Have you ever wondered how many people are in the library before hiking over to find your favorite study spots are full? That kind of question takes on new importance in a time when maintaining physical distance is a matter of health and safety.
Thanks to a project at Rush Rhees Library, you will soon be able to check remotely to see how many people are using the library at any one time. Staff at Rush Rhees are experimenting with a system designed to monitor the presence and movement of people as a way to share information about the real-time population density in important spaces.
The project is just one of the ways that River Campus Libraries is exploring innovative ideas for a campus coming back to life during a time of physical distancing and online learning.
In late June, a reconfigured Barbara J. Burger iZone was one of the first campus spaces that reopened to students.
And the libraries’ Digital Scholarship Lab has organized a series of workshops and courses for faculty and other educators to hone the skills they need to lead successful virtual classrooms.