and virtual services. While libraries were in a better position than most sectors due to decades of experience in licensing and acquiring digital content and offering virtual services such as chat reference, there still were some services and resources that traditionally had only been offered in a face-to-face environment, or were available in print only. There were questions in the Canadian library community about how, and if these programs could be delivered online and comply with Canadian copyright law. This article will describe the access and copyright challenges that Canadian libraries faced during the first nine months of the pandemic and will outline the collaborative efforts of the Canadian library copyright community to respond to these challenges.

Harnessing New and Existing Virtual Platforms to Meet the Demand for Increased Inpatient Palliative Care Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A 5 Key Themes Literature Review of the Characteristics and Barriers of These Evolving Technologies

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for end-of-life services and bereavement support, and in many areas of the world, in-person palliative care is struggling to meet these needs. Local infection control measures result in limited visitation rights in hospital and patients are often dying alone. For many years, virtual platforms have been used as a validated alternative to in-person consults for outpatient and home-based palliative care; however, the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual inpatient equivalent is less studied. Virtual inpatient palliative care may offer a unique opportunity for patients to have meaningful interactions with their care team and family while isolated in hospital or in hospice. This narrative review examines strategies employed during the COVID-19 pandemic to implement virtual palliative care services in the inpatient setting. Five key themes were identified in the literature between January 2020-March 2021 in the LitCovid NCBI database: 1) overall acceptability of virtual inpatient palliative care during the pandemic, 2) important logistical considerations when developing a virtual inpatient palliative care platform, 3) commonly used technologies for delivering virtual services, 4) strategies for harnessing human resources to meet increased patient volume, and 5) challenges of virtual inpatient palliative care implementation. Upon review, telepalliative care can meet the increased demand for safe and accessible inpatient palliative care during a pandemic; however, in some circumstances in-person services should still be considered. The decision for which patients receive what format of care—in-person or virtual—should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Features of public relations in the regional center in the era of digitalization

В статье представлен социологический анализ эффективности связей с общественностью в современном областном центре в условиях локализации анклавов глобальности и экспансии цифровых технологий. Используются идеи Г. Зиммеля, М. Вебера, Э. Бёрджесса, Р. Парка, Л. Вирта, Й. Тернборна и Д. Харви, заложивших научные основы урбанистики. Также привлекаются концепции производства социального пространства А. Лефевра и структурного изменения публичной сферы Ю. Хабермаса, компаративный анализ современных теорий города И.А. Вершининой, гипотеза о дополненной современности Д.В. Иванова, предложения по цифровизации общественного пространства сетевых городов С. Маккуайра и М. Сторпера, парадигма пиарологии И.П. Кужелевой-Саган. По мнению авторов данной работы, чтобы не оказаться на периферии трансформационных процессов и воспользоваться позитивными достижениями цифровизации, областные центры должны создавать разветвлённую инфраструктуру виртуальных сервисов и электронных платформ, позволяющую налаживать и поддерживать эффективные связи с общественностью. The article provides a sociological analysis of the effectiveness of public relations in the modern regional center in the context of localization of enclaves of globality and the expansion of digital technologies. The ideas of G. Simmel, M. Weber, E. Burgess, R. Park, L. Wirth, J. Turnbourne and D. Harvey, who laid the scientific foundations of urbanism, are used. The concepts of production of social space by A. Lefebvre and structural change of the public sphere by Yu. Habermas, comparative analysis of modern theories of the city by I.A. Vershinina, the hypothesis of augmented modernity by D.V. Ivanov, proposals for the digitalization of the public space of network cities by S. McQuire and M. Storper, the paradigm of PR studies by I.P. Kuzheleva-Sagan. According to the authors of this work, in order not to be on the periphery of transformational processes and to take advantage of the positive achievements of digitalization, regional centers should create an extensive infrastructure of virtual services and electronic platforms that allows them to establish and maintain effective public relations.

Challenges and opportunities for parliamentary libraries during COVID-19: A case study of the National Assembly of Quebec Library

Parliamentary libraries play a crucial role in providing information support to decision-makers around the world. These institutions have faced an unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have had to modify their practices considerably to keep serving their users. This article explores how the National Assembly of Quebec Library has responded to this issue and redefined its services during the pandemic. The author presents the challenges and opportunities met while adapting virtual services, redefining document handling and improving team communication, and foresees future obstacles for the institution. This case study shares best practices and the lessons learned in the hope of informing and advising similar institutions facing challenges during this pandemic.