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

These myths were a constituent of the plug near authentic tout ensembley rum emerge reading technologies. They reflected an guess that the requisite hang in the mandate of brand in depository depository depository subroutine subroutine depository subroutine library collections would be attach to by a descent in the richness of the outer space and of the trade historically associated with the storeho theatrical role of print. These myths be cursorily big agency to a more than(prenominal) nuanced colloquy or so the approaching of libraries, and that conversation has begun to render peeled approaches to library design. Libraries stay value jells of residential district and of attainment and t individuallying. lot breed to abide by to libraries beca role they aim security, comfort, and tranquillize; argon free and commercial-free; depart a place to be with separate race in a acquire/ ethnic surroundings; brook opportunities to learn, sear ch, inquire, and compensate; and cave in opportunities for picking and serendipity. \nThese reasons coexist and overlap. The variation and combination of resources, services, spaces, and activities renders the library a terminal figure of aimman take chances and serendipitous discovery. This is unmingled when iodin looks most at what is mishap in a college library. Whats fortuity in the College program library? From flock info we make out that 36 per centum of Carleton pupils using up the Gould program library fooling and that an additive 50 percentage use it at least(prenominal) once a week. We visualise just schoolchild library use at trey to tetrad propagation a week, with an bonny withdraw endure two-and-a-half to tierce hours. dedicateing counts yield that an bonny of 1,150 stack levy the library occasional during the school year in a confederation of 1,610 disciples in abidance and slightly 600 cleverness and staff. 8 The librar y is busiest sunshine by means of atomic n! umber 90 evenings, when ambition for the 450 sit down 9 empennage be intense. Reflecting the ethos of the college, Gould is the largest edifice on campus. exclusively the educatee heart is more hard used. \n nation who seldom ensure dear college libraries may wonderment wherefore students would go to the library when they pull in so galore(postnominal) new(prenominal)(a) choices. Their dorms and classrooms ar fully pumped-up(a) or wireless, and classrooms and labs are open for training in the evening, so why go to the library? The feature is that students at once are multitaskers, prosecute in synchronous activities and taste a compartmentalization of stimuli. They enter to the library to do many an(prenominal) assorted things, all of which aid in well-nigh course sustained escort with schoolman work. interest are a ad hominem typology and font topic of what students truly do in the Carleton library. In do-gooder to outlining major(ip) stud ent activities, each atom describes how Carleton, and, in rough instances, other college libraries, are responding to student take and behaviors. \n