Fall 2020 Friends of the Library Update
Dear Friends,
We first wish to thank you for your patience this past spring during the shift to distance education, with all its attendant effects on the Friends. We are humbled by your continued support as we’ve together adjusted to a new learning environment.
In preparation for the fall semester, we’ve created an access plan with the College administration and local authorities to protect our visitors’ health and safety.
Throughout the fall semester, while our communities are primarily teaching and learning remotely, the Libraries will continue to emphasize online resources and services. We will provide limited in-person assistance to accommodate low-density visitor protocols in Addlestone Library.
Our access plan augments the Friends in the following ways:
Membership
In recognition of your support, all Friends memberships current on March 1, 2020 have been extended through Dec. 31, 2021.
Events
In collaboration with the Avery Research Center, we will offer several remote events during the semester via Microsoft Teams. The Friends will forgo in-person programming for the fall and work to reschedule our spring 2020 events when large gatherings are once again possible.
Volunteers
To accord with social distancing, the Libraries have paused in-person volunteer opportunities for students and Friends alike. Our volunteers have done amazing work, from their invaluable help at the circulation desk to their efforts in Special Collections. We are looking forward to welcoming them back to campus in the future.
Building Access
Friends may access Addlestone via the Rivers Green entrance at the southwest corner of Calhoun and Coming streets beginning August 17, 2020.
Addlestone will have limited hours and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Please click here for the most up-to-date hours. If the Addlestone’s occupancy limit is reached, admittance cannot be guaranteed.
Friends must present their FOL membership cards to the public safety officer upon arrival at Addlestone. We are happy to provide you with a replacement card.
Research assistance is available online only at answers.library.cofc.edu.
Access to the Avery Research Center and Special Collections will be by appointment only beginning August 17, 2020.
Electronic Resources and Collections Access
Friends may check out print materials. We are following the Northeast Document Conservation Center’s recommendations regarding how best to quarantine and make available these items.
Four affiliate computers are available to the Friends in Addlestone. Please use the PC Reservation system at the Access and Instruction Desk to be assigned an available computer.
Due to licensing agreements, access to the Libraries’ electronic resources is available only via affiliate computers.
Masks & Social Distancing
Face coverings and social distancing of at least six feet are required at all times in Addlestone and Rivers Green.
No food is permitted in Addlestone. Covered beverages sipped under face coverings are permitted.
The College’s reopening plan for the fall, Back to the Bricks, includes more information about campus-wide access. Please write to Vincent Fraley at fraleyv@cofc with any questions.
With spring marked by upheaval and summer by uncertainty, 2020 has been a trying year for all of us. Your dedication to the Friends is a source of strength we cherish, and we are forever grateful for your faith in our Libraries.
Sincerely,
Stephen C. Osborne John W. White, Ph.D.
Friends of the Library Board Chair Dean of the College Libraries