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MOMENTUM
A Web Letter from the Office of the Provost - August 2020

By Mary Jane Chew

Libraries news for fall 2020 instructors

Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies (LSIS) re-opened on Monday, Aug. 17 with new hours and Protect Purdue-compliant health and safety protocols in place. Most notably, the Libraries’ print collections will be available for loan via online search request only, with various pick-up and delivery options for faculty, staff, and students. Once returned, all loaned materials will be quarantined for a period of four days before they are made available again.

“Though print materials will be available for loan, our commitment and focus remains on electronic resources,” said Assistant Dean for Access and Collections, Rebecca Richardson. “Whenever possible, we encourage instructors to choose electronic resources for their fall 2020 courses. The convenience to students and the safety of electronic materials simply cannot be matched by paper.”

When an electronic version of a needed resource is not available in the Purdue collections, Libraries will work with instructors who “Suggest a Purchase” to source and potentially add the electronic version to the collections.

“Unfortunately, the exception to this service is textbooks,” Richardson said. “Most publishers will not allow us to purchase an e-textbook version of their publications, which is particularly problematic given the present economic challenges facing many students. We encourage instructors to work with us and explore textbook alternatives.”

Libraries has released a statement on commercial textbooks and viable alternatives here.

The availability of textbook alternatives is especially critical as the Libraries moves to electronic-only course reserves. Beginning with the fall 2020 semester and continuing until further notice, Libraries will no longer circulate print course reserve materials due to safety concerns regarding the frequent handling of these popular items. Instructors are encouraged to explore the new, Brightspace-integrated “Library Reading List” tool for electronic course reserves here. Those in need of assistance may email the course reserves team at reserves@purdue.edu to get started.

For a more detailed look at Libraries’ fall 2020 plans and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit their dedicated site.





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