As it became apparent that the COVID-19 outbreak was going to have an extreme impact on how we live our lives, public historians across the web began to request for people to document daily life. The idea is that 25, 50, or even 100 years from now, researchers will be looking at what life was like during the first pandemic of the technology age. These daily journals will be their primary sources. This type of documentation could also prove important to colleges and universities in the future.
With the University Librarian's full support, I rolled out a project calling for journal writings from students, faculty, and staff. I reached out to the University Archivist for her support. I also touched base with Institutional Research to ensure this was not a project they would need to be in on. There was a question as to whether or not the request for information would be considered "research" or a "survey." It was decided in the end, however, that neither applied and we were free to move forward without IRB oversight.
Though many experts in the field of public history called for such journaling to be hand written, there remained the physical limitations of quarantines and social distancing. Due to these restrictions, it was decided that writings would be collected electronically instead.
Before placing the call on the library's social media platforms, I emailed professors and other university members that have worked with us in the past. I explained the nature of the project and it was very well received by everyone approached.
Early on, I realized that late implementation (simply due to the emergency timing of the situation), created a class schedule conflicts with some instructors. They had quickly been called upon by university administration to move all classes online for the duration of the semester. This meant a rapid turn-around in converting face-to-face coursework to distance learning assignments. In doing so, some had already assigned writing about the pandemic as part of the class. In an effort not to over burden students or faculty, it was decided that these types of assignments based around the pandemic and personal experiences, would also be included with the journaling.
The reluctance to overburden also played a part in the parameters of the journaling requested. For this project, the action of journal writing had very few conditions. There was no stipulations on word count or number of entries. Since students may have a lot of course work one week and very little the next -- not to mention outside factors such as work, family, or sickness -- they had free reign to write as little or as much as they felt.
This is a copy of the email sent to students inquiring about the project:
Hello,
I hope you and your family are well and safe. I am so glad that you are willing to participate!
There are no strict guidelines at all to how often and how much you journal. Everything feels rather chaotic right now and I don’t want anyone overwhelmed by this. You may journal a lot one week, but then have a week where you are too busy to write and that is okay. I only ask that the different entries be dated.
Feel free to share your emotions, what you see in the news and the community around you, how this has changed your college experience... Anything you wish to discuss is fair game. You can also include drawings, pictures, news clippings, screen shots in your entries as well. This is your creation and I want you to have full creative license.
The only deadline is at the end of the semester. You can email me your work whenever you feel like you are ready. After I have collected them all, they will be sent to our university archives.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any other questions or concerns you may have along the way. I am happy to help! This has been a very different and strange year. Thank you so much for helping us document it!
Thank you again,
Christine Anderson
In an effort to receive finished products that were authentic in nature, this was an extremely open ended writing project. I look forward to seeing the outcome at the end of the semester.
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