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How do the libraries work?

Quarter-life Crisis

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Editor’s note: “Quarter-life Crisis” is a weekly series offering campus tips and resources in light of the return to in-person instruction and campus activities.

Imagine that it’s finals week. You’re sitting in a sturdy chair on the third floor of Suzzallo Library, typing away at an essay that’s due tomorrow. The light that comes through the stained glass windows is fading as the sun sets. You tell yourself you’ll write just one more sentence before packing up your things and heading home.

Many of us haven’t been inside the libraries for over a year, and some of us have yet to even step foot in them. Whether this fall will be your first or hundredth visit to the UW libraries, there are a massive amount of resources and opportunities to be discovered within their walls.

“The libraries are at the center of teaching and learning at UW,” Lauren Pressley, co-interim dean of university libraries, wrote in an email. “Everybody uses the library — students, faculty and staff.”

Pressley said that while we mainly think of libraries as places to get books or study, they serve many other purposes. The libraries help students build knowledge, access archived resources, form dissertations, learn about data management, and much more.

Despite most staff working remotely the past year, the libraries have continued to provide a space for students to learn and interact with one another virtually. Even as operations return to in-person, virtual accessibility will not be disappearing.

“Some of our virtual events have significantly increased in attendance from their in-person counterparts,” Pressley wrote. “We have learned a lot in the past 18 months, especially how students prefer to access services remotely, and our ability to provide services remotely … Overall, there will be more options to engage with our users without having to visit our spaces, even after we open.”

The libraries will be making several changes in response to COVID-19. Odegaard Library, a library that was open to the general public before the pandemic, will now be open exclusively to UW students and faculty. A current Husky card will be required for entry.

Another noteworthy change is to the library’s operating hours. Most of the libraries will be operating at limited hours, largely due to the lack of student employees.

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“Given the significant loss of staff throughout the pandemic, we are facing staffing shortages like most public-facing organizations and businesses,” Pressley wrote. “When students return to campus, we expect hiring to dramatically increase. Until then, we will open spaces based on the amount of staff that we currently have.”

Whether your interactions with the library are remote or in-person, there are many ways to find what you’re looking for. Pressley recommends utilizing the library’s 24/7 chat services as a starting point if you’re unsure who to contact for information.

“Some students may be intimidated to reach out to a librarian, but when they do, they realize how helpful and friendly they are,” Pressley wrote. “We have librarians that specialize in hundreds of subjects and they help save students so much time in the research process.”

This year, the libraries are launching a new campaign to help promote some of their overlooked resources. The “Top Ten Things I Wish I Knew My First Year” campaign lays out various helpful resources based on input from UW seniors.

Pressley also recommended students utilize two of the library’s most recent resources —  the Undergraduate Researcher Tutorial and the Open Scholarship Commons (OSC).

The Undergraduate Researcher Tutorial is a self-paced, online tutorial that helps students evaluate information, manage citations, and strengthen database searching skills. The OSC provides a wide range of expertise in subjects like data visualization and media production. While the OSC started as a virtual resource, Pressley said that the libraries will eventually host the OSC in a physical location.

Pressley also said that the libraries are working hard in collaboration with UW partners to ensure that the libraries reopen safely in accordance with the most recent public health guidelines.

“It is still too early to say with specificity how the libraries’ physical experience will be different for things like distance requirements and group study,” Pressley wrote. “We feel confident that students will help keep libraries open by following all guidelines to keep our spaces (and each other) safe.”

Reach writer Natalie Roy at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @nataliedroy

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