2020 is finally over.
Looking back at this extraordinary year,
We’ve actively responded and united
Against the anxiety, helplessness, and expectations.
Now, they are all condensed into the LRC 2020 exclusive memory.
These memories are about you, about me, about us.
Closed to fight the pandemic, but the services continued
2020.01~2020.05
■ Spring
At the beginning of 2020, staff and students were unable to return to campus due to the impact of the epidemic and the spring semester classes were moved to online instruction. Although the Learning Resource Centre was closed due to the epidemic, services were still offered “online” to provide continuous support for staff and students to teach and learn.
01Resolving Problems Encountered by Users
Through emails and phone calls, Librarians were able to help users resolve problems encountered while using online resources around the clock. A total of 778 emails were processed, including:
492 emails about remote access to resources using Cisco VPN
134 emails about using electronic resources
86 emails about printed materials
66 emails about other concerns
02Database and Usage
In 2020, the Learning Resource Centre added 15 new databases, including well-known databases such as Web of Science, Journal Citation Report, Nature, and many more to provide support for research and learning of staff and students.
During the epidemic, we checked the status of the databases daily to ensure that the electronic resources provided 24-hour uninterrupted access. The Top 5 Database downloads are shown in the chart below.
In addition to regular remote access, we also actively communicated with the database service providers to provide new direct access to their resources, arranged alternative access to CNKI, and free full access to Flipster’s magazines.
03Interlibrary Loan Service
In 2020, UICers submitted 1,174 interlibrary loan requests, which included 305 applications from staff and 869 applications from students. Looking at the data among all of the majors, the Applied Psychology program had the most requests with a total of 221 requests, higher than any other major in UIC.
04Information Literacy Webinars
In the first half of 2020, the library provided 10 information literacy webinars to ensure that students can still receive training on relevant databases at home. At the same time, we uploaded the training videos of multiple databases onto iSpace to make it more convenient for staff and students to watch on their own.
05Recording Online Videos
The LRC has produced and released 3 videos, including a guided tour of the LRC, instructional videos on how to use OPAC and SUMMON, to help users better understand and use the library resources effectively.
| LRC Guided Tour Video ■ |  |
 | ■ Summon Search Tips Video |
| OPAC Search Tips Video ■ |  |
06Online Contests
The 4th UIC MET Speaking Contest and RESSET Financial Data Challenge also happened as scheduled. Students showed positive enthusiasm for participating and achieved excellent results.
 | MET Speaking Contest First Place Winner
LIN Yanqiu
ACCT 19’ (Second-Year Student)
This is not only a competition, but also an opportunity to surpass myself. |
| | |
| MET Speaking Contest First Place Winner
LIU Zisheng
ACCT 19’ (Second-Year Student)
This competition was not only useful for my daily English learning, but it also provided me a good opportunity to relax. |
| | |
| MET Speaking Contest Second Place Winner
ZHAO Tong
JC 19’ (Second-Year Student)
This speaking competition is just one stop on the road of English language learning, and I took this opportunity to motivate myself to keep moving forward. |
07Pandemic Reading List
Our WeChat account has been with you all this time. In addition to focusing on the introduction of digital resources offered by the library, we have also promoted a book list of 40 e-books in related to the fight against COVID-19 from our databases. These Chinese and English e-books gave everyone a better understanding of diseases, public health safety and how to increase autoimmunity.
Comprehensive Re-opening Plan
2020.06~2020.08
■ Summer
On May 28th, 2020, the library opened to staff and registered returning students. In order to meet the government’s requirements for opening the library and create a safe learning environment for readers, the library has made thorough preparations for epidemic prevention.
01Epidemic Prevention Drills
The UIC Epidemic Prevention Team personally supervised the library’s epidemic prevention work. Three epidemic prevention drills were conducted to coach library staff on the process of epidemic prevention as well as how to effectively handle emergency situations.
02Production of Epidemic Prevention Posters
03Epidemic Prevention Measures
Each person entering the library is required to have their temperature checked and should disinfect their hands upon entry. The number of users present in the library is displayed in real time on an electronic screen at the entrance. In accordance with the government’s Epidemic Prevention Guidelines, the library used the information system to accurately manage the number of users present in the library.
Temperature check upon entering the library
Disinfect hands upon entering the library
Real-time display of the number of users in the library to monitor flow
04Adjusting the Seating Distance
Seating markers to ensure seating distance for readers
Epidemic Prevention signs to reduce crowd gathering
Furniture and Computers are covered to help prevent the spread of the virus
05Preparing Masks for Readers
Extra masks are available for readers and books are sterilized after each return.
Extra masks available in case of emergencies
Books are disinfected with UV lights after they are returned
Readers can disinfect checked-out books by using the self-service UV book sanitizer machines on the 2nd floor.
Full-Service Restoration
2020.09~2020.12
■ Autumn
On September 21, 2020, the library was fully reopened for the new semester.
01Entry Data
The total number of visits to the library was 210,419. During these three months, the student with the highest number of entries was a student surnamed Yang from the Accounting Programme 17’ (411 visits). The staff member with the highest number of visits is surnamed Zhang from ELC (74 visits). The highest number of visitors in 2020 was observed on December 30th. The number that day was 3,107 with a peak nearly reaching 1,000 readers in the library at the same time. Students were working hard to prepare for the final exams!
02Loan Data
The total number of books borrowed was 15,430 and the total number of books returned was 13,354.
During the epidemic, readers used the self-check units more frequently.
Circulation Desk Checkout vs. Self-Service Checkout
Circulation Desk Return vs. Self-Service Return
331 book reservation requests were processed.
Most Popular Books of 2020
03Printing and Copying
Self-service printing and copying rooms are available on the first, third and fourth floors of the library. The total number of copies printed by students in 2020 was 296,233 (291,790 in black and white and 4,443 in colour)
Year | Print in Black & White | Print in Color |
Year 1 | 58,889 | 1,214 |
Year 2
| 80,092 | 1,320 |
Year 3 | 92,714 | 941 |
Year 4 | 52,235 | 623 |
Others | 7,860 | 345 |
04Orientation for New Students
In the second week of September 2020, the Learning Resource Centre organized a 5-day guided tour for first-year students to help them understand the various resources and services in the library. For the first time, MCP groups made reservations online for the tour, and both on-site tours and video tours were offered. In the end, 187 MCP groups with 1,852 students participated, and the librarians provided on-site explanations to 185 MCP groups. The other two groups watched a guided tour video produced by the LRC in the library. The students spoke highly of the tour, and the satisfaction survey was highly praised by more than 98%.
05Book Exhibition
From December 14 to 17, 2020, the Learning Resource Centre, together with Guangzhou 学而优 and Shenzhen 本来 Bookstores, held a book exhibition, displaying more than 4,000 Chinese books published by well-known domestic publishers and more than 1,000 imported books. In the end, teachers and students selected 2,340 Chinese books and 1,153 imported books to be added to the library collection. In addition, 141 readers shared their insights and experiences of their selections, and 32 of them received exquisite gifts from the participating bookstores.
| VPN Clinic | ITSC Colleague helped users solving VPN issues on site |
06Library Information Literacy Workshop
After the semester started, the library resumed on-site workshops. A total of 33 information literacy workshops were held this semester, including 12 regular database workshops on Wednesdays. Through these workshops, we introduced electronic resources and search skills related to various majors to help everyone make better use of the electronic resources subscribed by the library for their teaching and scientific research.
07Collection Inventory
During the summer of 2020, we completed an inventory of all books on the shelves of the library using the RFID inventory technology. By taking inventory of the books, we can better grasp the situation of books in the library, put misplaced books back in the correct place, and also identify books with data problems in time for our colleagues in the cataloging department to follow up.
08Student Assistant Spotlight
 | PRA
ZHANG Mengyuan
Third-Year Student |
I have always loved the calm atmosphere of the library. Being able to work in the library is something that I’ve looked forward to doing in the future. Although after taking over most of the duties of the Circulation Desk, I found that it wasn’t as easy as I had imagined, it still gave me a sense of accomplishment when I was able to help students. This year, due to the epidemic, the library has added some rules and regulations. It is necessary for us to patiently explain to the students and do our best to coordinate and meet the needs of the students. In this process, I felt that the library not only carries the connection between books and people, but also carries the connection between people. When we connect with each other, we can go even farther.
| FLL
LI Ruifeng
Third-Year Student |
Working at the LRC has been a very fortunate thing for me. It is quite therapeutic to be able to help everyone as they come and go. Watching each book being systematically checked out and returned to its home location is also very satisfying for my obsession with order – hahaha! I hope you continue to make good use of the LRC’s resources in the future, Salute!
| EBIS
SUN Yue
Second-Year Student |
The university’s library is like a treasure-house of knowledge, with an endless supply of food for the mind. Everyone who has been to the library is nourished by the library, deeply affecting every student. I will be always grateful for working here.
| ATS
SHEN Yanbing
Fourth-Year Student |
Working in the Acquisition and Cataloguing Department, you need to be very careful because if you make one mistake, it will affect everything else after that. Although it may seem like a boring job, you will find that it is fascinating when you really get into it.
| CST
HAN Shijiao
Third-Year Student |
I have been working in the Acquisition and Cataloguing Department for one semester now. Although at times it was difficult to balance study and work, through hard work, I was able to learn a lot from it. I am grateful for the guidance the librarians gave me. If I have the chance to, I will continue to work hard next semester.
■ Last Remarks
With the unprecedented novel coronavirus pandemic,
We wish that “landscapes are unchanged, and the world is in peace”.
While heroes are fighting the epidemic on the frontline,
Ordinary people also working hard to write their personal chapters in the great era.
May young UICers,
Seize the day and live up to your youth,
LRC will be with you,
To embrace 2021 with new hope and expectation.
