Library gets new gadgets

While most students have probably noticed the renovations currently underway in Preus Library, they may have not noticed the new technology the library now offers. These and other changes are transforming the library into what Library and Information Services (LIS) hopes will be a more collaborative environment.

Changes began last summer with the construction of a new help desk and the relocation of the writing center, according to Chris Barth, executive director of LIS.

“We mostly wanted to create a better flow,” Barth said.

The former tech help office is in the process of becoming five office spaces for LIS staff. Barth says LIS has considered these layout changes for years.

“Changing the library has been on the to-do list since before I came to Luther in 2006,” Barth said.

Barth hopes the new layout of the main floor will make it easier for students to collaborate.

“We know students use the library to work with other students and to work in solitude,” Barth said. “We want the library to work for both situations.”

Along with a more inviting
layout, the library now owns technology that students can use for collaborative and individual studying. Two 27-inch LCD monitors students can connect to their laptops are located at tables near the Writing Center, and a new worktable features a built-in rotating whiteboard. The LIS used money they saved and targeted for service improvement to purchase the new equipment.

Within the past two weeks, LIS has made a Kindle e-reader available for students to check out for two hours at a time. The Kindle comes with over 30 books and anthologies already downloaded for reading, including three books by Michael Pollan, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and the New Oxford English Dictionary.

However, students have yet to take advantage of the new Kindle, says student librarian Kirsten Hash (‘13), who says she has yet to see a student check one out. Hash, who had the opportunity of trying out the Kindle, remains skeptical of how well it will catch on with students.

“The screen is so small, you have to change the page practically every paragraph, but the screen is a lot nicer to read than I thought it would be,” Hash said.

However, LIS, including John Goodin, the technical service librarian, hopes students will find the new changes useful.

“We hope they’ll catch on,” Goodin said. “We’re always updating things, but we don’t have an organized way of publicizing.”

Barth hopes the library can continue to evolve to serve student and faculty needs.

“Libraries shouldn’t stand still in time,” Barth said. “They should evolve based on what students need. A library often has the reputation of a book warehouse, but it’s really a fast-moving, vibrant information center.”

Barth encourages students to come try out the library’s new features and let LIS know what they think.