Library Services during COVID-19
What is COVID-19?
On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, China. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed as the causative agent of what we now know as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since then, the virus has spread to more than 100 countries, including South Africa. Learn more
Visit the COVID-19 SA Resource Portal UCT Campus COVID-19 updates
Our Libraries are closed but we are open for Virtual Support
UCT Libraries closed its doors on Wednesday 18 March 2020 to restrict COVID-19 transmission through social distancing and limiting physical contact with materials. We are now open for virtual support for teaching and learning, and research.
Reference and information hotlines have been created and will be available from 08h30 - 17h00 Monday to Friday.
Online Library Resources
- Search Primo, the libraries search engine to find e-books, articles, journals and more.
- Search Databases A-Z for all your research needs.
- Get Referencing help from referencing style guides.
- Find more eBooks or visit our Finding Ebooks LibGuide.
- Explore our Subjects Guides for resources by subject or topic
- Planning, collecting and managing your data is now available as a video or audio download. Learn more
- Explore our manuscripts & archives collections
Free access to UCT Libraries website, Open Journals & OpenUCT on certain mobile networks
The following Libraries websites have been zero-rated on certain mobile networks. This will enable online learning at no cost to students.
- The Library website (http://www.lib.uct.ac.za) on Cell C, Telkom, MTN and Vodacom
- OpenUCT website (http://open.uct.ac.za) on Telkom and Cell C
- UCT open access journals (https://journals.uct.ac.za ) on Vodacom and MTN
A dedicated webpage has been created on the ICTS website that will be updated regularly when and if additional sites are zero-rated. In addition to the zero rating agreements,UCT has purchased pre-paid data for students.
Please note Third party links are not zero-rate. If the zero-rated site has a link to another website unfortunately it won’t be zero-rated.
Free access to resources in response to COVID-19
In response to the disruption caused by COVID-19, many publishers have given UCT Libraries temporary access to their resources. Links to these resources are active in Primo, and access is also available on the Databases A-Z list on the website. The list of resources are updated on a regular basis as activation take place in the backend by our Acquisitions department.
We need your Help
Collecting newspapers for Special Collections
UCT Libraries Special Collections want to keep their collections of print newspapers (local, national and community) as complete as possible during the COVID-19 lockdown. Our normal routes of acquisition are closed and uncertain whether publishers will be able to supply back copies.
Our appeal to the University community
Keep any print newspapers that have been delivered/purchased and donate them to Special Collections upon your return to campus.
Newspaper list
The Cape Times, The Argus, The Weekend Argus, Mail & Guardian, The Voice, The Sun, Business Day, all the weekend papers and community newspapers.
Thanking you in advance
Mandy Noble
Principal Librarian: Published Collections
UCT Libraries: Special Collections
mandy.noble@uct.ac.za
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels
COVID-19 Resources
We have made available COVID-19 related resources for academic research purposes. Visit our COVID-19 LibGuide.
- South African Coronavirus information
- Coronavirus scholarly and scientific resources
- Coronavirus interdisciplinary eBooks