Centennial Library 2016-2017 Annual Report

The library as place in the 21 st century academic institution is becoming more critical in an increasingly complex information environment. Some have suggested in recent years that the academic library as a destination might be less relevant than it used to be, because more and more of the resources the library provides are now online and can be accessed remotely. However, there continues to be a growing realization, and it is our experience at the Centennial Library, that the library is a significant “third place” on campus, providing critical collaboration and community space for student learning. Different from the “first place” where students live and eat, and the “second place” where they attend classes and academic activities, the library is a “third place” with extended hours for discovery, co- working, purposeful study, quiet contemplation, and access to services that support student success. All of this with physical and online resources immediately at hand, made more useable by the presence of skilled information and research specialists. Thus the reality is simply that in addition to housing resources, the library is an important destination for study, collaboration, research assistance, and critical support services. This is borne out in the Centennial Library by the results of our student surveys and our observations of the use of the library facility. Students consistently highlight library space as the “resource” they appreciate the most. The annual freshmen and senior library satisfaction surveys bear this out.  A senior said about the library , “It’s got areas that are quiet to study in but also areas to work in groups. It’s the most effective place for me to work.”  A freshman said about the library , “I like the layout. If you need absolute quiet, there’s spots for that; if you need a quieter, group study area, there’s space for that too. It does a good job of accommodating the needs of students, and the group study rooms are wonderful.” And more are coming to the library; the gate count is up 8% this year over last, following last year’s 5% increase over the previous year. Group study room bookings are up 28%. The library remains an important destination for students. In 2016-17, the staff focused on making the library a BETTER PLACE in a number of ways:  A BETTER PLACE for study, with the establishment of conversational and quiet study zones.  A BETTER PLACE for collaborative study, with the creation of GroupWORK, a collaboration zone which houses three new group study rooms, two semi-private group study pods, and a free-style space where furniture can be arranged to accommodate varied group study needs.  A BETTER PLACE for research assistance, with the new central service desk where research questions are “triaged” to determine the appropriate level of assistance needed. Research interactions were up 30% over the year before with this change. These improvements are intended to help the library staff advance our vision “to pursue excellence as an advanced multi-media information research center, recognized for skilled service, a dynamic resource environment, aggressive research support, and a change-oriented climate, that prepares students for academic success, scholarly impact, and vocational distinction.” This annual report shares the work of a library staff deeply engaged in achieving this vision. 2016-2017 Library Year Verse “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 Message from the Dean Lynn A. Brock