Cornellians returning to campus this week may have been surprised to find Uris Library closed to students. A sign on the door read:
Uris Library will reopen February 7, 2022. The only portion of Uris that is open at this time is the Tower Lab Contactless Pickup via ID card access.
According to Associate University Librarian Bonna Boettcher, the Cocktail Lounge will resume normal hours on January 24th, the first day of classes, though students will have to use the Libe Slope Entrance. In addition, students can also access CUPrint in the Clock Tower area. Boettcher also stated that:
“To keep the rest of [Uris Library] open we rely heavily on student employees. Given that instruction will be virtual through February 4th, we have few students we can schedule, so we decided to concentrate our staffing in Olin Library since it offers more seats, services and collections.“
The closure is in apparent contradiction with an earlier email from the administration, which assured students that “recreational facilities and libraries will remain open during this time.” President Pollack has argued that the benefit from shutting down the libraries would not outweigh the benefits students reap from open libraries.
The closure of Uris has caused some concern among students, with questions and speculation about other changes circulating in online groups. Cornell has also faced some online criticism for its selection of permissible activities. While clubs are not permitted to meet, the administration has allowed hockey games to continue, with fans in attendance. Why hockey games are safer or more beneficial for students than club meetings is a mystery.
Despite the partial closure of Uris, other libraries remain open, including Olin (7 days a week) and Mann (7 days a week beginning on January 24th). Classes will be online until Monday, February 7th, barring any further changes to the administration’s plans for the semester.
