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2020/21 Trainees

Ella Burrows, Bodleian Law Library

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Hi! I’m Ella, and I’m one of the Graduate Trainees at the Bodleian Law Library, along with Naomi. I’m based in Academic Services, which means my role is more reader-based – scanning resources, helping with online teaching – and less involved with the cataloguing side of things. Before this, I was working in hospitality, and I also have some library experience from volunteering in libraries at school and university. I’ve never lived in Oxford before, so I’m excited to get to know the city and all of its lovely libraries (though sadly seeing them all in person will have to wait for now).

It has been a bit of a different start to the traineeship this year (judging by the previous years’ trainee introductions). For one, I spent the first two weeks working from home, getting to know all my colleagues virtually and hoping it wouldn’t be long before I got to come in to the library. When we were finally allowed to come in (after filling out many safe onsite working forms) it was slightly eerie to find that the previous trainee’s stuff was still in the drawers, and a timetable still up on the wall for guiding the potential future trainees – aka me and Naomi – around the library when we had our interviews all the way back in March. I don’t think the previous trainee had expected to be working from home for the rest of her traineeship when she left the library that Friday all those months ago, and it must have been a very strange experience.

Since then, I’ve been getting to grips with the various aspects of the library which I’ll be involved with, and all of the extra precautions and regulations we have to follow in light of COVID-19. The first 45 minutes of the day is usually spent opening windows, sanitising desks, shelving books and going over any changes in our operations. Then it’s on to the classic trainee tasks – checking emails, fulfilling scanning requests, having virtual meetings and attending training. In our breaks, Naomi and I have been trying to make the most of the last few weeks of September sun by visiting the nearby parks; now it’s colder, we’re eagerly anticipating the reopening of the various cafes close to the Law Library (which I have been told will be happening soon!)

So far, it’s been an interesting start, and I’m looking forward to what the rest of the traineeship will bring.

Katie Allen, English Faculty Library

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Hello everyone! I’m Katie, and for this (admittedly weird) year I’ll be working at the English Faculty Library. In my previous life, I taught English in Japan (as well as a few other places). I came back to the UK early in 2019 and worked in a temporary role at a school library to get a feel for whether a career in librarianship might be for me. I decided it was, applied for the traineeship, and here I am – by the skin of my teeth, as the Bodleian Libraries closed their doors due to COVID-19 measures back in March, only a few hours after my interview took place.

The EFL has now re-opened

 

Since I started at the English Faculty Library a month ago, the library has gone through several stages of its gradual re-opening plan. We’ve been scanning requested chapters to readers as part of the Bodleian Libraries’ Scan and Deliver service, and we’ve introduced a Click and Collect service too. And as of last week, readers can now book a slot to study in the library again. It’s great to have readers back in, and it’s lovely being part of a small and friendly team. I’m really enjoying the traineeship so far, despite the unusual circumstances. It’s going to be an interesting year, but at least at the EFL we’ve sorted out how to use the kettle in a safe and socially distanced way…

 

Welcome to the 2020/21 Trainees!

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Our new 2020/21 trainees joined us at the start of September and we have 15 trainees this year. Most of our trainees (9 in total) are based in the Bodleian Libraries, with 6 trainees based in our colleges. We have 2 Digital Archives trainees with us this year. St Edmund Hall has recruited a trainee this year for the first time and it is great that they are part of the scheme. This year is going to be a bit different for the trainees due to the pandemic. We are running their training sessions via Teams for the foreseeable future and they joined me for a Welcome session during the first week of September. Many of them are working from home and they are gradually starting to work onsite to help deliver essential services, such as Click and Collect or Scan and Deliver. I would usually add a picture of them in this post, but as I haven’t been able to meet them in person I don’t have one (although they may be secretly relieved about that!).

Our trainees will be introducing themselves on the trainee blog over the next week or two, so do follow their progress throughout the year. We wish them a happy and successful year with us in Oxford!