KU Libraries announce expanded resources and services part of gradual campus reopening plan

KU Libraries, in line with phased reopening standards set by the University of Kansas (pdf), are reactivating a number of on-campus library functions. 

Throughout the public closure, KU Libraries have continued to provide mission-critical resources to the KU community amidst the pandemic and the transition to online instruction. A small group of dedicated library staff have remained working on campus throughout this time to offer essential resources to faculty and students. Meanwhile, a substantial degree of vital research and instruction support has been propelled by our employees working remotely. 

Though our locations remain closed to the public, KU Libraries entered Phase II expansion on June 8, activating the following additional services:

• Retrieve from Shelf will be the foundation of a contact-free materials pick-up service in which materials from the stacks will be paged by library staff and made available for pick-up at Watson and Anschutz Libraries, as well as the Art & Architecture and the Music & Dance Libraries
• Processing of new materials will increase to make new materials more rapidly available to users.
• Spencer Research Library faculty and staff will provide additional, but still limited, processing and reference.

The library services you have counted on since March 16 will continue, including:  

• Instruction and curricular integration, through which the libraries contribute to students’ research skills, information discovery, and ability to evaluate information  
  • As you prepare for the fall semester, please reach out early so that we can collaborate on integrating these outcomes into your courses, targeting specific assignments in a variety teaching modes.
• Research consultation with our librarians, who are experts in our digital, print and archival collections; scholarly communication; citation management; and digital scholarship
• Ask a Librarian virtual reference service, which connects you to our librarians via chat, email or phone
• Document Delivery.
• Home Loan Delivery (*amended to only those residences outside of Lawrence and Douglas County)
• Interlibrary lending of digital copies
• Rush processing of new materials specially requested for faculty research or courses
• HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access Service
• Computer workstation use and graduate student printing in Watson Library

While a small number of staff will work in each of our locations, the buildings remain closed to the public. Only in Watson Library is limited public access allowed for students who make reservations for computer use or oral exams and defenses. Watson’s main third floor north entrance will remain locked at all times. Our facilities will mirror some of the best practices that have been implemented in research buildings, which were among the first to officially re-open on campus – giving careful consideration to space navigation, common areas and cleaning protocol in an effort to minimize proximity and contact.