Spring semester courses will start online, and VCU Libraries staff and faculty will continue to provide remote consulting services and access to vast digital collections. 

Library buildings on both campuses are open to serve students, faculty, and staff who need access to the libraries’ physical spaces. Operating hours, determined by use patterns last fall and lower anticipated traffic on campus this spring as a result of online classes, will be trimmed slightly compared to fall 2020. For more information visit the hours web page. 

Please be aware of the following changes and reminders when using library buildings:

1. Library users must show a valid Entry Pass to access library spaces. Entry Pass is a new mobile app that confirms a person has completed the required daily health check. 
2. Following university guidelines, expect stricter enforcement of VCU’s expectation to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth at all times in library buildings. Users who do not comply will be asked to present their VCU ID and will receive a written warning and reminder of the university’s rules about face coverings. VCU Libraries will maintain a record of users’ names who receive this warning. Users who refuse to provide the requested VCU ID will be required to leave the building immediately. Continued noncompliance may result in the suspension of access to library buildings and disciplinary action in accordance with university policy.
3. Food and drink are not allowed in library spaces except in Starbucks at Cabell Library. The atrium, the glassed-in area that faces east to the Cabell Library lawn, is closed to minimize mingling and group gatherings that fail to keep safe distance while eating and drinking. Food and drink cannot be consumed anywhere in Cabell Library or the Health Sciences Library. Users cannot bring food and drink, except water bottles, into either library. Users are permitted to take sips of water, and immediately replace face coverings.

To better serve students, faculty and staff working remotely, VCU Libraries continues to expand and improve online services. Chat and text hours will be expanded from fall hours, and email services remain available on weekdays. Librarians are available to provide instruction for spring classes and remain available for research consultations via Zoom. Special Collections and Archives will be open by appointment, and Cabell Library’s Workshop will offer a combination of virtual services and in-person services.

In addition to available streaming video and audio collections, the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), of which VCU is a member, recently added significant new streaming services through CARES Act funding:

• Academic Video Online (AVON)
• Docuseek Complete Collection
• SAGE Video: Counseling & Psychotherapy Collection
• SAGE Video: Criminology & Criminal Justice Collection 
• SAGE Video: Nursing Collection

These resources can be accessed through the VCU Libraries Databases A-Z list.