September 24, 2020
UW Libraries Curbside Pick-Up Update
The first group of UW Libraries employees entered the Libraries for the first time just over a month ago. They have been working diligently to assess and build systems to allow for expanded services. Earlier this month, book drops were opened. We understand our users are eager to access physical materials, and the next service we plan to launch is curbside pick-up. Our team is currently working on testing and final logistics to provide that service as soon as possible.
The following provides some additional context on progress and planning for this service:
- Preparation: The initial work over the past month focused on preparation efforts and to develop new service delivery models for a variety of work, including curbside-pick-up.
- Right now, Libraries staff are testing those new models, assessing and adjusting to ensure curbside service is safe for both users and staff. This is our number one priority, and we are making great progress. The data from these testing efforts are critical to the future success of curbside pick-up service.
- One of the most time-intensive, final steps is the update to back-end systems and integrations to ensure compliance with our HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access Service to 1) ensure adherence to copyright laws of the partnership, and 2) facilitate continued access to 1.7 million electronic volumes essential for this remote learning environment.
- Supply chain issues outside of the Libraries have been unpredictable for required curbside pick-up supplies. The situation is very fluid, and we are updating and recalibrating plans in real time.
- Prioritizing the health and safety of our community is our guiding principle in this work. The UW Libraries—16 Libraries across 3 campuses— is a unique environment. Our approach is based on UW requirements for this phase aligned with state guidelines and the current rate of COVID in our community. Other Universities and municipal systems have different requirements for operations and public health scenarios, allowing for different timelines and availability of services, depending on the local context.
The ability to provide an accurate date for the launch of curbside pick-up service depends on a number of complex and connected variables as noted above. When the testing is completed, and the required logistics are in place to run the service safely, we will be able to provide a launch date and plan.
The UW Libraries staff bring a wealth of expertise informed by experience and connection with our colleagues across the country and the world. They are bringing the best of that learning to this work, and to our UW community, including providing existing and new virtual services, support, and collaboration. All of our resources are available on our web site, and the latest news and information is posted on our COVID-19 update page, including the following guides:
Thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. If you have questions, we are here to support you. Connect with your department’s Libraries liaison or contact us via Ask Us.
We look forward to sharing more information soon.
