A college without a library is a scary place. The library is the nucleus of a college campus, or at least it should be. If a college values liberal arts learning to any degree, the building that houses its books is one of its most defining factors.
So of course, it was surreal returning to campus without a physical home for learning. It was strange to see the college’s academic centerpiece roped off for construction. It was stranger still reading over our first writing assignments of the year and realizing that we no longer had the option of browsing stacks of books for inspiration.
Thanks to inexhaustible efforts from our dedicated library staff, the Miller Library is, as the signs posted across campus say, “Here, there and everywhere.” The staff installed mini-Miller Libraries everywhere, making sure they provide all the resources to which the students should have access throughout the academic year. Students can print, study, and ask research questions virtually anywhere on campus, from William Smith to the Skybox (in fact, there are more peaceful study areas than ever before, and printing articles for class has never been faster, easier, or calmer).
But there’s something missing from this equation, something so obvious that it’s almost easy to forget about in the flurry of back-to-school: The books.
Quiet study spaces are nice, as is access to free printing. The library staff clearly dedicated considerable time and thought into this alternative system, and considering how many resources they usually provide during the school year, it couldn’t have been easy.
While appreciated however, this temporary library system has forgotten to include the essence of a library itself.
Interlibrary Loan, while useful for long-term research assignments, cannot replace the spontaneity of discovering a valuable resource while scouring the stacks. For more immediate homework and study assignments, students simply cannot wait for a book to travel through the ILL system. The library’s online databases are incredibly useful, but again, they’re limited. Oftentimes, there’s a sliver of information, a quote, or detail hidden in a decades-old book that completely redefines a thesis idea. We live in an increasingly technologically dependant world, but books are still invaluable resources, especially on a liberal arts campus.
Of course, we understand that moving the library’s entire collection to another location, then reorganizing and cataloguing them only to move them back to their original stacks a few months later, would be an inconvenience to say the least. It would probably push back the renovation completion date, and the library staff wouldn’t be as available to provide printing and study resources.
But honestly, we value our library’s printed resources even more than fast printing and study options. We’re already planning for hefty research papers and, for many, senior theses, and a few weeks are an eternity for students who need access to reference materials for their research.
The Miller Library undeniably needed work. Working there, with its unpredictable temperature extremes and testy printers, wasn’t always the most pleasant of researching experiences. We’re excited to try out the building’s new collaborative work spaces, floor design, offices, archive system, café, and of course, HVAC system.
But next time the school decides its library needs a makeover, perhaps it should consider paying attention to what students really need.
Editorials represent the collective viewpoint of the entire Elm editorial board.