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COVID-19 Library Access

To see the library's current plan for Spring 2021, please see our page Return to Hoover.

Please note that all updates and changes to the library plan will be tracked on the Return to Hoover page. For the overarching plan for McDaniel College, please visit Return to the Hill

Faculty: Please see our page on Teaching in the time of COVID-19

Students: please see our page on Learning in the time of COVID-19

Return to Hoover: General Information

Guidelines and Q&A for the reopening of Hoover Library in Fall 2020.

The Library and COVID19

Librarians at Hoover Library are committed to their role with in supporting faculty and students. This remains true regardless of whether our students are on campus or engaged in distance learning. However, we also aim to prioritize the health of our staff and students during this challenging time. 

As we prepare for the spring semester, we base our decisions on the campus plan presented on the Return To The Hill website, and the compiled resources provided by MHEC. For additional validated information, the Enoch Pratt Free Library / MD State Library Resource Center maintains these resources: COVID-19 Links You Can Trust  and COVID-19 Vaccine Information. 

For any questions, please contact David Brennan and Elizabeth Davidson. 

PLEASE CHECK THE LIBRARY HOMEPAGE FOR UPDATED HOURS OR OTHER ACCESS NOTES.

Frequently Asked Questions

The library is working closely with the rest of McDaniel College to establish cleaning and distancing procedures for the coming year. (The College's cleaning protocols are posted on the RTTH page.)

  • Masks will be required at ALL TIMES while in the library. This is NOT OPTIONAL. 
    • No food or drink that requires mask removal will be permitted in the building. Community members drinking from straws behind their masks may continue to do so. Community members seen removing their masks to eat or drink may be asked to leave the building, or to throw their food or beverage away. 
    • Even library users sitting 6 feet apart will be required to wear masks. This is not optional.
  • Signage will be placed throughout the accessible areas of the library to explain spatial limitations of individual areas. 
  • There will be no direct contact with library staff. Plexiglass shields will be installed to separate front desk staff from library guests, and digital meetings with librarians will be scheduled ahead of time. 
  • The majority of the library building will be closed. Students will not be able to access the LL, L, or 3rd Floors. On the 1st floor, stacks and their surrounding area will be closed to student access, and on the 2nd floor, group study rooms will be closed to groups, and accessible only to one student at a time. 
  • On the 1st and 2nd floors, seating will be limited to enforce social distancing. Group work is prohibited. 
  • Housekeeping may be cleaning at a higher frequency to try to prevent contamination in shared spaces. 

More information will be shared as we progress toward the library's reopening. If you have any questions, please contact David Brennan and Elizabeth Davidson. 

In order to reduce the risk of spreading COVID19 and support housekeeping sanitation efforts, access to Hoover Library will be limited until the pandemic is better controlled. During Spring 2021: 

  • No one who is not a member of the McDaniel community will be able to access Hoover Library. The building will be swipe-access only during open hours. 
  • The LL, L, and 3rd floors will be closed  (for questions about accessing the Richwine Room, please contact the English Department), as will the stacks and their surrounding areas on the 1st Floor. 
  • Group study will not be permitted; group study rooms on the 2nd floor will be accessible to one student alone, as it is not possible to socially distance in those enclosed spaces. 
  • Seating will be reduced during this time, in order to better enforce social distancing.
  • No food or drink that requires mask removal will be permitted in the building. Community members drinking from straws behind their masks may continue to do so. Library users seen removing their masks to eat or drink may be asked to leave the building, or to throw their food or beverage away. 
  • Signage will be posted throughout the building to help explain spatial limitations in specific areas. 
  • If students refuse to respond to the outlined rules, they will be removed from the building. 

The library is offering both online research support and maintaining our regular hours of research support for students, despite the limitations on individual contact. 

On-demand research support services for students will resume at the start of the Spring term during the library's normal reference hours. Students may call, chat, text, or send in a ticket and expect an immediate response. Communication via a video-conferencing method of their choice (Zoom or Teams) will also be available on request. Students seeking assistance outside those hours can submit a dashboard ticket, which will be answered at the beginning of the next research help shift. 

  • Mon. - Thurs. 9am - 9pm
  • Fri. 9am - 4pm
  • Sat. Closed
  • Sun. 1pm - 9pm

While the library is not offering in-person research consultations, students are still able to schedule appointments with their librarians using the normal request form on the Ask Us page: https://ask.hoover.mcdaniel.edu/index.php. Librarians will meet with students using the technology of their choice, including Zoom, Teams, or a different preferred method of phone- or video-conference consultation. The library staff will do everything they can to accommodate individual student technology needs and limitations. 

Computer and Printer Access

Computers and Printers on the first floor of Hoover Library will continue to be accessible during the library's open hours, but have been reorganized to permit appropriate social distancing between users. No more than one user per computer is permitted. 

The Charlson Lab continues to be available 24/7 via card-swipe access. 

IT HelpDesk Services

The IT HelpDesk will continue to operate on the first floor of Hoover Library. For additional information and contact details, please visit: https://it.mcdaniel.edu

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