Communication in libraries under changed conditions - a personal experience report

Abstract

The article deals with the question from a subjective point of view, how our communication behaviour at libraries has changed during the pandemic, what we pay attention to but also what we should possibly keep for the future. On the one hand, the switch to virtual meetings allows for more flexibility and spontaneity. We are also pleased to see time and cost savings, but on the other hand, our communication may also lose quality. Facial expressions and gestures are often lost, more sensitive conversations, such as in employee leadership or even job interviews may require a different environment than we can currently offer. All in all, it is now up to us to decide which lessons we learn from this forced digitalization of communication and which positive experiences we take with us into the time after the pandemic and which not.