 This pandemic has totally changed the rules of how we live and learn on campus, and our libraries are no exception. We've made significant changes to our spaces and services to keep our community healthy. Hi, I'm Chad Boninger, Head of User Services for our High University Libraries. I'm here to explain how we're keeping visitors, students, and staff safe. I will also discuss the guidelines everyone will follow when using our libraries in order to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Alden's study spaces are limited to current faculty, staff, and students at this time. You'll need a valid Ohio University ID to enter, and you'll need to scan it at one of our entrances. If your ID does not scan, please contact the Bobcat Depot to request a new ID. Upon entering the library, you'll notice we have signs everywhere. These signs clearly communicate our guidelines to keep you and others safe and healthy. The signs and guidelines are easy to understand and obey, so we really shouldn't have any problems. However, refusing to follow our safety guidelines may result in loss of library privileges or other disciplinary actions, and we certainly don't want that to happen, do we? Our signs tell you that everyone should be six feet apart at all times. This is something we've all heard since early 2020, so this really shouldn't be new to anyone. The six-foot social distancing rule applies at all times in the library too. Our furniture is even space six feet apart, and we have signs telling you where you can and cannot sit, so you can leave your tape measures and yardsticks at home. You can reserve our study rooms up to two weeks in advance. When we are in the middle of a raging global pandemic, these rooms are great to study with your friends and classmates and to work on group projects together. Unfortunately, the virus changed that too. I know, right? To keep everyone safe, these rooms can only be used by one person at a time. Masks are also required at all times as our study rooms are still considered public spaces. No exceptions here. Sorry. In pre-pandemic times, you could actually visit the bookstacks to find books for your classes or research. Well, guess what? COVID messed that up too. However, you can request books from the Alice Cadlock. Our staff will pull your books for you, check them out to you, and place them in our pickup location with your name on them. We're pulling out all the stops to keep you safe and healthy. Now, that's service with a smile, except, well, we're wearing masks and you'll just have to trust us. We are smiling. While we don't have staff sitting at our service desk, we are still able to help at all hours the library is open. You can text us your questions or visit our website to chat with us. If you need help in person, we do have on-call staff in the building simply text or call us to request help. Note that due to six-foot social distancing requirements, our staff may not be able to immediately solve all problems, but will do our best. Our staff are also actively moving throughout the building and they will politely remind you about our guidelines. To be honest, telling people to follow our common sense guidelines isn't our favorite part of our jobs. So please, help us out. Simply wear a mask, stay six feet apart, and don't study with a group, and we'll all get to the other side of this pandemic together.