Please see below updates from this month so far.

Center for the History of Medicine Gallery Reopening Information

March 1 – June 30, 2023: Only HUID Holders

Before the completion of Countway Library Strategic Planning recommendations

Access and Hours of Operation

• “Soft opening” on March 1 (waiting on some labels to put in final pieces)
• Open to HUID holders (or others with building access) during normal Countway hours
• Internal and external university and K-12 faculty can make reservations for educational programs
• Educational programming will be based on curator availability and only on Thursdays and Fridays
• As human remains are on display, the gallery must continue to be free  

Procedures

HUID Holders

• HUID holders can tap in and go up to the 5^th floor at will when the building is open
• If HUID holders ask if they can visit the gallery, LHTs and Security should tell them to tap in and go to 5^th floor
• If a HUID holder asks about a tour, LHTs and Security should tell them that we are only open for educational sessions. They can go to the website for information or email the Center for the History of Medicine
• Group educational sessions for HUID holders: If a group comes into the building, the instructor or individual responsible for coordinating the session should let the the Security officer at the desk call Dominic Hall (617-432-6196) to let him know that the group has arrived. HUID holders can tap in and meet Dominic on the 5^th floor  

Non-HUID Holders/General Public

• People without an HUID are not permitted to visit the gallery unless they have arranged for an educational session in advance. Information about educational sessions is on the website or individuals can email the Center for the History of Medicine
• If non-HUID holders ask about a tour, LHTs and Security should tell them that we are only open for educational sessions and to go to the website for information or email the Center for the History of Medicine. We are not offering dedicated gallery tours.
• Group educational sessions for non-HUID holders are available but must be scheduled in advance. If a group of scheduled non-HUID holders comes into the building, the instructor or individual responsible for coordinating the session should 1) present a government-issued ID to the security officer at the desk and 2) ask the security officer to call Dominic Hall (617-432-6196) and let him know that the group has arrived. Dominic will come up to greet the group
• Groups of non-HUID holders are not permitted to go past the turnstiles until Dominic has arrived at the entrance. Security and LHTs should monitor groups coming in to ensure tour groups don’t get lost in the building or go up to the Gallery before Dominic can meet them  

Branding

• While the gallery is being renamed to “Center for the History of Medicine Gallery”, no new permanent signage will be implemented
• WAM website will stay in place with hours, access, and programming availability until after the strategic planning reports are in and other areas of CHM work with Outreach begins
• No significant outreach will occur around soft opening
• No permanent signage (outside of labels) will be installed  

Opening Event

• The official opening event will be part of the September 27 renovation anniversary event. This will enable new signage gets installed over the summer (and help with the transition from WAM gallery name to Center gallery name)

July 1, 2023 – Forward: HUID Holders (All Library Hours) and Non-HUID Holders (Weekends)

After the completion of Countway Library Strategic Planning recommendations

Access and Hours of Operation

• Access remains the same for HUID holders as 3/1-6/30/2023
• For non-HUID holders/the general public:
  • Public and alumni access will be per the recommendation of Strategic Planning Group 2 (Building), which is likely to be on weekends only
  • Info Desk to recommend hours of public access to the gallery
  • Weekend gallery tours will be self-directed. CHoM will prepare self-guided tour materials for pick-up at the Info Desk by July 1
  • Educational programming remains as per March 1 – June 30
  • Public visitation reservation/tracking system will be considered based on the recommendations of Strategic Planning Group 2 (Building)
  • As human remains are on display, the gallery must continue to be free
  • All public access to the 5^th floor gallery will depend on the completion of the security camera installation  

Procedures

HUID Holders

• Procedures remain the same for individual ID holders as 3/1-6/30/2023
• Procedures remain the same for Group educational sessions for HUID holders as 3/1-6/30/2023  

Non-HUID Holders/General Public

• Non-HUID holders should be directed to the Security Desk to sign in
• Security Desk informs individuals they can go up to the 5^th Floor or go down to the Info Desk to pick up self-guided tour materials before taking the elevator up
• Individuals opting to use guided tour materials will be told to return the guide information at the end of their visit
• Drawing on the recommendations of Strategic Planning Group 1 (CHoM) and Strategic Planning Group 2 (Building), rules for gallery use by Countway Building tenants departments will be established and disseminated  

Branding

• Gallery name will be permanently changed to reflect the recommendations of Strategic Planning Group 1 (CHoM)
• Permanent signage will be installed in advance of opening to public
• Updated visitation, access, and usage rules will be updated on the revised CHoM webpages
• CHoM will coordinate with Countway Outreach for outreach strategy and proposed September celebration
• Old Warren Museum Google business site will be updated to reflect new reality

New Mail Room

Luciana and I have been working with Lisa from Signage and Billy from Security about finding a new place for packages so that we can remove the sloppy looking cart from the Security desk on the 1^st floor. We agreed the old fire control room would be the place. The mail room and/or other delivery folks could drop off packages there after 2pm and get the key from Security. The room is locked and secured.

Billy, Luciana, Lisa and I did a walkthrough of the space a couple of weeks ago, and Len made sure everything was cleaned out of the room. Billy and I did a final walkthrough, and the room is ready to go. Billy and Len communicated to Ayelle that he needs to take the books from the Huntington book drop and not put them on a cart, but dump them in the Shattuck book drop, which Access empties. Len also created a sign for delivery folks to follow. We are hopeful this new package delivery method will be more effective and safer/secure for packages.

Construction Updates

Shepley and Walsh Brothers attended the Countway Town Hall this past Wednesday. Slides have been sent via email. I hope the presentation was helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Luciana or myself.

Grand Opening

Countway will be having our long overdue grand opening on Wednesday, September 27^th. This is an all-day event to celebrate the library’s renovations over the past years. We will have tours, activities, Countway Cuddles, food/drink, photos, a ribbon cutting, and speeches by key stakeholders. Dean Daley will say a few words, too! If you are interested in joining the planning committee, please email Meredith or Luciana. I look forward to welcoming the LMA and HMS community into the building to celebrate years of renovations.

L2 Computer Lab

We are working with IT to update the computers in the L2 computer lab classroom. We will remove the 18 computers and buy 10 new computers. Library staff will be encouraged to use that space for any hands-on computer teaching. Room Scheduling will remove the space from reservations at the end of March in order for us to prepare for the cleanout and installation of new equipment.

Upcoming Meetings

Maureen Sullivan will return on Wednesday, March 15^th for our next Strategic Planning session. The next all-staff meeting is Wednesday, March 29^th. All meetings will take place in the 1^st floor classrooms and lunch will be provided.

Happy almost Spring!

Elaine