UW Libraries Blog

July 29, 2020

Faculty Guidance for Fall Quarter: UPDATE

UW Libraries

UPDATED 10/7/2020

This post is intended to help answer the most common questions from faculty and to highlight  available resources to help prepare for Fall quarter. When in doubt, ASK US.

Teaching Support: 
Besides textbooks/course reserves, the Libraries provides additional teaching support including online DIY modules and videos covering information concepts and assessment you can imbed; collaborative workshops tailored to your course; and connections to campus teaching & learning partners focused on pedagogy and teaching technology.

Re-opening and access to physical materials:

  • No Contact Pick-Up Service is available. Request items online, and pick-up at any UW campus Library!
  • The Libraries buildings will not be open to the public in Phase 2.  
  • The Libraries Phased Reopening Chart provides clarity on what to expect in each Phase.
  • For the health and safety of our users and staff:
    • Opening Libraries spaces will happen on a very limited scale in Phase 3. We are in the process of identifying potential limited locations for individual study in coordination with UW partners, but those spaces not confirmed.
    • Our partnership with HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access Service is a key consideration in plans for reopening in order to maintain optimal access to millions of materials in a hybrid environment designed for remote learning. This blog post explains more.
    • No public access to Special Collections, government publications, maps, microfilm/form and other branch libraries through Phase 4 at this time.
    • No browsing or check-out of physical materials on site through Phase 4.
  • Interlibrary Loan continues to fill requests for articles and book chapters. Any requests that cannot be filled with electronic resources will be requested from other libraries – this includes scans, but not physical materials at this time.  

Textbooks/Course Reserves: 

  • Plan for the unknown. Because of the uncertainty and inability to predict when UW Libraries buildings will reopen,  we advise instructors to plan for online course readings and materials to the greatest extent possible for all of the reasons listed below. 
  • What is available now? This online resource for course materials outlines key considerations to help you choose the best resources available right now. Whenever possible, please use existing UW collections, including e-books, journal articles, streaming media, and open educational resources/open textbooks
  • When online isn’t possible: there is not an online equivalent for all physical items; and, when equivalents do exist, licensing them will take additional time, so they may not be available for course use immediately. In addition, accessing electronic resources for all academic disciplines is a challenge compounded by a publishing landscape that doesn’t support a fully online environment.  

Please consider the following reasons for choosing alternatives to physical course materials:

1) Ease of use. Existing e-resources are immediately available and avoid potential delays (sometimes of several weeks!) that may occur in trying to source and license new electronic materials for courses. 

2) More equitable access. In accordance with existing UW guidance, all classes (online or in-person) this fall should “ensure that all students can complete their coursework, even if they are unable to attend in-person classes due to illness or higher risk of health complications from the coronavirus.” The same consideration should be given to students who are not able to visit the Libraries for similar reasons. 

3) Less strain on limited resources. Using existing alternatives limits additional expenditures from collections budgets and allows Libraries staff to support a broader number of courses and researchers. 

NOTE: It is important to consider that not all e-resources are accessible for all needs. Please see the following guidance to help select accessible course materials:  

Subject Librarians:

Your subject librarian can assist you with Libraries collections needs for your research and teaching and provide tailored information workshops and consultation for students.

Links to UW Libraries Materials in UW Libraries Search: UW Libraries Search underwent maintenance on July 27, 2020. The permalinks (the short and persistent URL for individual items in UW Libraries Search) may break after the maintenance period. We ask that you check all of your course links to UW Libraries Search items to ensure they are still working properly and linking to the right items. If you need assistance with your links please contact your Libraries Liaison for assistance. 

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