Mackintosh-Corry Hall’s classrooms opened for bookable study space on Oct. 27. 

Seventy-two seats are available in Mac-Corry from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Students can reserve a seat online through the library website. Each student has a limit of 60 bookable hours per month across the three open study facilities: Stauffer Library, the Education Library, and Mac-Corry.

The hour limit was recently increased in response to student demand. As of Nov. 18, Queen’s University Library is also doubling the number of seats available in Stauffer Library.

“Mac-Corry is a building that is already being unlocked and available to the Queen’s community throughout the day,” the University wrote in a statement to The Journal. “There are several classrooms in Mac-Corry that are accessible and aren’t being used for teaching this term, where we can do a coordinated job of monitoring the spaces.”

Face coverings are required in the spaces, and physical distancing measures are in effect. Students are asked to wipe down their space before and after each use with supplied disinfectant. 

Before being admitted to the building, students must show their reservation confirmation, their COVID-19 self-assessment check—preferably through the Queen’s SeQure app—and their student card. 

“There is lots of indoor space in Student Street in Mac-Corry where we have been able to set up check-in tables and manage students as they come and go,” the University wrote.

READ MORE: Stauffer reopens with limited seating

Queen’s Student Constables (QSC) are working in Mac-Corry to monitor the spaces. Their staff are responsible for checking each student’s COVID-19 self-assessment and ensuring spaces are cleaned, masks are worn, and physical distancing is maintained. 

“[The University was] interested in having a study hub set up for students who either needed a more flexible time limit than the library or just preferred a different environment or couldn’t find seats at the library,” Wendy Li, head manager of Queen’s Student Constables, told The Journal.

The University reached out to QSC about monitoring the Mac-Corry study space. Student constables are currently working as a subset of Campus Security.

“[The University] thought we would be the best fit because, as security guards, we are licensed to control entry to private property,” Li said. “And [it] wanted to support the AMS and student jobs.” 

According to Li, the process of implementing the spaces has gone “smoothly” so far and student engagement with the space has been “great.” 

“We started up right during midterm season, so it was an ideal time to begin,” she said. “We got quite a lot of encouragement and engagement right away.”

QSC is also working in Queen’s residence buildings to assist residence dons and, as of Nov. 17, with contactless pick-up at Stauffer Library.

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“In general, we’re only there to make sure everybody is respecting the guidelines while they’re picking up their books and also to provide a sense of safety and security,” Li said. 

“COVID-19 is a very anxiety-inducing thing, and knowing there are trained people monitoring the spaces will make people more comfortable.”

Li said, given the current size of its staff, QSC isn’t looking to get involved in any other campus spaces right now.

“We’re pretty much at capacity,” she said. “But […] our focus is always on making sure that students have a great experience on campus, so if there’s any way that we can work to enhance that, then that’s definitely something we’ll strive for.”

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