Happy New Year! Last year brought unimaginable events: a deadly pandemic, civil and racial unrest, a tumultuous election. As we look forward to 2021 with new goals and a hope for a better year ahead it is a good time to reflect on the last year and the COVID-19 Pandemic that continues to threaten our health and lives.
Since June, the Historical Collections Department of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library has been collecting campus reactions to the pandemic as well as personal stories and reflections of the campus community. The project, UnMasking a Pandemic: Stories from UMB during COVID-19, has received seven submissions since its launch. Submissions have included diary-like reflections, poetry, photographs, and original artwork.
Historical Collections continues to solicit submissions for this project. The hope is to capture the personal and professional stories of our campus community. As we approach almost a year of teleworking, social distancing, wearing masks, and an unusual holiday season the HSHSL would like to encourage new submissions to this project.
Looking for inspiration?
- Check out the existing submissions in the UMB Digital Archive.
- Reflect on this past holiday season:
- Perhaps you worked in the hospitals helping care for COVID-19 patients?
- Maybe you missed visits with family and friends to keep loved ones safe?
- Did you create new holiday traditions safely at home?
- Look back on the fall semester:
- What was it like to learn and teach entirely online?
- What was it like to graduate virtually?
- How did midterms and finals differ for you?
- Look forward to the spring semester:
- What are your expectations for the spring?
- How is what you experienced in the fall semester helping you as you move forward?
- Perhaps you are a new student, what is it like to start a program virtually?
Questions or concerns should be addressed to Tara Wink, Historical Collections Librarian and Archivist.