2020 was a year of extraordinary change and disruption. In the midst of it all, Penn Libraries sought to adapt to the “new normal” created by COVID-19, developing innovative ways to serve students, faculty, researchers, and other members of the Penn community.

For staff members who work in Access Services—the department that looks after the circulating collections, helps students and researchers in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, coordinates inter-library loans, and more—the goal remains to get library materials into the hands of library users—either literally or virtually. Over the course of the last 10 months, the Libraries has made a significant investment in order to purchase e-book collections and increase access to digital and video streaming resources. Librarians who once spent their time pulling books or helping students in person now scan articles and book chapters for digital delivery and answer questions that come via email or through the chat service.

The Libraries will also expand the seat reservation service that began as a pilot program in the fall. Open to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, the service allows those who are eligible to study in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center while maintaining a safe, contact-free environment. Reservations are available Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Friday 12 p.m.-5 p.m.  Students can learn more and make a reservation here.

Library users can request books from the Libraries’ circulating collections in two different ways. PickUp@Penn allows users to pick up books in person at Van Pelt-Deitrich Library, while Books By Mail ships requested books anywhere in the United States. Pickup@Penn hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and requested books are held for one week. Books by Mail requires advanced registration here. Students can contact librarians with questions at vpcircdk@pobox.upenn.edu or ask general questions using the Libraries chat service, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., or outside of those hours using the online form.

Librarians in the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts, librarians are also continuing to find new ways to share the Penn Libraries’ special collections with people both inside and outside the Penn community. During “normal times,” hundreds of researchers visit the Kislak Center’s Charles K. MacDonald Reading Room every year. This year staff have developed innovative ways to help people conduct research from afar. Research requests would usually result in the scheduling of a time for the researcher to visit in person, but that is not possible because of COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, staff does the looking for them.

Many students appreciate the unique opportunity to see and touch Penn’s special collections as part of their classes, and in the age of COVID, Kislak staff have also found new and creative ways to replicate these experiences virtually. Collaborations have already begun with instructors who are planning to integrate virtual visits in the spring semester. Anyone who wants to review collections items, consult with a Kislak Center curator about research, schedule a virtual class visit, or receive digital productions of research materials should visit the Kislak’s Resources for Remote Learning.

Staff across the Libraries are eager to welcome students back in person as soon as it is safe to do so. Students are a vital part of the Penn Libraries community, both as users of library resources and as colleagues who keep services running and bring life to the stacks.

For more information, visit www.library.upenn.edu/blogs/libraries-news/ready-set-go-penn-libraries-prepares-new-semester