Is the Library Still at the Centre of the
Student Journey?
Years ago I spent some
time at Canterbury University. I was being lured to do my PhD there. And, an
interesting lure it was too. One of the “pushed-pull-factors” was the Library.
My potential primary supervisor went to great pains to not only highlight that
Canterbury has one of the best and biggest University libraries in the southern
hemisphere; he even took me for a tour of the facility so I could see for
myself. It was an impressive library.
I found it interesting
that an academic was pushing the library so hard, but then again, it was core
to the foundations of scholarship. Books, journals, prior dissertations,
unpublished manuscripts, even internet access; all important contributors to
the student journey, especially for a research student.
But, times are ‘a-changin’
… it’s all “e” now. “C” has made sure of that, at least for the foreseeable future.
Librarianship has done a fantastic job of staying at the cutting edge; (almost)
everything at the touch of a screen that a researcher could want.
For conservatorship,
national and other institutional libraries are digitising all manner of
manuscripts and images; not only preserving them for future generations, but
enhancing accessibility through open-access library policies and collaborations
to enable such resources to reach a broader audience.
Librarianship is
taking on a greater role in research. Skilled information guardians with a
plethora of research tricks to manipulate databases and extract information
from the most hidden of sources. This is a skill and service still well-needed
in the e-research age, especially when other pressures are causing speed-bumps
in our access to information.
But, does that mean
that the physical library is now a relic, defunct in the e-research age?
Not to me; and not to
many others. That may be a personal perspective (we love books; the feel, the
smell; the library environment, being able to explore and meander through the maze
of shelves to find that hidden gem); but it is also way more than this. Many
out there crave the human connection and innovation that a library offers.
To illustrate this, I
want to share extracts from three very recent opinion pieces in the higher
education, where commentators discuss their reflection on the library in
current times.
“As this chain of
Covid lockdowns spins towards its first birthday, I’ve discovered that I really
miss browsing. Not the fervid doom-scrolling of online resources in search of
anything that might improve my mood with a momentary jolt of serotonin, but real
browsing – the sensual act of wandering through the quiet stacks of a library
while half-looking for something. In reality, the alleged target is often just
an excuse; the real magic is stumbling on the unexpected”.
[Browsing the remote corners of the university library
is a unique joy | Times Higher Education (THE)]
“The library at my
school is the institution's intellectual, emotional and geographic heart.
Students do everything academic, and most things social, at the library. The
library is where they study in groups and dig in for solo studying. The
library's vibe is something between a high-energy start-up and a quiet place to
get work done. There is tremendous energy to being around students in their
places -- and the library is very much a physical space in which they nest. One
of the privileges of a life in academia is hanging out around students. The library
is where we all share space”.
[5 Things I Miss About the Library | Learning
Innovation (insidehighered.com)]
“It's been on the
front lines of expanding access and creating equity during the pandemic, and we
can't let its funding evaporate”.
“But in a time of
crisis, our libraries have also been an engine of opportunity -- and in ways
that defy the traditional characterization of the library as a place that only
lends books and reads stories to children”.
[Libraries have been crucial during the pandemic and
need more support (opinion) (insidehighered.com)]
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