Check Out UK Libraries’ Updated Operating Schedule, Services
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 13, 2020) — As the university re-opens for in-session classes, University of Kentucky Libraries is excited to welcome students and faculty back to its campus locations. To ensure the community is safe and healthy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, UK Libraries has created safer shared spaces and resources.
“We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we continue to work to create shared spaces and resources that respect the health and well-being of all library patrons and personnel,” Dean of UK Libraries Doug Way said.
As noted, some changes to library services are necessary this semester. Here's what you can expect when you make plans to visit the library this fall:
Campus Library Facility Hours and Operations
Hours and seating capacity have been reduced at each of UK Libraries’ seven locations to facilitate a more rigorous cleaning protocol and to provide space for proper physical distancing. Onsite service in each building has been condensed to a single point fashioned with a plexiglass shield. Group study and meeting rooms have been repurposed and are unavailable at this time.
Face masks or coverings approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are required in public areas in accordance with UK's campuswide policy. Commonly shared items such as public computers, dry erase markers and erasers, cables and similar materials are not available in public areas or for checkout. Hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and gloves will be available at each location.
Based on results from the most recent Institute of Museum and Library Services-funded REALM Project testing the length of time the SARS-CoV-2 (or COVID-19) virus remained detectable on commonly circulated library materials, all print items will be quarantined for 72 hours between handling. As a result, physical reserves will not be offered this fall. UK Libraries encourages instructors to take advantage of e-reserves as a safe and efficient alternative.
Open seating is available at the William T. Young Library, the Medical Center Library, the Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library and the Science and Engineering Library.
The Education Library, the Design Library and the Special Collections Research Center are operating by appointment only for the fall semester.
In addition, UK Libraries has shifted to an embedded librarian model of service for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. The library space located at N24 Agriculture Science Center North is being adapted by the CAFE Center for Student Success and will no longer be known as the Agricultural Information Center.
A quick reference guide to UK Libraries’ current schedule is available on its Hours at a Glance page.
Additional information about visiting your favorite UK Libraries' branch is available on the UK Libraries Service Updates page.
For information on Law Library access, visit the UK Rosenberg College of Law's website here.
Online Services and Resources
UK Libraries encourages you to continue taking advantage of its NO OR LOW CONTACT SERVICES AND RESOURCES. Librarians are online to answer questions seven days a week through UK Libraries' chat service ("Ask Us"). Online appointments and instruction sessions with UK Libraries' academic liaisons may also be scheduled.
Visit the UK Libraries’ Electronic Resources page to explore a variety of its online materials. Grab-and-Go pickup of print materials will also be offered as a low contact alternative for in-person browsing and borrowing.
Looking to return print items? Please use the designated book return outside your nearest UK Libraries’ location.
As the premier research library in the Commonwealth, UK Libraries provides ever-expanding access to quality information resources, teaching and learning programs and services, and excellent learning spaces. More information about UK Libraries can be found on its website.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.