General Library Guide: Using the Library Services Safely

Library Services provide a wide range of high-quality library and information services, supporting learning, teaching and research.

Our Library services have increased their presence online. Please do not visit our libraries unless you need to access our computers, physical books or hard-copy resources.

We are open with limited services.

Your safety and wellbeing is our priority and in line with Government guidance, we are open and offering a limited service which is regularly reviewed and subject to change.  You must wear a face covering when using the library unless exempt and maintain social distancing of 2m from other people.  We have hand sanitisation stations around the building and wipes and spray for study spaces.

Socially distancing measures:

• A restricted number of people in the library at any one time
• One-way route around the library to avoid close contact with others
• Transparent screens at the Welcome Desk
• Study spaces are socially distanced and should not be moved.
• If they have their own laptop, we recommend they use it rather than a student PC.  The laptop loans service is not available.

Face covering policy:

Students are expecting to wear them in the library where social distancing at 2m cannot be achieved. This means that students do not have to wear the masks while sitting at a desk study as they are socially distanced however, they will need to if getting up to move around the building e.g. browsing our book stock or going to the toilets.

Food and drink policy:

Cold food and drinks are allowed. We have no concerns about food and drink increasing the risk of transmission.  We are therefore allowing drinks with lids/cold food as we did before the pandemic.

Services you can use in the library:

• We have now a reduced number of socially distanced study spaces and PCs
• Printing is available

Digital resources and academic support is available online.  Whether you are a new, continuing or master’s student we have the resources you need to get ready to learn online and develop your digital skills.  https://www.gre.ac.uk/academicskills/skills-for-uni

• Online IT and Library support https://www.gre.ac.uk/it-and-library

We may release to NHS England  Library entry and exit data in support of the Test & Protect service. 

Test and Trace

The Library turnstile systems record information from your Library card on when you enter and leave the premises. This can be linked to your student or staff record for a number of purposes.  All personal data will be held in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We will share your contact details with NHS Test and Trace, if asked, in the event of a fellow user or staff member testing positive for coronavirus. NHS Test and Trace will handle all data according to the highest ethical and security standards and ensure it is used only for the purposes of protecting public health, including minimising the transmission of COVID-19. 

Contacting people who might have been exposed to the virus is an important step in stopping the spread.  However, if you wish to opt out, you can by letting us know at the library welcome desk.  In the event of a user testing positive for the virus, we will extract the data but omit your name.

We currently do not offer

• Group study rooms and pods (hopefully we will but not before 21^st September)
• Loanable laptops
• No Children access
• No Alumni access
• No SCONUL access
• No access to the Academic Skills hub

Any concerns?

Please email sws-UserservicesTeam@greenwich.ac.uk