Only Our Building Was Closed

The library’s web sites have a direct impact on student success, and are expected to be 100% accurate and current at all times. If this sounds like an impossible goal - well, it may be.  But we're committed enough to our mission of service and support that we consider it a baseline expectation.  It's more important than ever now that the web site is our primary vehicle for describing and delivering our resources and services to a significant portion of Cleveland State's students and faculty. 
 

The day the library building closed in March 2020, our main website was already revamped and providing clear, accurate, up-to-date information about the rapidly-changing situation, as well as links to University resources and info from the CDC.  So we were poised to immediately support faculty making the transition to remote teaching.  While faculty were redesigning their coursework during that extra week of spring break, we were there for all our users with a brand new research guide and a suite of pages to guide students and faculty through the challenge of accessing textbooks, electronic resources, and research materials at a critical time in the semester. 
 

Apparently, you've found us helpful: our websites received c.682,000 hits in the last fiscal year.  Since the pandemic forced us to close our building, use of many of our pages has increased by 75% to as high as 400%.  

Our electronic course reserve system, which supports hundreds of courses with free textbooks and required readings each semester, has become even more essential. Last semester (Fall 2020) use of our e-book versions of required texts was up by an incredible 97.5%. 

Like everyone else, some of us are working remotely, and others are on campus.  Our web-based remote reference consultations have enabled our librarians to  continue to provide the one-on-one research assistance you need via chat, text, email, or video conference, even when our building is closed. We have made these services impossible to miss, offering friendly, personal help at the point of need throughout the site.  We've also created a more robust offering of FAQs and online tutorials to help you even after remote reference hours. 
 

As we like to say "We're here for you...Wherever you are"!
 

For the very latest information, visit our continuously-updated Continuity of Library Services & Operations