Thanks to two new services in the Knight Library, groups of students have a place to work together and make use of technology, and theft at the library may soon be a thing of the past.
Located on the first floor of the library, the Learning Commons has several workstations set up for people working in groups of two or more, said Barbara Jenkins, head of the reference department.
Jenkins said these work stations, which have high-end computers with large monitors, are very popular and that the librarians see “a real mix” of users. While the stations are set up for groups of people to work, individuals can use them if no groups are waiting.
The commons also provides a laptop lending service. Students can borrow laptops for up to four hours at a time. In past years, the library has had a few laptops available for students to borrow, but did not advertise the service, J.Q. Johnson, director of the Center for Educational Technology, said. This year, the lending service has 40 machines.
Students using the facility can also use “presentation practice rooms,” which are equipped with the same technology found in most University classrooms, he said. This gives students an opportunity to learn how to use the equipment before they get to class.
Jenkins said the practice rooms have not been as popular in part because not many people know about them and in part because the type of work that technology is used for is generally assigned later in the year, but she thinks they will be used more as people find out about them. The rooms can be booked through the library’s online catalog.
“The people we’ve talked to about it have been really excited about the potential to use it for a variety of things from thesis defenses, to practicing defenses and presentations,” she said.
Jenkins said the “collaboration center” of the learning commons will work with campus organizations such as Academic Learning Services and Academic Advising and will provide a space for students to meet with those groups. The space is set up to support group work. Jenkins said the library wants to support group work because it seems as though many faculty are moving toward giving more collaborative assignments.
Students using any section of the library may have a new sense of security this year. The library administration gave the library funding to have students who work at the circulation desk trained to patrol different areas and look out for security problems, said Shirien Chappell, head of library Access Services.
The students doing the security patrol talk to students and are there to provide a “friendly, welcoming” atmosphere, Chappell said. They will actively work to prevent theft. If they see items such as laptops, iPods or backpacks laying unattended, they will wait for the owners to come back and then explain the danger of leaving such items unattended.
“We want folks to know we’re here,” Chappell said.
The students on security patrol will be trained by the Department of Public Safety on how to observe situations and determine when it is necessary to call DPS.
“I think students probably appreciate knowing there’s someone looking out for their best interests,” she said.
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