“We’re doing our best to keep you all as safe as we can.”
This statement from Bonnie Bowser, circulation and office manager at the Sadie Hartzler Library, is in reference to the library’s new rule requiring students, faculty, and staff to present their EMU ID cards to enter the building. The decision went into effect Monday, and it was a difficult one for library staff, as EMU’s library has historically been open to the surrounding community.
“Our database licenses permit on-site use of online journals and books, and people who have wished to use the Historical Library or our print book collections on site have been welcome,” said Marci Frederick, director of the Sadie Hartzler Library. “So there has been, perhaps, a greater public expectation that the library would be open to the community, even with the coronavirus situation.”
Unfortunately, that is not the case. Bowser spoke more to what went into this decision. “The administration’s policy was faculty, staff, and students in any of the buildings. We said, ‘Okay that should be simple.’”
It proved more difficult than expected. Local pastors, members of VMRC, and other community members have relied on access to the library’s databases for years. Many did not realize the new restrictions for community members on campus, and with no close monitoring, it was easy for them to slip by unnoticed. “The decision to ask for EMU IDs was driven by the knowledge that people who are not EMU students have been on the campus and perhaps in buildings without EMU’s knowledge, thus making the campus less safe for our students, faculty, and staff,” said Frederick.
Additionally, for community members to check out anything from the library, they need community IDs, another point of contact for germs. Temporarily taking this away, said Bowser, will ensure that “our work study students are not at extra risk of being exposed … we cannot do that.”
Bowser acknowledged the importance of hands-on classes for many students, especially in medical or education disciplines. She knows that if students get sent home, they may not be able to graduate on time. “The only way we can keep our student body safe is to ask for IDs.” The decision was not easy to make, but made with students’ wellbeing in mind. “As much as it hurts us … it just isn’t practical this year,” said Bowser.
