As Clemons Library Closes for the Summer, other Libraries Work to Lessen Impact

Clemons Library is closing this summer for an HVAC upgrade. The good news is that the Clemons collection will remain available. DVDs will stay in the building, protected from the heat and humidity by a stand-alone air conditioner and dehumidifier, and will be available via Virgo request; the books will move to Alderman, in closed stacks but also available by request. The Robertson Media Center will move service to Scholar’s Lab on the 4th floor of Alderman, and Summer session course reserves will move to Brown Science and Engineering Library. Also this summer, Fine Arts video reserves will move to the Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library. In the Fall, course reserves will return to their accustomed Clemons location.

However, when Clemons reopens its doors in August 2018, the 1st floor will remain closed for the installation of high density shelving in preparation for 2019 when it will be Clemons’ turn to take in a large part of Alderman’s collection during the library’s renovation.

Installing the new shelves that run on tracks to pack as many books as possible into the 1st floor area will leave study space for about 370 people; the makeover also means there will be sprinklers for fire suppression, remodeled restrooms, and a raised floor, allowing the Library to add more electrical outlets near the tables. Most important, the Alderman books will stay on the central Grounds—close to staff, faculty, and students.

Fortunately, the Library can help users cope with the inconvenience. A virtual browsing enhancement in Virgo gives library users a more complete browsing experience than was possible in the past. Users today can look up a title in Virgo, click a virtual shelf-browse icon, and see all the books in that call number range, not just in one library but many—Alderman, Clemons, Fine Arts, Special Collections, and the Ivy Stacks remote shelving and retrieval unit, as well as electronic books.

Likewise, finding a convenient place to study is not the challenge it used to be. The Library has created an interactive map that lets you Explore Study Spaces at UVA. You can survey images of the locations, click an image to get a description, find out when it’s available, grab your computer and go.

Brown Science & Engineering Library will be home to Print Reserves for the summer 2018 semester. The library’s east wing has graceful niches for quiet study.

There’s no doubt that the work on Clemons’ 1st floor poses challenges for both staff and library users, so please feel free to communicate your ideas, thoughts, and concerns about service to a Library subject liaison, or Ask a Librarian and let the staff know how the Library can help you.

Comments are closed.