COVID-19: Information for Library Users

Welcome, or welcome back to Magdalen!  The libraries are looking much more like their normal selves this academic year.  Listed below are services we are offering, and ways we’re trying to keep our users safe during Michaelmas.

• The Longwall and Law Libraries will be open to those college members in residence for study and for borrowing and returning books. You do not need to book slots to use the libraries.

• Staffed hours during term will be 8.30am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

• For those in residence:
  • Self-service printing, photocopying and scanning will be available.
  • The library team will be able to answer enquiries in person as well as remotely.
  • Books can be collected from the Longwall Library on your behalf if you are self-isolating.  Click here for more information.
  • A Click and Collect service has been set up for readers who are particularly anxious about entering the reading rooms. The service operates via SOLO, and more details are available here: https://bit.ly/3uFHXTE.  Please note that this service is not a reservation service. Running the service is time-consuming and the library team would be grateful if you could avoid using it if you are happy to fetch your books yourself.
  • Some screens are still in place, but social distancing measures have been removed.

• For those studying remotely:
  • We will be able to provide digital scans of journal articles, essays and chapters of books where these are not already available via SOLO.  Email library.desk@magd.ox.ac.uk with details of the item you need.
  • If you need to request a new book that is not already in Magdalen’s library collection, we can arrange for this to be sent directly to you.
  • The Bodleian will continue to run its Scan and Deliver Service.  Please bear in mind that the HathiTrust emergency access arrangement came to an end on 31 July 2021, although 1.5 million books are still available via HathiTrust under the usual agreement.  Please check here for the latest updates of Bodleian services.
  • Let us know if you get stuck and we’ll try to help.

• Changes from last year:
  • The rolling stack area is open for browsing.
  • Books will be no longer be quarantined after each loan, following advice to public libraries from Public Health England to that effect (as of July 2021).

We will monitor the situation closely and may reinstate some of these measures if Covid infection rates increase in Oxford or within the college.

In order to keep the Longwall and Law libraries open safely, we ask that:

• You are considerate of other people’s space
• You wear a face mask or face covering in the library, particularly when not at a desk.
• Hands are cleaned using sanitiser on entry and exit to the library and on a regular basis whilst in the building. Sanitiser will be provided.
• All possessions are removed from the library overnight to allow for cleaning.

These reflect the university’s current guidance.  Sanitising wipes will be provided for you to clean surfaces such as the issue desk and the printers or photocopier/scanner after use, and we encourage you to clean your desk when you leave.

Please regularly check your email for Library updates in case we need to put other measures in place. We are also posting useful pieces of information to our social media pages as they become available, so keep an eye out for notifications from @MagdLibAndArch on Twitter and Instagram, and like our Facebook page.

7th October 2021