title: Engaging Library Staff to Envision the Hybrid Workplace Moving Forward
Creators: name: Downing, Kathleen
name: Grynoch, Tess
name: Kolinski, Morgan
Publisher: name: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Administration, Management, and Leadership
subject: Library and Information Science

description: To smooth the transition from a completely remote work environment to a long-term hybrid arrangement, a Hybrid Working Environment Team, made up of non-managerial staff was formed by Library leadership. The Team undertook a literature review focusing on hybrid and remote work models, surveyed the library staff and reviewed available statistics and functions to reflect pre and post COVID activity. This resulted in the Team proposing a Service-First Hybrid Model. The Service-First Hybrid Model prioritizes providing services at the point of need for the Library's various communities while balancing the benefits of onsite and offsite work for each individual staff member. The Team recommended that the number of days onsite be determined based on the role and duties of each staff member regardless of department. The findings from the survey and literature review also stressed the importance of deliberate strategies to build and maintain team cohesiveness by setting time for work-related discussions and non-work social engagement. The Team put forward recommendations on technology required for hybrid work, developing hybrid work guidelines, onboarding, managing a hybrid team, communication, and increasing library visibility to the Library's various communities. The Team also recommended a plan for assessment of the hybrid work model on a semi-annual basis.  This lightning talk will focus on the Team's findings, including the outcome of the literature review and survey, and the recommendations the team made in the report. We will also discuss how the team's suggestions were implemented by Library Management.
description: To smooth the transition from a completely remote work environment to a long-term hybrid arrangement, a Hybrid Working Environment Team, made up of non-managerial staff was formed by Library leadership. The Team undertook a literature review focusing on hybrid and remote work models, surveyed the library staff and reviewed available statistics and functions to reflect pre and post COVID activity. This resulted in the Team proposing a Service-First Hybrid Model. The Service-First Hybrid Model prioritizes providing services at the point of need for the Library's various communities while balancing the benefits of onsite and offsite work for each individual staff member. The Team recommended that the number of days onsite be determined based on the role and duties of each staff member regardless of department. The findings from the survey and literature review also stressed the importance of deliberate strategies to build and maintain team cohesiveness by setting time for work-related discussions and non-work social engagement. The Team put forward recommendations on technology required for hybrid work, developing hybrid work guidelines, onboarding, managing a hybrid team, communication, and increasing library visibility to the Library's various communities. The Team also recommended a plan for assessment of the hybrid work model on a semi-annual basis.  This lightning talk will focus on the Team's findings, including the outcome of the literature review and survey, and the recommendations the team made in the report. We will also discuss how the team's suggestions were implemented by Library Management.