Dear Faculty, Staff and Students of The Claremont Colleges,
In response to the decision of The Claremont Colleges to move their courses online, the Claremont Colleges Library is identifying and taking necessary precautions to protect our community, while still continuing to provide critical library services in support of the research, teaching and learning activities of our Colleges. In this effort, we are working closely with The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) and the Academic Deans Committee.
Unfortunately, starting Monday, March 16, the Library will be closed to all visitors other than Library staff critical to on-site operations. Please understand that this was a very difficult decision that was not made lightly–but one we felt was important, given the evolving situation with COVID-19 and our concern for the health and wellbeing of our staff. While the Library proper will be closed to all visitors, Connection, the Office of Consortial Academic Collaboration (OCAC), and the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will still be open and accessible. Please use the South entrance of the Honnold/Mudd building to reach them.
Although we will be closed to all visitors, our Library staff will continue to work to support you in the following ways:
- Borrowing materials: We are developing a plan for mailing physical copies of books we own or need to purchase, and we will implement a scan-on-demand service for Special Collections, course readings, and the general collection, within fair use guidelines.
- Items that are currently checked out: Loan periods for current loans will be extended until September 30, 2020. With this in mind, and to conserve space in our book bins, please try to hold on to your materials if you expect to be back on campus for the 2020-2021 academic year.
- Students who will have graduated or faculty who will have moved to other institutions by the 2020-2021 academic year may return their books by mail at the Library’s expense via the mailing address below. More information on how to do so will be provided in the coming days.
- The Claremont Colleges Library, Attention Library Circulation, 800 N. Dartmouth Ave, Claremont, CA 91711
- Databases and access to e-resources: Please note that over half of our collections are accessible electronically. All of our online resources will still be accessible. Many publishers are also announcing that they are opening access to their online materials; some materials we did not previously have access to may now be available.
- Course readings: Library staff will work closely with faculty to provide students electronic access to course readings in their entirety or in part. We will be reaching out to faculty in the coming two weeks to share access options. Please note that, effective immediately, students will not be able to check out print course readings.
- Resource Sharing (ILL): We will aim to acquire resources requested electronically and obtain articles and book chapters for titles we do not own. For the foreseeable future, the library will not borrow books or media from other libraries.
- If you have an ILL book checked out please hold onto it and the Library will request renewals from the lending library on your behalf.
- Remote Research Assistance: Faculty, staff and students may meet with librarians virtually using Zoom, email, or chat. You can contact or schedule an online appointment with a subject librarian at https://library.claremont.edu/librarians/
- Remote Online Library instruction: Faculty may still arrange for their classes to meet with librarians virtually via Zoom. You can request an instruction session via the Library website at https://library.claremont.edu/request-an-instruction-session/
- Retrieving items from Library lockers: Faculty and students may contact [email protected] to arrange a time to retrieve their items from our Library lockers.
Again, please understand that the decision to close access to the Library was a very difficult one to make. For additional information about our Library services, I encourage you to refer to our special FAQ website at https://library.claremont.edu/coronavirus/.
Many thanks for your patience in these ever-changing times.
Take care and stay well,
Janet Bishop
A.J. McFadden Dean of the Claremont Colleges Library
