Making an impact
Highlights from the University of Utah Libraries March 1, 2020 – December 31, 2021
"The University of Utah shifted from almost entirely in-person classes to almost all classes being online. Students, staff, faculty and researchers, regardless of their location, needed immediate access to information, resources and services. With no roadmaps to guide us, the Marriott Library rose to the occasion."
Alberta Comer, Alice Sheets Marriott Dean of Libraries
A Lending Hand: Producing PPE
The 3D printing staff joined others in creating 2,000 face shields that were then provided to medical workers.
University of Utah Press
- Published 38 New Books
- Received 11 Book Awards
Ramping Up
Campus was all but closed and most students were centered at home doing virtual classwork. They needed long-term laptop checkouts. With a $1.4 million CARES grant and campus collaborations, the library secured more than 1,000 laptops that were then sent to students' homes.
$1.4 million CARES grant provided 1,000 laptops for students
- Loaned 31,857 laptops, tablets & other equipment
- Increased chat hours by 45%
- Provided 3,747 hours online chat support
- Loaded 658,000 ebooks into the catalog for patron access
A new service – Home Delivery – was launched
Staff began shipping library materials to homes. The practice has been fully adopted as a regular service.
More than 4,905 items shipped around the world, as far as Israel and the Republic of Korea.
Book Arts Program for Campus & Community
Being sequestered during the pandemic didn't stop Book Arts; the program migrated to online teaching. More than 1,500 bookmaking kits were created so that students could participate wherever they were located.
The Book Arts K-12 Outreach team reached 12,674 K-12 students and educators through various online programming. This involved producing many videos which amassed 8,419 views.
COVID-19 Archive
Soon after COVID-19 hit, librarians in Digital Library Services realized the opportunity to capture history. The Utah COVID-19 Digital Collection Project was launched, creating an online archive containing nearly 1,300 photographs, stories and oral histories.
Virtual Reality Services
The library created a mobile virtual reality so students could meet face to face and look at real-world scientific data. VR classes were held remotely, with the library serving as a hub for training and equipment checkout.
Creating Community Connections
The France Davis Utah Black Archive was launched. This archive brings together oral histories, photos, personal documents and such pertaining to Utah’s Black community, both present and past.
The library also reached 4,657 people through 17 live, virtual events. Hooplaza was attended by 843 participants through 18 produced videos. Library Fest saw 1,584 participants through eight days of outreach.
Grants and Fundraising
$11.3 million total raised in cash & in-kind gifts
$5 million J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation gift for library initiatives
$500,000 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to support a joint project with the Utah Museum of Fine Arts
$200,000 contribution from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to amplify Indigenous voices
"I want to make sure that this is done right. It’s very, very important that people have a pathway to their past.
Coming Soon!
Visualization Wall
A 25-foot wide by 7-foot tall, high-resolution visualization wall will allow library users with the ability to simultaneously display, analyze and manipulate multiple types of big data, while presenting to workshops, meetings and small groups.
New Classroom
Demand for library classrooms that support semester-long University courses and supplemental instruction is still high. The library is building a 75 - 100 seat classroom that meets a need not currently served by our 40 seat classrooms. The classroom will also support single-use events.
The first day I came to the U to tour the campus, I fell in love with the library. I've been at the U for six years; I use the computers to complete assignments and it’s my go-to place for studying and doing research. Looking through the digital collections keeps me passionate about learning and discovering new things. I love to read and browsing through the bookshelves is a type of therapy for me. So, when the pandemic hit, I was delighted to learn I could have books sent to my home. The library was also super helpful at tracking down materials via Interlibrary Loan and lending laptops for the entire semester. Honestly, the library has been a life-saver, and when I graduate, I expect I’ll miss it a good deal.”
