COVID 19 (novel coronavirus) Updates for Waidner-Spahr Library: Home

This guide provides the latest available information about Waidner-Spahr Library operations - including Archives & Special Collections - that may be impacted by the COVID 19 (novel coronavirus) situation.

Building Access & Continuing Services
The library building is closed. Remote services are available during the building closure.

Faculty and Staff Access to the Current Library Collection via Contact-Free Pick-up

Beginning July 6, the library will offer Contact-Free Pick-Up Service for faculty and staff. Requests can be placed online through JumpStart. Please limit the number of requested items per day to 5.
To place a request:

1. Sign-in to JumpStart with your Gateway credentials.
2. Select the item you want.
3. Click on “Request Pick Up” from the Get Print/Physical Copy option. 
4. Click on ”Send Request” to finalize process.

Requested items will be pulled from the collection and be checked out to you. You will receive an email when your items are available for pick-up. Available pick-up times are Monday-Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Items will be in a bag labeled with your name and placed on shelving inside the vestibule of the library’s main entrance. Please maintain social distancing requirement when picking up your items.  Questions regarding this service can be directed to email circ@dickinson.edu.

Please note that digital copies of 183,000 print books owned by the Waidner-Spahr Library are available electronically to current faculty, students, and staff via the Hathi Trust Emergency Temporary Access Service. The print books in the library’s collection that match Emergency Temporary Access titles are not eligible for circulation.

Librarians are available virtually (https://dickinson.libanswers.com/) to help you find alternative materials in Dickinson's electronic collections.. Library staff will make every attempt to respond to questions as quickly as possible.  Priority for services is support of online courses. Other services may be available as staff capacity permits.

If you would like to return items to the library, you can deposit them in the book drop to the left of the main entrance.

May 2020 Graduates:  If you had materials checked out at the time of graduation and would like to return the items now, please contact us at circ@dickinson.edu to receive a prepaid UPS shipping label. 

Questions? 

• For general questions, contact Access Services, email: circ@dickinson.edu.
• For research assistance, see options on our Ask A Librarian page (https://dickinson.libanswers.com/).
• For assistance with Archives & Special Collections, email: archives@dickinson.edu.

Accessing Books and Other Physical Materials

 Please note:

• Over 180,000 books from the library's collection are available online through the HathiTrust temporary emergency access agreement.  For more information, see: https://libguides.dickinson.edu/covid19/HT-ETA
• Contact the Archives team to make arrangements for accessing Archives & Special Collections materials remotely:  archives@dickinson.edu.
• Acquiring print materials through interlibrary loan services is restricted because many libraries throughout the state, country, and world remain closed.

Librarians monitor their email accounts and the library's general reference email. 

Our Ask A Librarian Service may meet many of your needs.  It allows you to:

• Determine who is the library liaison for your First Year Seminar, department, major, or course.
• Contact your library liaison.
• Submit non-urgent research questions.

If  your research question requires extended conversation, your librarian may be able to call or video chat with you.

Since more libraries are beginning to open up their collections for borrowing, we are now accepting faculty and staff requests for print book interlibrary loans through ILLiad. Please keep in mind that the time it takes to receive your items will be affected by the number of libraries offering these services and their level of staffing. Interlibrary loan services for students for the fall semester will remain limited to articles and book chapters only.