UTRGV libraries take precautions
Roxanna Miranda/The Rider Photos
Brigitte Ortiz | THE RIDER
The University Library will have computers, printing access and open study places in a socially distant manner for students during the fall semester. Safety precautions have been set in place due to the coronavirus.
Paul Sharpe, dean of the University Library, said they are not providing individual or group study rooms as those take time and attentive work to clean and maintain.
“We are not checking out books at this time as well, for the same reason,” Sharpe said. “Most of our print materials are also very hard to keep those clean, especially for things like course reserve. That usually means that a student comes in and checks it out for an hour or two and then turns it back in. It’s very hard to clean and get those turned back around so they could be available for the next student.”
He said they are working with faculty and instructors to eliminate any need for using print books. They will make sure course reserves can be provided either through electronic resources, ebooks, or if it’s something only in print, they will make sure to scan and digitize that material so professors can place it on Blackboard.
“There has been plexiglass installed at all of our service points to provide a barrier between staff and students during their interactions,” Sharpe said. “We’re working very closely with [Building Maintenance]. They’re doing extra cleaning on some of the high public use areas, elevators, stairwells, doorknobs. The library itself is cleaning all of the tabletops, the computers that are being used, the printers, the scanners that are out for public use. All of those get cleaned multiple times per day.”
He said the library on the Edinburg campus has an occupancy limit of about 175 people. Only the second and third floors will be accessible. At the library on the Brownsville campus, the limit is 140.
“If we reach the limit, we will stop people at the door, advise them that we are already at our capacity and either give them suggestions for other places to go, such as other computer labs on campus, if that’s what they need,” Sharpe said.
He said this is difficult for the library because they like to be the “central hub for the campuses.”
“It’s very common for the first week of classes for students to show up and wait around for their next classes [or] meet up with friends,” Sharpe said. “So we’re changing the complexion of the library by making it less of a social place and really making it focus on the business of going to school.”
He said students should wear their facial coverings and make sure they need to physically go to the library.
