Ohio University announced Monday that Alden Library will reopen for student, faculty and public use and discontinue COVID-19 access restrictions July 6.
Those who wish to visit Alden will now be able to use the library’s study spaces, computers and printers, according to a university news release. Additionally, the library’s book stacks, which were previously closed due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, will reopen for users to browse.
The only section not scheduled to reopen July 6 is the fine arts library on the third floor. The section will reopen in August once an ongoing renovation project is completed.
The news of Alden’s reopening comes after a June 21 announcement from OU that all floors would be opened for students, faculty and staff on the following day. During the previous academic year, access to the library was restricted to the second and fourth floors.
Despite these restrictions, Alden Library remained a frequently used campus facility during Spring Semester 2021. According to a previous Post report, between March 1 and April 1, Alden received visits from a total of 2,681 individuals. This number was comparatively higher than other campus facilities during the time period but was far lower than the visitor numbers for the fall of 2019 and 2020, according to the report.
Although vaccinated individuals are no longer required by the university to wear masks while on campus, individuals who are not vaccinated are still required to wear masks and social distance within Alden and all university spaces.
News Editor
