Atla Annual 2021 Online

“I’m writing a sermon…” prefaces most of the questions that come to the Pitts Theology Library Reference Desk from alumni. Candler School of Theology alumni regularly return to the library to inquire about the resources and databases that remain available to them through Emory University Libraries in their new ministerial settings. In addition to these one-off reference interactions, Pitts librarians also engage with alumni through a variety of means, including outreach and events, instruction, and graduation preparation and celebrations. During the academic years of 2019–20 and 2020–21, however, alumni needs and requests increased and transformed as public libraries closed in-person services and university campuses were limited to currently enrolled students and faculty. This session will explore the changing needs of seminary alumni during the COVID-19 pandemic during which Pitts Library saw an uptick in requests for access to collections, library spaces, and online databases. When library instruction transitioned to an exclusively online platform, alumni participation in instructional sessions, including our alumni workshop and more general workshops, also increased. Pitts Reference Librarians Brady Beard (Reference & Instruction Librarian) and Anne Marie McLean (Reference Librarian & Outreach Coordinator) will discuss past alumni resourcing including previous workshops and outreach tools, the new resources we created, and tools we employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and future plans for ongoing alumni engagement. This Listen and Learn session will end by highlighting helpful takeaways, resourcing challenges, and the lasting benefits of online instruction and events for alumni.