Welcome Back to BC Libraries, Spring 2021

Silhouettes of people walking across the O'Neill Library quad at Boston College in the snow. Small trees are outlined in snow in front of Gasson Hall.

Welcome back! Although 2020 seemed like looking into the abyss, we in the BC Libraries persevered and learned from the disruption. It was not always easy and–like all of you–we collectively experienced stress, anxiety and pessimism. But as a community we stuck together and redoubled our efforts to learn and serve the BC students and faculty. 

Although one cannot single out any area, our online services saw a dramatic spike, especially chat reference, e-reserves and course content. Interlibrary loan and digital document delivery also grew and throughout the year we became increasingly proficient in the services.

Still, our in-person services also maintained a solid presence, albeit with fewer people in the libraries and fewer transactions. That said, we hope and expect to be relatively normal by the fall, and to that end we have every reason to expect a more comprehensive hybrid approach to services and spaces that apply the lessons learned, coupled with our commitment to continuous improvement.

The spring term will continue to be nuanced, but rest assured our talented staff and service commitment remains at your service and we welcome your constructive input on all library matters. We value your presence and your insights.

Good luck and stay well!

All the best,

Tom