On Thursday, March 19 the Raymond H. Fogler Library closed its doors to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Fogler has continued to provide services for the University of Maine community as remote learning continues.
The library’s staff of reference librarians are available over live chat functions to assist students with research papers as well as to offer guidance or assistance on finding reference material. Each program has a reference librarian available where they are able to assist students in finding information such as articles, online journals, databases and more.
Students can reach librarians via email, online chat, scheduled Zoom meetings and through the daily Zoom research sessions hosted by the library. These research sessions take place weekdays from noon to 2 p.m. and can be accessed through the Fogler Library website.
Fogler gives students access to millions of resources through the internet, and their librarians are information experts wanting to help students through every stage of their research.
Students are able to access millions of resources from wherever they are doing their remote learning as long as they have an internet connection. Fogler also has online collections of popular media, such as books, magazines and video streaming.
If students are in need of a print book in the library collection, librarians are offering to mail it to their address. If students need laptops or electronic devices, Fogler has extras that students can loan until the end of the spring semester in May.
If a student has an assignment requiring research, they are able to join the library’s drop-in research sessions and receive assistance from the reference librarians. Working with reference librarians can offer students an opportunity to enrich their research projects, as reference librarians have many resources available to help students in such situations.
In addition to providing student support during this time of remote learning, Fogler staff is offering support to faculty. The library sends weekly emails to UMaine faculty highlighting resources and services available exclusively to them. The library’s Reference Department is able to create online research guides for faculty, and they can help locate online resources that can be used in enhancing their students’ remote learning. Fogler also is able to scan book chapters or articles that faculty might need for teaching or their own research.
The library hopes to open as soon as they can while still prioritizing public health and safety.
“We don’t have a specific date as of right now. It will depend on developments with COVID-19 and campus in general. We want the library to be available, but we also want to respect public health needs as well as the safety of our patrons and staff,” Public Relations Manager for Fogler Brad Beauregard said. “Most importantly, even if the building is closed, the library — its people and resources — will still be here to help … The library is here for you. We want to see you succeed. You have millions of information resources available, but you don’t have to navigate those alone”
For more information on remote learning assistance and accessibility visit library.umaine.edu/coronavirus/faq/.
