UVA Library is now offering in-person access to Brown Science and Engineering Library from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Students, faculty, and staff must present their UVA ID at the door; unfortunately, community access is not available at this time.

Guy Mengel, director of Library Facilities and Security, places a physical distancing decal on the floor of Brown Library in preparation for its reopening. Photo by Sanjay Suchak.

Status of Library spaces and services may change over the semester, visit the Status Dashboard for the most up-to-date information.

In order to provide the safest environment possible, the following policies and procedures are in place:

• Facial coverings and distancing: Everyone in the library will be required to wear a face mask at all times and maintain 6 feet of physical distancing.
  • Closures for non-compliance: If adequate mask wearing is not observed, the library will close for 2 hours.
  • The University has created guidelines for encouraging social distancing and masks, read more about how to encourage safe behavior in our community.
• Stacks closed: The reading room on the main floor is open, but stacks floors are closed to the public.
  • To access physical materials, place a request in Virgo. Note that some items may not be available for physical access, use Ask a Librarian web chat for assistance.
• Do not move furniture: Furniture has been removed and spread out, and plexiglass has been added, in order to encourage physical distancing.
• No food or drink: Food and drink are not allowed in the library but you may carry a personal water bottle.
• No room reservations: Library study rooms will not be reservable for fall semester.
• Occupancy limits: Occupancy limits in Brown have been set based on CDC guidelines for space density. When the building is at capacity no more people will be able to enter.
  • Coming soon: Occupancy numbers will be available in coming weeks on the Status Dashboard — check before you go!

A note about returning books: While indoor book return is an option, we prefer you to use the book drop on the outside of Clark Hall rather than handing materials to desk staff. This allows for easier quarantine between patrons. As you face the building, the book drop is on the right side of the front of Clark Hall. The outdoor book drop at Clemons is also open, as are drive-up returns in the parking garage and Old Ivy Road. See a map of all book return options.

Outlook going forward

As we explore in-person space access, we’ll carefully assess whether access can be increased, or whether conditions will require a return to remote-only services.

The most reliable place to go for up-to-the-minute information about Library resources is the Status Dashboard. We appreciate your patience, and can’t wait to see you (safely, from a distance) at Brown!