UTA Libraries Goes Virtual to Continue and Extend Services to Students, Faculty

Effective March 24, the University of Texas at Arlington Central Library is closing to all but laptop lending, while also highlighting and expanding its virtual services, in response to the campus’s move to online-only education for the rest of the Spring 2020 semester.

The UTA Libraries will be closed on the weekends starting the week of March 23. Beginning 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, laptops and tablets will circulate on a “first come, first served” basis from the Central Library Welcome Desk. We have extended the loan period for loanable laptops to the end of the semester on May 22nd. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) has ordered additional tablets and laptops and will be supplementing the Libraries inventory. Students are encouraged to call Central Library at 817-272-3395 to confirm laptops are still available before they come to Central Library. We will also provide regular updates on the Libraries website and social media.

“The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff is of utmost importance,” said Rebecca Bichel, Dean of UTA Libraries. “In working with the Provost and other campus Deans, we felt this proactive approach would best benefit our community as we make the transition to a totally online learning environment.”

Bichel also indicated that the Libraries is partnering with OIT to ensure that students on campus would have adequate access to computer resources. Students can find an open lab by going to the UTA Remote page and selecting “Computer Labs.”

The Libraries is also suspending the circulation of print materials as well as print material requests via Interlibrary Loan. Digital resources can still be requested through ILL.

From March 24 through March 27, Central Library will be open only for laptop lending from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Beginning March 30, laptop lending will be available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to accommodate laptop access for as many students as possible, including those who work full-time.

The Libraries Live Chat, which provides reference and research assistance, is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This virtual reference service is staffed by the Libraries’ Research Coaches, librarians, and Libraries’ staff, and can connect students and faculty to campus services and online resources.

“Students can get answers to a range of questions, from very specific nursing-related inquiries to broader research queries,” said Diane Shepelwich, the multi-subject librarian overseeing the Live Chat. “Our staff is trained and ready, day or night, to support our students’ success.”

In addition to the Live Chat, students have access to a host of online databases, as well as a wide collection of digital media, including eBooks, journal articles, digital audio and video, and a digital gallery featuring more than 55,000 images from UTA Libraries Special Collections.

Faculty are encouraged to reach out to Katherine Willeford, Learning Resources Librarian, via email at katherine.willeford@uta.edu for assistance in digitizing materials for online learning.

“We understand this transition came on suddenly and want to do everything we can to make the process easier for our faculty,” Willeford said. “We are on-hand to bring faculty resources online to support their now-digital classes.”

They also have access to the plethora of help guides and online resources on the Libraries website. 

Libraries staff and UTA faculty have created LibGuide resources related to coronavirus, including:

• A Guide to Coronavirus
• Libraries COVID-19 FAQ
• Emergency Resources Guide
• Teaching and Learning During a Shutdown