COVID Remote Learning Period

Students returning to campus at the start of the Spring 2021 semester were welcomed to the “new” Fraser Hall Library.  The books were still in Milne, and seating capacity was limited (COVID!), but students came just the same—some to access reserve materials, some to seek research help, and many to study in the bright, cheerful space. 

Meanwhile, over in Fraser Hall… Plans for renovating the third-floor space were finalized and crews began the work of transforming the place into a proper library, one that would aim to provide all the services students were used to (including an on-site café!) as well as adequate workspaces for staff.

In December 2020, library staff began moving out of Sturges and into their Fraser Hall space. Units coordinated their moving days with each other, again to minimize contact, but also to avoid too much competition for the boxes, book carts, and elevators involved.

Historically, Fraser Hall was used as a library or library annex several times, from the 1950’s to the mid 2010’s.  It will serve as the College Library until the Milne building renovation is complete.

The Library still held events, though entirely virtual.  Our Library collaborated with the Anthropology Department to create a Student Virtual Art Gallery exhibit in August 2020.

Our Library Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity committee held an online Human Books series in September 2020, interviewing students and members of the campus community with diverse backgrounds.

We also held our annual Geneseo Authors celebration virtually, with congratulatory videos from our Provost and President in November 2020. We created a site displaying published works by faculty, staff, and students from 2020, including links to the works’ DOI and online access.

 

The Library was still in its temporary location in Sturges when the Fall 2020 semester began. Most of the staff were still working from home, but some—notably, Access Services staff—were spending part of their time working in Sturges (it was a “hybrid” semester, after all).   Even though limited, there was a small physically circulating collection available (the flagged books and items), electronic versions of items were available, and instruction and consultations were ongoing.

Library ITS set up a separate Answers Queue for students asking how to return books, and posted method returns on our website and social media. The book drop bin, located outside Sturges Hall, was closed on March 22, 2020. It would be reopened on May 13, 2020, to accommodate students returning to campus in pre-scheduled time slots to move out the rest of their belongings—and hopefully return borrowed library materials. Access Services staff began coming periodically to campus to empty the bin and put the books into quarantine in Sturges.