Fall 2020 Updates
Hours
- Monday-Thursday, 8am-6pm
- Friday, 8am-4pm
- Closed Monday, September 7, 2020
These hours will run through Friday, November 20 and are subject to change. Hours after November 20 will be posted when available.
Curbside Pickup
Students, faculty, and staff should come to the library desk to pick up any items that have been requested. All returns should be made using the book drop slot outside the library or the slot at the circulation desk.
Spaces & Technology
We have rearranged the furniture in the library to provide socially-distant quiet study spaces for students. In addition to 12 computer workstations, there are approximately 30 seats in the library:
- some open seating
- some at study carrels
- some at tables
One study room, Library 109, is open for reservations for individual study only. Please bring your own headphones or earbuds.
Group study is prohibited in the library during the Fall 2020 semester, and all students, faculty, and staff must adhere to Penn State’s official masking and social distancing guidelines. No food or eating will be allowed in the library, although students may bring beverages to sip, preferably with a straw.
Course Reserves
Textbooks that are part of our Course Reserves are available for checkout (for a 24-hour period) from the main desk in the library. Usage of print course reserves will be very limited in the fall semester, due to a mandated 96-hour quarantine between checkouts. Students may call or email the library at ul-w-scranton@lists.psu.edu or 570-963-2630 to inquire about textbook availability and to be added to a waitlist.
Reference and Instruction
Our librarians are still available to provide assistance remotely! For research assistance, schedule a research consultation . For information literacy instruction services, please contact our Reference and Instruction Librarian, Kristin Green, directly at kristin.green@psu.edu. General questions can be sent to ul-w-scranton@lists.psu.edu. As a reminder, Penn State's virtual reference service, Ask a Librarian , is always open for assistance!
Additional Information
Accessing Books (not on Course Reserve/non-Textbooks)
- All materials (including those located at Penn State Scranton) must be requested for pick up through the “I Want It” button in the Libraries catalog.
- Students, faculty, and staff will not be able to physically browse collections at any library location. Closing the stacks lets us retain access to HathiTrust’s Emergency Temporary Access Service (ETAS) . This service makes approximately half of the Penn State Libraries print collection available electronically.
- University Libraries has set a requirement to quarantine materials for 96 hours between uses. Once returned, an item won’t be available for 96 hours.
- In addition to the materials available through either ETAS or our pickup service, University Libraries offers a robust collection of electronic books, electronic journal articles, streaming video, and more.
- Interlibrary Loan staff are processing requests as materials become available, dependent upon other libraries’ open status worldwide. Be prepared for longer turnaround times between placing and receiving requests due to reduced staffing, hours, and participation of other lending institutions. Staff also are able to scan portions of physical materials to share electronically, in accordance with copyright law.
- For further information on the our expanded online resources, please visit the Libraries' COVID-19 page.
Popular Reading Materials/DVDs
We will be allowing browsing of our popular book and DVD collections, however, you may also view our current holdings via LibraryThing and contact the library at 570-963-2630 or ul-w-scranton@lists.psu.edu to confirm availability:
Rooms and Spaces
Computer Lab: Library 105: Fall 2020. Contains 4 computers, projector, and podium. Available as open study space when not occupied by a class.
Library Room 102: 3 computers, mobile cart with television for display/presentation, white board. Seats 8. UNAVAILABLE FALL 2020
Library Room 109: 1 computer, white board. Reserve a 2-hour time slot.
Online reservations for group study rooms, at all campuses, are unavailable through the duration of the remote instruction period.
Please note that a minimum of two students is required to make a reservation and that the room can only be reserved for three hours at a time by any one group.
To see if same day reservations are available, please speak with a library staff member. For more information, please review the Group Study Room Guidelines.
Textbooks and Reserves
The Library Course Reserve Request Form is to be used when you are requesting that materials be placed on Reserve at the library for students in your class(es).
Equipment to Borrow
| Item | Loan Period |
|---|---|
| Laptops | 7 days |
| Chromebooks | 7 days |
| Headphones | 4 hours, in-library use only |
| Calculators | 24 hours |
| Dry Erase Markers | 4 hours, in-library use only |