Our local paper did a story on how libraries are changing to meet the needs of students. I’m teaching a course on the history and future of the book, so we’ll be talking quite a bit about the physical medium; however, printed material is no longer central to a college education, so the print collection is not central to our library.
In a departure from the cardinal rule of most libraries, students gathering at Reeves are encouraged to talk and collaborate, said David Stanley, Seton Hill’s library director. The renovated library opened in 2014 and was designed to offer a “one-stop shop” for students’ research, writing, tech support and career advising needs.
Seton Hill isn’t the only school to rethink the role of the library on campus in recent years. Colleges and universities across the region are looking at ways to transform libraries to accommodate an increasingly digital learning environment, give students a place where they can work together and, if necessary, to be a little noisy. —Triblive.com
Wish I could take the course.
I went back to Virginia Tech when my daughter started there for years ago. As I used to work in the library, I thought I would take a tour through my old stomping grounds. I was astounded to see the changes in the library. First, I sort of mourned the loss of the stacks. While there were still rows and rows of books available on the upper floors, the majority of the space of been turned into a collaborative environment. Second, the students were all drinking coffee and eating at the café available on the first floor. I really liked how the library was no longer a repository for information to students had to pull from. It was now a place where students could push information to each other as well as pull information.