CSUN University Library now open to students at limited capacity
Luis Valdez, 24, uses one of the computer stations in the CSUN University Library in Northridge, Calif. on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Students can reserve a time slot for a computer or study room on the library’s online reservation system.
March 30, 2021
The CSUN University Library, formerly known as the Oviatt Library, opened its doors Monday to students for the first time in over a year after closing indefinitely in March 2020.
The announcement came via an email from Library Dean Mark Stover on Thursday. According to Stover, the Library will be open in a limited capacity for students who reserve a study space or computer, which can be done using the Library’s online reservation system.
Students can access these areas for up to two hours per day, five days a week. The Library’s current hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Starting on April 12, the Library’s hours will be extended from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Although individual study areas and computer stations on the Library’s main floor will be open, the rest of the Library will remain closed and COVID-19 safety precautions will still be in place. Students are required to wear a mask and must have a reservation to enter the Library. All stations or rooms will have a maximum capacity of one person.
“Similar to classroom capacity for on-campus instruction, the Library’s capacity is based on Los Angeles County Public Health protocols, which is determined by the current risk level tier that the county is in,” said Katherine Dabbour, associate dean of the University Library.
According to Dabbour, the decision to open the Library was made “after careful evaluation by CSUN’s Environmental Health & Safety office and with the approval of the campus’ Emergency Operations Committee.”
Although steps have been taken to gradually reopen the Library, a full reopening is still up in the air. Dabbour said that the Library has conducted “scenario planning” but a full reopening is based on several factors and “must be approved by campus authorities based on the latest public health protocols as well as what our infrastructure and resources allow.”
For more information and updates regarding the University Library’s partial reopening, visit their website.
