A Kent State University student studies
while using a stationary bike in the Fab
Fourth, a student lounge on the fourth
floor of the Kent State University Library
where students can study, talk or just
hang out between classes.

KentWired.com named the Kent State University Library as the best place to study in Kent for the third consecutive year, and with its new additions and upcoming events this fall, visitors will understand why.

University Library Adds Equipment Checkout, Digital Commons and Other Amenities

The University Library now offers faculty, staff and students additional services to better meet the needs of its visitors. Kara L. Robinson, associate professor and head of reference services at the library, says the new equipment checkout allows visitors to freely borrow “practical items” like:

• Chromebook laptops with a charging cable and carrying bag
• HD Canon and Panasonic video cameras and tripods
• Lapel microphones for video cameras or smartphones
• Wireless presenters that allow users to control PowerPoint presentations
• Mac adapters to connect Mac computers to VGA displays
• Scientific and graphing calculators
• Headphones
• Extension cords, available in six- or 10-feet lengths
• Dry erase marker kits
• Rulers
  

The equipment is available to borrow at no cost at the circulation desk for faculty, staff and students who present their FLASHcards.

Charging stations for cellphones and other devices also are available and located throughout the building.

“It’s a nice, practical support mechanism because not everybody remembers to bring everything every time they come to the building,” Robinson says.

The library also offers faculty access to the Digital Commons, which serves as an online tool for collecting, preserving and accessing the intellectual output of Kent State. Faculty can use the Digital Commons to post their scholarly work as an e-journal, view digital galleries and host online conferences.

Other additions include 16 daily-use lockers, a treadmill, a stationary bike, Frappuccino machines, vending machines and microwaves.

“We’re trying to make the library convenient and homey,” says Karen Hillman, director of marketing, communications and public relations for University Libraries. “We want to encourage faculty, staff and students to use this building because it’s their building. We’re here for them.”

In an effort to make the library welcoming to all visitors, the library has services such as the Ask Me Desk. All library employees are invited to sit at the desk and address any question a visitor may have.

“It’s a smiling face at the front door,” Robinson says. “‘Ask Me’ is pretty clear. It sends a clear message: we’re here to help; come ask us what you need.”

Hillman says the library staff also keeps track of the types of questions people ask. This is to ensure that common questions are addressed in proactive ways. For instance, Hillman says, posting clear signs leading to the restrooms has helped after visitors frequently asked how to find them.

University Library Welcomes Visitors With Engaging Events

Along with the new additions to the building, the library also has hosted a variety of events to encourage faculty, staff and students to explore the 12-floor facility.

As part of Welcome Weekend, the library hosted “Late Night at the Library” to welcome this year’s freshmen to campus.

“It was crazy,” Hillman says. “We had the largest crowd to date. It’s reported we had about 2,000 people, and they danced from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.”

In response to the success of “Late Night at the Library,” the library staff plans to host its first Halloween-themed event, “Haunted Library,” on Friday, Oct. 30, from 9 p.m. to midnight. The event will include costume and gourd-decorating contests, a DJ and seasonal refreshments.

The library also celebrated Constitution Day on Sept. 17 with a reading of the Constitution at Risman Plaza. Earlier this month, faculty, staff, students and community members were invited to the second annual Friends of the Library Legacy Scholarship Dinner on Oct. 1 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. Last year, the library raised enough money to give away two $1,000 scholarships. This year’s event was in partnership with Kent State’s Center for the Performing Arts and included performances from musical theatre, jazz studies, piano studies and the Kent Dance Ensemble.

“Our entire mission is to get people to feel comfortable in a library and take away any intimidation so that when they need help there’s no fear in asking,” Hillman says.

For more information about upcoming library events, visit www.library.kent.edu/events.

For more information about equipment checkout at the library, visit www.library.kent.edu/about/departments/circulation/equipment.