Closing Out 2020 at the Libraries

Fall 2020 has been an unprecedented time for all of us, and a semester that required us at the Libraries to adapt almost every aspect of our services. As we come to the final weeks of the term, we will be changing up our hours and the availability of spaces to support reading days and finals, and then reducing and finally shutting down services for the end of 2020.

You can see the full scope of changes over the coming weeks on the Library Hours page, but I’ll share some of the highlights here.

Expanded Hours for Reading Days and Finals

The Libraries will have weekend and expanded hours during the reading period and final exams. Starting November 17, Lilly will open earlier, at 10 am, for the duration of the reading period. The study areas in the West Campus libraries – Perkins, Bostock, and Rubenstein – as well as Lilly on East Campus will also be available starting at 8:30 am over the weekend of November 21-22. On Monday the 23rd Lilly returns to a 10 am open, and maintains that schedule through the final day of exams, November 24, when it will close at 7 pm.

Wearing masks and physically distanced, first-year student Kennedy Cleage and classmates study in the Gothic Reading Room of Perkins Library, which is open through reservation only.

Reduced Services During November and Early December

All libraries close by 3 pm on Wednesday, November 25 and remain closed through the weekend. Starting Monday, November 30, services on West Campus will be greatly reduced, as Library Takeout, ePrint, and equipment reservations will be available exclusively at the Bostock entrance from 11 am to 4 pm through December 11. The only available study spaces will be at Lilly, from 1-6 pm Monday through Friday.

If you need materials during the intersession, we strongly urge you to request them by December 8. December 11 will be the final day until January to pick up anything from Duke University Libraries.

Closed for the Holidays

All libraries will close by 6 pm on December 11 – at different times that day at different locations – and remain closed through January 3. While online resources will remain available, we will be shutting down almost all remote services. Our Ask a Librarian service will have limited capacity for email responses, but librarians will not be responding to chats. Libraries will reopen on Monday, January 4.

On behalf of the staff at Duke University Libraries, we thank the Duke community for your patronage during this challenging semester, and wish everyone all the best for final exams, and a safe, restorative time for the end-of-year holidays. We look forward to seeing you again in January!