Ferris’ library is a resource many students use as a study space, a place for RSO meetings or a way to find some light reading.
Unfortunately, that resource is not available for the foreseeable future. Recognizing the stress this can cause for students, FLITE has waived late fees and is allowing students to keep their checked out items for now. A similar situation in the past created a policy that enabled fees to be waived. The fines aren’t a large part of FLITE’s revenue so it won’t be harming the library. The biggest impact FLITE is likely to see is the influx of books needing to be shelved once the pandemic ends.
“We are expecting that we may lose a few items due to the way everyone left campus so quickly,” said FLITE Coordinator of Research Services Mari Kermit-Canfield said, but she hopes that all books will be able to return to campus with the students.
In the meantime, librarians are doing their best to help students succeed in their classes. One-on-one consultations with librarians are available, and students can contact FLITE weekdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. through the virtual chatting service. The consultations use a variety of resources depending on what is best suited for the consultation’s needs.
“If students would like individualized research help, I can easily do a Zoom meeting to allow us to work together and share our computer screens,” said FLITE Health Sciences librarian Ali Konieczny.
FLITE Assessment librarian Stacy Anderson confirmed that FLITE is also working with faculty members to get electronic copies of necessary materials, and FLITE scanning what they can without violating copyright laws. Anderson encourages students to contact them if they’re having any problems finding anything. The FLITE faculty are still available to help students in this trying time, just as they are during the standard school year.
In addition to academic aid, FLITE has obtained some content for students to view while in social isolation. These resources can be found at https://Ferris.libguides.com/covid-19. An example of this content is the collection of links to virtual tours of several museums. If students want to see something a little closer to Ferris, now would be an ideal time to discover the Museum of Sexist Objects. A photo gallery of the museum’s displays as well as a library guide to related articles can be found at https://www.ferris.edu/moso/.
For those looking for a new book to read while in quarantine, Kermit-Canfield recommended the book “Weetzie Bat” by Francesca Lia Block.
“I think we all need a bit of escapism right now,” Kermit-Canfield said.
Konieczny recommends “The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared” by Jonas Jonasson, which has already been made into a movie in Sweden. Many other public libraries are still offering eBooks and audiobooks, so there are plenty of choices.
If a student doesn’t enjoy reading, one Ferris librarian offers another idea.
“These are very unusual times,” FLITE Outreach and User Engagement librarian David Scott said, “You’ll want to look back at this in 20 years, so write stuff down.”
There’s still some time before this quarantine is over, so use it well.