Monday, December 8, 2008

End of the Semester Excitement


The fall semester ends this week and almost everyone with whom I speak feels this semester has just flown by. We're not exactly sure what may have caused this, but the feeling is widespread. Throughout the semester our efforts are always targeted on helping the students use library tools for research and other projects. At this point, however, only a few papers and projects remain, and it is time to make sure the students are welcomed and comfortable coming to the Library to study individually and in groups, in order to be ready for their final exams...and even to finish their last minute papers. As I check our daily gate counts and as I take my walks on the floors, I am very pleased with what I am observing. We certainly have not scared too many students away, because our gate count has jumped from a average of about 2,600 entrances a day to well over 3,000 entrances on several days the last few weeks.


Even a couple end-of-the-year mishaps that one could never predict have been dealt with. We were able to deal with a two hour website outage by shifting our access to a different server. And even an elevator breakdown on two separate days did not deter one of our education classes from meeting on both days. They simply set up camp on one end of the first floor, and this created no apparent problem.




It was also exciting for all of us when we realized that right in the midst of exam preparations our trusty gate counter was about to turn over another million. One of our frequent library users, who will graduate this spring, became the six millionth person to enter the Library since it first opened in fall 1996.

#6,000,000

At the same time study groups have been gathering throughout the Library, and it always fun for me to see how the groups settle into the various areas. Some settled into the seating groups and laptop computers appeared everywhere.



My favorite thus far has been a large group I recognized using our group study rooms for two separate nights. The rooms typically top out at about 14 students, but I'm pretty certain the group exceeded 16 and they all seemed to be dilligently working at the three tables that they had separated in the room. Again, a lot of laptops were seen there.



Now students working individually were accommodated too. Most used our standard study carrels, but some preferred the floor. For one student we even got a chance to use a chair we have been sampling. It separates into a close-to-the-floor seat and the base becomes a table that can hold a laptop.


It has been fun to observe, and I may even some additional observations in the remaining days before finals end and the semester comes to an end.