Library News

Parkland College
Champaign, Illinois

The More Things Change ...

Over the summer, the Library was filled with electricians, carpenters, painters, and other construction workers. They drilled and sawed, crawled through floors and ceilings, and made a lot of noise and mess. Now they're gone, having left behind big changes. Some are obvious, like the beautiful new Circulation and Information Services desks, and the new carpeting. Other critical changes aren't as noticeable, such as the rewiring of overworked electrical outlets and the increased number of network ports.

One of the most exciting changes is the addition of a completely new space in the Library-- the Library Instruction Classroom/Computer Lab. This facility will enable us to provide hands-on, student-centered library instruction.

Housed in R-227, just south of the Information Services desk, the space is designed to be both a classroom/training facility and a walk-in lab. Like the rest of the Library, this room exists to support the mission and instructional goals of the College. Among the General Education objectives of the College, this classroom will most specifically support instruction targeting the goals that students will:

• "demonstrate their ability to think critically, which includes collecting facts and making decisions based on them, and solving problems, using methods of critical and scientific inquiry,"
• demonstrate their ability to use technology, especially computer technology, to access, retrieve, process, and communicate information.

For more details about the capabilities of the lab and information on scheduling, see http://www.parkland.edu/library/classroom.htm. Also at this URL, you'll see information about scheduling another new Library space, R-226. This is a group study room adjacent to the classroom/lab.

Around the Library, we've worked to make the space more user-friendly and inviting: We're adding some lighting. We've moved current magazines and journals to make them easier to browse, and put them adjacent to a new lounge that seems to be a new favorite among many readers. We purchased more ergonomic computer furniture throughout the Library.

Things look quite a bit different, and that's good. We think the changes will improve access to the many materials and services the Library offers the Parkland community. Despite our emphasis on reconfiguring the physical space, we know it's really the expert advice and service that you value most. And our commitment to teaching and service is as strong as ever. So, the more things change ...

... the more they stay the same.