Accomplishments of the Week

This week students came back and classes started. Although it is a small campus, it is nice to have students around. I love the start of a new semester...the energy that comes with returning students, new classes, and academic study.

This week I also accomplished a lot in the library and that felt good.

First, I organized the serials, i.e. journals or magazines. In the past they had simply used a set of shelves and put anything there that looked like a magazine. I asked if anyone ever looked at them and was told no, students didn't know about the journals or how to use them. Well granted, without some sort of index (list of articles in journals/magazines) it IS hard to know much about finding articles. But I realized that part of the problem was simply that no one could tell what was on the shelves.

So, I took all the books, pamphlets, journals, etc. off the shelves...

Sorted out what were actually journals and I put them in alphabetical, orderly piles...

 

And, I put them back.

 
Hopefully much better. (Sorry, I forgot to take a 'before picture' but hopefully all the piles in the first few pictures gives you an idea of how many things were crammed on these shelves.)

Secondly, the other thing I worked on this week was creating a small display of books. After spending most days watching students simply walk in the library, ask for their textbooks (yes, the library here is in charge of handing out textbooks to all students), and then leave, I realized I wanted students to see what else we have. We have so many great things, albeit a bit hidden by so many books that are not as relevant. So, I wandered around the library looking for books that looked nice and were on a variety of topics. Then I simply set them out. Literally, when students walk in the first thing they see is a display of books that are not textbooks. And! I saw students thumbing through them. Yay!

Yes, I am starting small. But without seeing materials, students won't know what's available. Without knowing what's available students (and staff) won't use the library.

The goal: get people in the library and using materials. I hope we're on our way.