Faculty and staff: In the Dinand Library, what do you like, what WOULD you like, what spaces are lacking (for study, teaching, meeting, presenting), and what services (and/or offices) do you think belong in the library? What would you like to assign to students, but can’t, because there isn’t the right working space (or technology) available to your students?
I’d like to see a large room equipped with nice but flexible furniture, some technology, meant for the purposes of seminar classes, lectures, and campus events (wine & cheese, etc.). A showcase of a room – a good meeting place for groups around campus to get together for a campus-wide event (book-talk, etc.).
I would like to see a quiet space where students can take exams and quizzes. Students who require time-and-a-half accommodations often don’t have access to quiet spaces in the academic departments, especially now that seminar rooms are being utilized more often. These students deserve a distraction-free space for their exams. This should be a monitored space where faculty can send over the tests and trust that they will be administered honestly. This can also support athletes who miss tests due to travel. As the center of academic life and as the physical center of the College, it makes the most sense to me to locate this space in Dinand.
I strongly agree with Catherine. Finding reasonable space for students to take make-up or extended exams has become a major problem because most classrooms on campus are almost fully booked during the normal workday. A monitored testing space in the library would be a wonderful addition.
Having a monitored space for exams and quizzes that can accommodate student needs and scheduling issues is a brilliant idea. I strongly agree as well!
I also want to keep the open stacks and would like the library to keep ordering print books as much as possible. Browsing in the stacks is a much more productive and enjoyable method than “browsing” on line. It allows for discoveries that just don’t happen electronically.
I would really appreciate having a space where students could take extended time in a distraction free space. We can no longer easily accommodate students who need this and having an area where they could go would be extremely beneficial.
Whatever you do, do not jump on the bandwagon of replacing books with e-copies. There is room for both. I do NOT want to see a library that is simply another web search engine. I want books, real ones, as many as possible, places for the community to gather (which we have for large groups, but less so for smaller groups). I do not particularly care for more computers. Thanks for the opportunity.
I agree completely with Maria Rodrigues. Preservation of print copies should be a top priority. Let students and others access electronic versions from their own computers.
Very much agree that we need space in the library for students with extra time needs for exams and/or make up exams.
The spaces in the ISC where there is room for small group spontaneous work are heavily utilized…having more would be great.
Something that would be very helpful for faculty (especially Junior faculty) is to be able to request books from the Dinand stacks and then simply come pick them up at the main desk. This may be too labor-intensive for the Dinand staff, but if possible would be an incredible time-saver for faculty and staff in their research.
I’m sure no one will be surprised to hear that my hopes and dreams for space in Dinand is for a more centralized, student and faculty friendly writing center, whether stand alone or as part of a learning commons. I would love to see a student-centered space that will be accessible and available for students to work on their writing; public and private space for students to participate in writing sessions with their peers and faculty; technology for research; private rooms for planning and practicing of oral presentations. The space should be well lit and inviting with amenities such as food and water. Writing Centers should be active student spaces day and night. Only then will we begin to battle against the stigma that the Writer’s Workshop now endures.
I would like to see a similar space for a quantitative reasoning center. Having easy access to peer tutors, faculty etc would be very helpful.
I concur, and also think this MUST be accompanied by a partner space for quantitative reasoning.
My suggestion would be to create a space for technology assistance for faculty. It should be staffed by a knowledgeable person on a regular weekly schedule (i.e. open a couple of hours everyday). This would be very helpful. Thanks for considering this suggestion!
Would like to speak further about access and also, can imagine kiosks where students could download e-texts, use text to speech technology or other technological aids to enhance their studies. Perhaps we could look at what others are doing around Universal Design for Learning. Thanks.
I think people escaping the dorms to study in the library also need some quiet, distraction free space…so I think it’s important to have desks with high sides on them in a room with no talking.
I would like to see many of our services/resources coordinated in one space. The Center for Teaching is currently in the library. Having a writing center, a quantitative reasoning center, etc., in the library would be great. As others have mentioned, we need spaces that serves multiple purposes, including space for students to take exams in a quiet place, meet in small groups, etc. Having space where faculty to gather, either in informal groups or committees. I’m thinking of various types of academic activities. Here is where we gather to read, to think, to discuss, to meet, to plan, etc., on all aspects of academic life. The spaces need to be flexible and multi-purpose. Of course, the white board paint is a must. Thanks for asking.
My students have mentioned the need for quiet spaces and/or long tables, so I thought of the possibility of combining wing chairs with wide planks as lap desks.
Perhaps movable room dividers would ensure privacy and reduce socializing in the central study spaces
Also, the library with its beautiful lofty rooms seems empty at times, while Stein classrooms are claimed by individual students as quiet, spacious study rooms between classes.
Maybe the classrooms need movable furniture so students can use the smaller ones for debate and the larger ones to study along the walls after moving desks from the center of the room. Perhaps certain rooms could be designated for particular subjects: ECON/ENGL/etc.
Finally, turning the large room in the basement or the debate room into CB3 (Cool Beans Three) would create a socializing space away from the study areas where faculty and students can cross paths.
I would like to echo Maria Rodrigues and Tom Worcester and advocate for the retention of healthy stacks in Dinand Library. The experience of browsing in the stacks — and the unique intellectual discoveries that come with this experience — cannot be replicated electronically. This is a experience that must remain available to our students and faculty.