Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, less people are visiting The COE Library recently.
“We are generally at about 20% of what we would normally see at this point in the semester,” said Paula Martin, Assistant Dean of User Services within the UW libraries.
The nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the steps the university is taking as precautions are only partially to blame according to Martin.
“You’ll also notice if you enter the library that there are fewer seats. We have moved much of the furniture off the floor, so our overall capacity is less, but at the same time, we have decreased demand,” Martin said.
For one student, this lack of demand stems from a lack of reason to visit that library specifically.
“I’m not going to the library currently because I want to study with my friends and with only one seat per desk that’s not possible,” said Lucy Bennett, a junior at UW.
“Having others around is a way to keep me motivated and accountable, not specifically for helping in my classes. Since the library cannot facilitate that anymore, I don’t go,” said Bennett.
This sentiment is shared by senior Luke Gluhosky who said, “Studying, doing homework and other schoolwork is a lot better when you can do it with friends or classmates. Since that is not a possibility because of the COVID precautions, I find I would rather do it at home or at someone’s house than the library.”
This lack of interaction is being felt by both students and employees of Coe library.
“We can’t deny that things are different with fewer people around-they are definitely less lively and much quieter. We are here to serve the campus community, and we miss seeing a busy library as much as you all miss coming here,” said Martin.
Like so many other aspects of the COVID-19 world we live in, Zoom has replaced the library as the traditional group meeting platform for students and employees alike.
“As for group projects I tend and try and lead those or manage the schedule/timeline of when things need to get done. This year, a weekly zoom call has been keeping everyone in the group updated and we’ve been able to still make progress on our group projects,” Bennett said.
Martin shared a similar viewpoint, stating “Zoom has become a huge part of our lives. All of our meetings are now virtual, and some of the library staff work completely off-site.”
