Suggestions Drive Fixup Of Southworth Library
CANTON - Comfy red couches and student art on the newly painted apple green walls are just a few of the improvements to Southworth Library at SUNY Canton.
What began with an online suggestion box nearly two years ago has mushroomed into changes all over the library, both aesthetic and functional.
"We wanted feedback and we got feedback. It kind of got the ball rolling," said Andrew R. Urbanek, chairman of the library. "Before, we were the keeper of the books, we were the ones who dispensed information. Now, libraries are teaching people how to find information. We're not authorities anymore, we're guides."
The building is full of computers, study spaces and nooks of armchairs and couches. The book collection - what libraries used to be known for - has become less of a focus and takes up less than three-quarters of the space. Instead, the focus is on creating learning spaces for student study groups and classrooms for professors, as well as offering online databases and lending out laptops and textbooks.
"Libraries are social spaces now," said Molly A. Mott, dean of academic services and retention, who oversees the library. "We basically brought all the things the students need to succeed to the library."
The college's information services department has moved into the library, offering computer help and repair, as well as 60 laptops to lend out to students. The library has 20 of its own laptops to lend out. The 80 laptops are checked out 500 times each week, Mr. Urbanek said.
There also is a math lab in what used to be office space, where students can go for help with math, accounting or business classes, and the college's writing center, which is becoming more and more popular, according to library staff.
"It's really picked up in use since I've been here," said Rebecca M. Jewell, who has worked at the center for two years. "There are days when there's no break between students. We see a lot of students."
Students are using the library more than ever; since the renovations began, usage has gone up about 30 percent, according to Mr. Urbanek. To meet the demand, the library is open until midnight Monday through Thursday, when it used to close at 10 p.m. Next year, Sunday hours likely will be increased as well, according to Ms. Mott.
Though the library is not yet open 24/7, there is an online support service students can access at any time to talk to a librarian and obtain research help.
The library also has a staff member to help students find information and study space, and there is talk about bringing a resident assistant over from one of the dorms at night to help manage students and mediate potential disputes about noise levels as the building becomes more of a social space, Mr. Urbanek said.
To cut down on potential noise disputes, the library has a designated "Silent Zone" and some enclosed small-group study rooms. Other rooms have walls that don't quite meet the ceiling, and there are groups of couches and armchairs throughout the library, for students who don't mind a little noise.
"It's all about relations. That's one of the big things the library's done - meet them in their own space. It's not about us, it's about them," Ms. Mott said. "This is not the library I grew up with. It's much more."
The college will hold an open house at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday to unveil the changes.
