It will be interesting to see how we look back at this moment in time and how it necessitated and accelerated changes that I’m sure we were thinking about and would possibly have moved towards eventually.
Taking things Online – Fast tracked Digital Transformation
Ma classe de Francais est en ligne car la bibliotheque est fermee.
(My French class is now online as the library is closed).
As County Councillor for the Lakes Ward I know that for some time there has been much discussion about taking services online in the name of both cost cutting and simplification, otherwise known as digital transformation. There has been only a small appetite for this and up until now it has never been a necessity. The traditional and familiar ways work, so why change them? After all nobody likes change.
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” (Lenin) This quote really encapsulates this time and the speed in which it has been necessary to adapt services. It will be interesting when we look back at how we had to quickly embrace a new normal. The Council IT department have been working overtime to necessitate change, both in terms of keeping services open and available and to enable staff to have the means to work safely from home, wherever practical.
All council meetings since mid-March have been online first on Zoom, then Skype and now Teams. The larger meetings have been delayed but the full intention is to get these going again working our way towards a full online 83 member Council meeting in September. It will be a challenge but maybe it is the future. My highlight in all of this has been seeing the excitement of Trevor, one of the older councillors in his 80s realising how much opportunity a meeting on the internet brings. This may be the start of a new age and how everything will be done in the future.
From a selfish perspective convenience is key. It is much easier to get into the living room for 10 am rather than drive to Kendal or Carlisle from Grasmere. Once finished you are at home and there are no associated emissions or expenses incurred by the Council for mileage.
Whilst not strictly related to Covid 19 I took the opportunity to switch to paperless correspondence in the last year with the environment in mind.
In my opening sentence I said that Libraries are closed and I mentioned that courses are online. For a few years I have been doing a French course at Ambleside Library on a Thursday afternoon, with the same tutor and group of students. I think the dynamics of the group are much better having spent time together in person and something we wouldn’t share by simply going on an online course. As this is new to us all it is almost comical the way we are uncomfortable, unfamiliar and all finding our way around the technology together but this has enabled us to continue.
Borrow box also keeps audio and ebooks available whilst Libraries are closed. With a library card you can still access books from the comfort of your own home. It is much easier to do this and it is going to be a huge task to reopen libraries in a safe but timely manner with questions over whether the virus can be transmitted on books etc.
Hopefully social distancing will only be temporary but the internet and online services are a massive game changer and are likely to be here to stay beyond the threat of the virus.
Will