The news and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) has all of us adjusting to new realities. Keeping up with – let alone understanding, the rapidly evolving information landscape about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is challenging. We know these are uncertain times.
At Seattle University, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons is partnering with the University to take the necessary steps to protect and safeguard our community. The safety and wellbeing of our users and staff is our utmost priority.
We are also partnering with the University to promote service continuity. We know the recent news and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) may have students and faculty taking a deeper look into their current plans and future options to use the library or learning commons. Whether you already have a group study room booked, need to access research resources to teach or meet upcoming deadlines, or want to fine tune your writing skills, we want to let you know that we’re committed to offering our students ways to ensure their academic success and support to faculty regardless. We will offer selected services to our users during this time.
Taking into consideration the public health recommendations for social distancing and potential reduced staff capacity in the short-term, we have changed our operating hours, starting Monday, March 9, 2020. For an up to date listing of our building hours, please check our hours page. Cleaning and disinfecting are part of a broad approach to preventing and managing infectious diseases in schools. Revised procedures for routine cleaning and disinfecting are in place for University classrooms, restrooms and other public or common areas in buildings.
Starting Monday, we will also transition to card access during all hours of operation, consistent with our Swipe to Study policy. Please use the campus card door entries to access the building.
During our open hours we will continue to offer Access (circulation, reserves etc.); Information and Research; and Systems, Technology and Media services to our patrons, as needed. While staff will be on hand to assist you, we encourage users to utilize the many remote access, information and research services available as much as possible. Please see our Library and Learning Commons Services Update - COVID-19 guide/faq for the latest information on remote services.
We encourage you to continue to follow the guidance and information provided by the University and public health. Most importantly, we highly encourage users to adhere to the guidance of frequent handwashing, especially when visiting the library and learning commons and using public resources like computer workstations.
To support users who are seeking information on what is currently known about the COVID-19 outbreak, we have developed a library guide to connect students, faculty and staff with academic resources and library services. This guide serves as both an introduction to COVID-19 and as a starting point for further exploration and research. We will continue to monitor the information landscape and update the guide and other channels accordingly.
We hope that by sharing information with you as the situation evolves, we can help our students and faculty navigate through this time and provide peace of mind as the winter quarter wraps up and we look ahead to spring quarter.
Best,
Sarah Barbara Watstein
Dean, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons
watsteins@seattleu.edu