By Richard Burnett
Almost a decade ago, the popular cable series 鈥淭he Librarians鈥� materialized onto the small screen with a team of super-smart heroes who used their powers to battle mysterious foes and save the world from dangerous magic.
At 海角社区, chief librarian Gretchen Dreimiller and her team may not be superheroes, but they are certainly using all their powers to transform the traditional campus information hub into a modern, energized haven of learning in a dramatically changing landscape.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important for people to know that we have always been prepared to adapt to the changing needs of students, faculty and the community in general,鈥� said Dreimiller, director of library services. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we鈥檝e implemented a plan that creates a more comfortable, welcoming place that will help them deal with the many challenges they face.鈥�
海角社区鈥檚 library team is not alone in this mission. Many colleges around the United States have mobilized in recent years to respond to the rise of technology, the social media revolution, skyrocketing costs of higher education and changing student expectations. With such powerful forces in play, libraries can鈥檛 afford to remain static, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, in a virtual forum released last month called 鈥淚n Defense of Libraries.鈥�
鈥淟ibraries are no longer dusty, dimly lit spaces reserved for quiet research and solitary study,鈥� the Chronicle said. 鈥淭oday, college and university libraries are striving to become vibrant centers of student connection and creativity. [The question is] how can they overcome outdated notions and reassert their relevance in a time of competing expenses and priorities.鈥�
The library as 鈥榗omfort zone鈥�
Dreimiller and company have tackled the challenge by starting a series of end-to-end changes 鈥� from the layout and structure of the library鈥檚 physical space to the buildup of its digital books and other electronic resources.
The first stage began last year, with what Dreimiller calls a 鈥渞ightsizing鈥� of the library鈥檚 book collection, which means they pulled books that were gathering dust on shelves or could be obtained in digital form. That freed up space for the next step 鈥� the restructuring of the student areas of the library, a move that is still underway.
Ultimately, the team plans to create a 鈥榗omfort zone鈥� in the front of the library, with lounge-like seats where students can relax, read, and chat. Also, there will be individual worktables and collaborative whiteboard tables, where small groups can work together or independently. The team chose whiteboards because many of 海角社区鈥檚 neurodiverse students like to scribble, draw, or otherwise jot down ideas when working on a project, Dreimiller said.
Further back in the library will be the quiet workspaces 鈥� desks, tables, and study rooms, which some students still prefer so they can focus better without distractions, she said. Most of the new furniture for the changes is still in the budget and ordering process.
鈥淭he physical look of the library is noticeably changing,鈥� Dreimiller said. 鈥淲e want to meet the demand we鈥檙e seeing now from many students, so we鈥檙e opting for furniture that will allow for more of a lounge area [up front] as well as the quiet spaces others want. Overall, the library as a silent environment is a very outdated concept. And we鈥檙e comfortable with that.鈥�
Robust trove of free digital sources
Perhaps more important to the new library landscape is the focus on digital — providing students with more access to online books, articles, study guides, research, and other electronic resources. There鈥檚 a concerted effort by the team to inform and steer students to a robust trove of digital material that is available largely free of charge for their projects.
The library鈥檚 website alone is a portal leading to more than two dozen free databases offering students access to everything from classic literature, world news, education trends, film and entertainment, scientific and business research and more. It also provides access to more than a dozen study guides in subjects ranging from business law and critical thinking to ecology and monster literature.
The librarians are available to guide students through the steps of accessing what they need, but there is an emphasis on personal responsibility as well.
鈥淭he resources provided are intended to direct you to the most credible sources of information to best meet the needs of your assignment,鈥� says Emily Morgan, assistant director of library resources, in an online note. 鈥淗owever, you will still need to do the work of finding, selecting, and analyzing the exact materials you will use. In other words, you do the research, but we will help guide you to the best places start your search.鈥�
So many good things out there
Too many students, however, still don鈥檛 know about all the that are available to them, according to Kathryn Van Gundy, the library鈥檚 administrative assistant. There are, for example, open-source research journals with credible academic articles and printing capabilities for classroom projects. There are also free software programs they could use in a variety of classes. (Van Gundy is currently teaching a course on one such program 鈥� Canva, a free software that creates social media graphics and presentations.)
鈥淭here are so many good things out there,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have to drive these students to these software programs, open-source research sites and other resources they don鈥檛 know about. There are also online textbooks available, if their professor will approve it. All of this can make a big difference for our students.鈥�
Overall, the emphasis on digital is the biggest certainty in an ever-changing environment for Dreimiller and her team. They do their best to stay on top of the trends, attending conferences and webinars, to be able to read the road signs on what to do next.
鈥淎s librarians, it is so hard to predict the future with things changing so fast,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e just try to be aware of what is going on. For now, we know that everyone is looking at electronic and creating a collaborative space for students, but there鈥檚 no way to predict what will happen 10 years down the road. It probably won鈥檛 even look the same five years from now.鈥�