Curriculum Materials Library changes this semester

As the start of the semester approaches, the Curriculum Materials Library (CML) has contemplated the best approach to serve patrons while protecting the health of staff and patrons. This following changes will be made:

• The CML will be open to the public for four hours a day, Monday-Friday, with no evening or weekend hours. These shortened hours are necessitated by the defunding of all student assistant positions formerly provided by the College. We were able to obtain two work-study student positions from another source, but they are novices who will not be able to work independently until they are fully trained.
• CML staff and students will typically be present in the facility from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday–Friday. The hours when the library is not open to the public will be used for training the new student assistants, sorting and shelving books, and maintaining new safety precautions such as quarantining returned materials.
• Quarantine procedures have been adopted by all UGA Libraries facilities and are based on the REALM studies of how long the virus persists on and inside in the case of print volumes. The current recommendation is 3-4 days of quarantine after the material has been used by one patron before it can safely be used by another.
• The UGA Libraries strongly recommend using electronic course reserves, if at all possible, due to the multi-day quarantine requirement for physical materials.
• The number of patrons in the facility at any one time will be limited to 10. CML will cease to provide study space to give priority to patrons selecting books to check out, picking up deliveries from other campus libraries, returning materials, or using other library services.
• To maintain the limit of 10 patrons at a time, faculty may not bring classes as a group to the CML.
• A limit of one patron per aisle in the stacks will be set to maintain required social distancing.
• To maximize available space and avoid crowding, OIT will remove the WEPA printer from CML to a less congested location.
• Floor markers will be placed to indicate spaces where patrons must stand while waiting to conduct library functions, such as checking out and returning items.
• The test kits used by CHDS graduate students have been moved to that department. This allows students who have late hours to have access to these materials. I would especially like to thank Jason Matherly, the CML coordinator, for initiating and overseeing this process.
• Carla Buss, curriculum materials and education librarian, will continue to remotely speak to classes and students to assist with their research, as well as to purchase quality materials for the CML and the education, sports, recreation, leisure, and dance collections in the Main Library. She has virtually met with over 30 students and at least six classes since we began working from home and will continue to do so.

The UGA Libraries cherish their relationships with all patrons and want the best for them. We will continue to serve people’s research needs and to help them select materials that enrich their studies and lives. Thank you for the decades of support, and we look forward to working together during this crisis.