Librarian Talk - Frances Currie – Prendergast Vale School
If you were a superhero, who would you be?
Dorothea in Middlemarch is pretty inspirational.
Tell us about your library! What makes it unique?
Our secondary library space is in a beautiful, tall windowed room that used to be a dinner hall back in the Victorian times. It is full of natural light and a wonderful place to sit with a book.
What is a challenge that you faced in your library recently?
Obviously Covid-19 has had a terrible impact on our students and our ability to get books to them.
How did Accessit Library help you solve this challenge?
We have launched our Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) with Accessit, with a 3-month audio and eBook subscription from Wheelers integrated into it, so students are able to access books from home in this new form. We have also catalogued many web resources on it, which students are able to access remotely.
How has your attitude changed towards the challenge you solved with Accessit Library, now that you’ve worked through it?
Learning to use the Accessit web app has been a huge learning curve, but one I’m very glad we faced, as it has great results with a fantastic OPAC now available to students.
What do you like the most about Accessit Library?
Great customer service on the helpdesk.
What tips could you give to librarians to help improve their remote learning experience?
Don’t be afraid to call the help desk – the staff are really understanding and helpful about any difficulties you may have.
