The Tate Library, like most of the school, has been adjusted to accommodate the Fieldston and CDC COVID-19 safety guidelines. Librarians, administrators and members of facilities all came together before the start of the 2020-2021 school year to ensure that the library would continue to be a safe and productive environment during hyflex learning. Not only has the actual space been rearranged, but the online resources, scheduling processes and book-checkout procedures have also been altered since the start of the pandemic.
The librarians met three times a week over the summer to prepare in-depth online resources for student and teacher usage. During their meetings, the librarians redid the library cataloging and came up with a new covid-safe floor plan for the library. The librarians always thought that the Tate would be open this year because it has a recently-redone air conditioning and filtration system and it is quite spacious, making it one of the safest buildings on campus. In late August, the librarians were finally allowed back on campus. Then, before hyflex learning started in October, facilities went into the library and shifted the tables, separated cubicles, transported several study carrels downstairs, and moved bookcases all while mapping out a six foot distance between individual study areas.
The main floor of the library is now only open during certain bands with a maximum capacity of 35 students working there at a time. In previous years, the upper floor of the library was another space that was open to students for studying, but this year it is used by faculty only. It was necessary to reserve the upstairs floor for faculty because most faculty offices are in close quarters with one another. Furthermore, proctors are able to go to the upper level of the library during their off time. Given the fact that the top floor is now for staff use only, the group study rooms are no longer available to students. Now, these spaces are instead used for teacher meetings. The entry floor of the library recently became a place with study carrels in order to increase the number of areas where students can work. This section of the library is able to stay open during all bands.
Scheduling was also a major factor in rethinking the library, and this job was left to the administration. There are now classes that take place in the library every day. One class can be held at a time on each floor, including the bottom floor because the former test center now functions as a classroom. Due to scheduling conflicts and safety precautions, no middle school students are able to use the library. Also, in order to fully utilize all open spaces on campus, the library is now a place where students and faculty can eat lunch. Overall, Fieldston administrators have made the library a more structured place to guarantee that the classes scheduled in the library always have a place to go.
The librarians are usually scheduled to attend the various grade orientations that take place at the beginning of the school year, however, this year instead of visiting orientation, the librarians were scheduled to host their informative presentations during school community days. Unfortunately, the schoolwide community days were later cancelled. The librarians have still been invited to many virtual classes to inform students of different online research tools. Over the past few months, the librarians have been busy creating an abundance of online LibGuides. The school community has made the switch to use more online resources instead of print because currently many students are learning virtually. LibGuides are a popular study tool that include audio recordings, videos, online books, and databases. All of the Fieldston LibGuides can be accessed through the Tate Library website, which can be found by going to libraries.ecfs.org.
Many classes have been using online library resources as opposed to physical books because all books must be quarantined for seven days before they can be returned to the shelves. Students cannot touch the books while they are browsing in the library, but they are still able to checkout books. Because of the seven day quarantine rule, there are no more communal math and science textbooks available at the library. In addition to making LibGuides to compensate for the unavailability of print resources, the librarians have also made it possible for students to reach out for help without being in-person. Students can email any of the librarians to get their assistance in finding research tools even if they are not on campus.
During these quieter times in the Tate, many librarians miss the hum of students doing schoolwork throughout the day. The librarians have also noticed that it is harder for students to do collaborative work in the library now, which they previously enjoyed witnessing. Fieldston students and staff are still extremely grateful that this wonderful space continues to be made available to them, even at reduced capacity. It can be expected that the library will continue to function this way for the rest of the school year.
