In a suddenly remote spring, library support services carry on
While the MIT Libraries’ physical spaces and tangible collections are currently inaccessible, its network of people, services, and resources has mobilized behind the scenes to ensure that Institute learning and research continue despite the disruptions of Covid-19. Since mid-March, the MIT Libraries have provided only services and resources that can be accessed remotely. Library staff — like many across MIT — had to quickly pivot to a new reality, finding creative solutions to providing the expertise and resources the community needs now. Expanding access to digital content Without access to physical collections, library staff have had to navigate a complex landscape of publishers, platforms, and copyright to access the materials MIT students, faculty, and researchers depend on. Once physical library locations closed, staff sprang into action to identify alternative resources to print and fulfill requests from the MIT community and beyond: Staff have loaded more than 300,000 new e-books and added 475,000 links to digital...