The former year 2020 has brought unexpected challenges and limitations that have been unprecedented in the world. Like other sectors, even libraries were almost in one day confronted with a task to find a way how to operate and be of help in the world bound by strict anti-pandemic measures. In this article, we bring you a selection of the most important things that were, despite the specifically demanding conditions, carried out by CU FA libraries in 2020.
What was accomplished in CU FA libraries in 2020 (a selection):
- We have designed and launched a book request system from all CU FA libraries. This has provided, when in accordance with the Government’s measures, access for CU users to practically all regular loan collection via request and subsequent collection of the requested items in designated CU FA libraries. In this way, we have lent 4983 books to the users and this mode of operation continues even in 2021. More information.
- We have even more focused on the support of elearning and the development of electronic information resources. In cooperation with IT Services at CU FA, we have launched and now operate an informational website elearning.ff.cuni.cz. We have prepared 26 training courses focused on MS Teams, Moodle, Turnitin, Adobe Connect and Mahara, and 19 training courses on the work with electronic resources and searching in databases. We have trained 445 participants in total in these courses. Most of them were held electronically as a videoconference.
- In cooperation with other departments of the Faculty’s administration, we have prepared an elearning Academic Integrity and Research Ethics course that deals with the principles of the ethics of scientific work. This course is compulsory for all employees and PhD students of the Faculty in accordance with Dean’s Measure no. 20/2020. More information. More information.
- For the users, we have prepared a progressively built list of handy links during the closure of libraries which have contained a few scores of links on temporarily available resources during the strictest measures. Go to the webpage.
- We have launched a new version of the English mirror of the CU FA Library website. Go to the website.
- In September 2020, we have opened the yard of the Jan Palach Library to the users in a test mode. The opening had a strong response and we would like to focus on further development and coziness of that place in the future. In the green study room, we have launched a new long-term photography exhibition Prag Brutal focused on the Prague Brutal architecture from the 1960s-80s. More information.
