Innovative Library Services Draw Increased Traffic Among SIUE Students
Often referred to as the intellectual center of campus, the number of students exploring the expanded and enhanced Library and Information Services (LIS) at Lovejoy Library has grown substantially.
Unlike national trends in academic libraries, Lovejoy Library’s gate count indicates a 15 percent increase in visits annually over the past five years. On average, that results in more than 454,000 visits per year.
“Physically, we’re built as a warehouse, but we are not warehousing,” said Regina McBride, LIS dean. “Digital services are our future. We are constantly enhancing and increasing digital resources. However, in today’s environment, the library must maintain information resources in all formats, such as paper, microforms and DVD. Not everything is available digitally.”
McBride attributes the LIS success story to the unit’s constant push to move forward in the digital age and adjust to the changing needs of students and faculty. Along with increased traffic in the library building itself, LIS noted a dramatic increase in the use of mobile access to reference services.
The question at the forefront of every strategic plan and decision moving forward: How does it serve the user?
“The library today is very dynamic and fluid, and it remains the center of the University,” McBride explained. “We serve users in all areas of knowledge. We are a combination of yesterday, today and tomorrow’s library.
“Our services are here, and we’ve created a space where people want to be. The library is where learning takes place.”
A recently opened north entrance, an increase in flexible and movable furniture and a wide-range of equipment for loan such as GoPro cameras, projectors and voice recorders are just a few of the many offerings within LIS. These services, combined with the knowledge and expertise of librarians, contribute to students’ success.
“In some ways, we are navigators and guides,” McBride said. “The information explosion is doubling and tripling. We bring discernment. It’s not a question of how do you find information. It’s how do you find what’s valuable, most up-to-date and in its most academic form? That’s what we teach.”
Other advancements include a new initiative that assigns “personal librarians” to freshman students in an effort to connect with them at the start of their collegiate career. Also available through library technology services are a growing number of tutorials related to resources and services, as well as the use of 3D printers, an innovative new technology that can’t yet be found in most academic libraries.
“You can come to Lovejoy Library with no idea what you want to do for a project or write about,” McBride noted. “But after extensive consultation with a librarian, you can walk out with a finished product.
“We like to say questions walk in, new knowledge walks out. The possibilities are endless regarding what Library and Information Services can do for the University.”
Research guides and a comprehensive list of services offered through LIS can be found online.
Photos: Soroush Dehkordi and Vahid Alizadeh study in Lovejoy Library, SIUE student Thomas Daniel Teague at Lovejoy Library
