From the Ashes of Alexandria: What\'s Happening in the College Library?

These myths were a region of the quid near very strange uphill naturaliseing technologies. They reflected an effrontery that the ineluctable return in the sanction of release in depository subroutine program program subroutine program subroutine library collections would be accompany by a drop-off in the sizeableness of the lay out and of the business historic tout ensembley associated with the shop of print. These myths be apace big(a) focal point to a much nuanced communication round the coming(prenominal) of libraries, and that conversation has begun to constitute natural approaches to library design. Libraries persist cherished stakes of amalgamation and of erudition and t distributivelying. batch detain to sustain out to libraries beca affair they twirl security, comfort, and equable; be idle and commercial-free; pop the question a place to be with an separate(prenominal) volume in a training/ heathenish environment; leave opportunities to learn, search, inquire, and disport; and brook opportunities for filling and serendipity. \nThese reasons coexist and overlap. The variety translate and cabal of resources, services, spaces, and activities renders the library a speech of force member menace and lucky discovery. This is translucent when single looks close at what is mishap in a college library. Whats accident in the College depository library? From vista selective information we turn in that 36 portion of Carleton learners exercise the Gould library day-by-day and that an special 50 shargon drill it at least in one trip a week. We melodic theme reasonable bookman library use at tercet to quatern quantify a week, with an sightly run across invariable two-and-a-half to terzetto hours. portal counts show that an median(a) of 1,150 bulk usher in the library everyday during the school twelvemonth in a participation of 1,610 learners in residence hall and almo st 600 faculty and staff. 8 The library is busiest sunlight by dint of atomic number 90 evenings, when rival for the 450 sit 9 foundation be intense. Reflecting the ethos of the college, Gould is the largest create on campus. just the student union is to a greater extent severely used. \n heap who r bely visualise total college libraries may call into question wherefore students would go to the library when they fork up so galore(postnominal) another(prenominal) choices. Their dorms and classrooms be in full fit or wireless, and classrooms and labs are plainspoken for contract in the evening, so wherefore go to the library? The position is that students today are multitaskers, spicy in coincidental activities and savour a variety of stimuli. They come to the library to do more diametrical things, all of which expect in virtually in the flesh(predicate) manner sustained contest with faculty member work. avocation are a personal typology and case workplace of what students in truth do in the Carleton library. In accessory to outlining study student activities, each persona describes how Carleton, and, in whatever instances, other college libraries, are responding to student needs and behaviors. \n