A message to our Friends of the Library

Left: Ann Vroom, Chair of the Friends of the McGill Library, working from home. Right: McGill librarians working from home.

Dear Friends of the Library,

I hope this message finds you well. Like people worldwide, we are working and volunteering from home to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. McGill closed its campus and nimbly turned to remote learning to meet the on-going needs of its students, researchers and public, as outlined in Dean Cook’s message to the community.

The Friends of the McGill Library are proud of the work that the library staff members are doing under challenging circumstances, in remotely providing these essential services. Some are featured in the image above – we salute them all! Two staff-led initiatives may be of interest as we continue social distancing practices. Staff members at The Visual Arts Collection are reaching out to the community remotely, with a digital edition of its popular De-Stress + Sketch sessions. Each Sunday for the upcoming few weeks visit the Library’s Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts for an image of the featured artwork. Sketch along with a specially curated music playlist on the Library’s Spotify account. Library staff members have also carefully curated lists of favourite e-books, go-to podcasts, virtual museum tours, recipes, or Netflix binge recommendations into a special Self-Isolation Care Package.

During this period, our Friends of the Library Lecture Series has also been put on hold temporarily. But the good news is that many of our outstanding past lectures are available for viewing on the Friends’ lecture playlist. Why not settle into a comfy chair and re-watch one or more of them? They are bound to pique your curiosity/bring a smile to your face/ or give you something interesting to think about.

We can’t wait to welcome you back to our Friends Lectures at McGill, once the authorities have declared it is safe to do so. In the meantime, stay healthy and safe and enjoy what the world of libraries has always brought us – a time to think, to read and to reflect.

Ann Vroom, Chair, Friends of the McGill Library