I initially started working at the Dr. John Archer Library in the Circulation Department in early 2005. The following year I moved into a Reference Assistant position which I worked in until 2015. I then decided to try something different and accepted an Admissions Clerk term position within the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. During my short time there I gained some valuable experience from working in a significantly different environment. However, it wasn’t long before I had the opportunity to return to the Library in early 2016 and begin my current position as Library User Services Manager. In this position I oversee the day-to-day operations of the department, supervise its staff, and resolve various patron related con-cerns.

User Services is an integral part of the Dr. John Archer Library. For many patrons, the Library Help Desk is the first point of contact in their Library experience. It’s here where they inquire about our many services. From borrowing laptops and iPads, accessing course texts on re-serve, getting reference help to locate material, and attending Library research instruction sessions, patrons rely on User Services staff to provide access to resources required for success in their academic pursuits.

The impact of COVID-19 on the University of Regina has resulted in several challenges for its students, faculty, and staff. However, the Library has strived to maintain and adapt its ser-vices for our patrons during this situation. This is especially true of services provided by User Services staff. Although our Help Desk may not be physically accessible to patrons, we con-tinue to provide many of our services while working remotely. These include answering patron inquiries over chat and email, providing research help, processing reserve content for online access, and offering instruction resources. Our point of contact may have changed, but our services have remained the same.

There remains great uncertainty about how COVID-19 will impact the University of Regina for the remainder of 2020 and into the future. However, User Services will continue to evolve its provision of Library services and resources, regardless of our location, in order to meet the unique needs of our patrons.