Update: Beginning Monday, August 9, UVA is requiring masks in all indoor spaces, including libraries, regardless of a person’s vaccination status. 

We are very excited that in August the Library will begin shifting back to more normal operations! By the end of August, we anticipate that most services will be back to pre-pandemic levels.

We appreciate your patience as we make these changes — the process will be gradual but we hope to make it as quick and pleasant as possible.

Where we’re headed

By the end of August, nearly all services and locations will be back for in-person use.

In the meantime, things will change in a few phases, listed below. We appreciate your patience and can’t wait to see you again, in person!

August 6: LEO Mobile ends, Clemons pickup continues

Friday, August 6 will be the last pickup day for “LEO Mobile” at the Central Grounds Parking Garage. All patrons will continue to have access to pickup at Clemons Library until August 13.

August 13, end of day: ETAS ending

HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access Service will end in the evening of Friday, August 13. This means many items available digitally during the pandemic will no longer be available online, but it also means we’ll be able to open the stacks on August 16!

August 16: All locations open, including Library stacks

Monday, August 16 is a very exciting day!

• Library stacks will re-open
  • Library locations will open stacks for browsing.
    • HathiTrust ETAS, for its duration, allowed the circulation of millions of digital items, but copyright law required physical copies of those same books to remain uncirculated. With the ending of ETAS, all books may once again circulate in physical form.
  • Items previously available digitally through HathiTrust will no longer be available digitally, but faculty, staff, and graduate students can use the Request feature in Virgo to request physical copies for pickup or LEO delivery.
  • Some items, like ones stored offsite in Ivy Stacks, require all users to make a Request in Virgo and pick up the item after it’s delivered.
• Library locations will re-open
  • Nearly all Library spaces will be open for browsing and general enjoyment, including study rooms and stacks areas. See Library hours (scroll forward to see future dates) for specifics.
  • Special Collections continues to offer appointments for use of the Reading Room; walk-ins are also welcome beginning August 24.
• LEO delivery to departments will be once again available for faculty, staff, and graduate students. Specifics will depend on the department, but services will largely return pre-pandemic levels. Learn about setting up LEO delivery.

August 24: Equipment, room reservations, and more

Tuesday, August 24 is the first day of classes and the Library will be ready!

• Room reservations
  • Study rooms will once again be available for reservations, starting August 24. Note this rollout is gradual — reservations may not be available immediately for all spaces, but we’ll get there soon!
• Equipment will once again be available for loan. This includes audio equipment, video cameras, and lots more. Equipment will be listed here, beginning August 24 — note filter at the top of the page, which limits the list to one location at a time.
• Special Collections will begin offering some walk-in services, and will continue offering appointments for use of the Reading Room. Please check the hours page before visiting as hours have changed.
• The Scholars’ Lab, located on the 3rd floor of Clemons Library during the renovation, will be open to visitors.
  • The Scholars’ Lab offers a mix of in-person and virtual office hours, workshops, and consultations, and is launching TinkerTank, a perfect complement to the 3D Printing Studio in the Robertson Media Center. Email scholarslab@virginia.edu for more information.

Visit the Status Dashboard for service status at any given time, and Ask a Librarian when you have questions!

Updated August 9 to reflect UVA’s masking policy.