Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Colleges redefine what a library should be
Not just ‘hush’ or ‘quiet’ from librarians
South Florida universities want to close the book on the image of a college library being a boring place to cram for tests.
Florida Atlantic University’s Wimberly Library in Boca Raton offers students comfy stuffed chairs where they can eat, visit, Snapchat and play chess.
“People aren't just sitting down reading and studying,” said library dean Carol Hixson. “There’s a lot of conservation, socializing and very active learning.”
Libraries have had to reinvent themselves since electronic collections reduced the need for people to physically visit a library for research, said James Hutchens, an interim vice president who oversees libraries at Nova Southeastern University.
“They’re community centers,” Hutchens said. “We want them to be a place where people can share information and find personal growth.”
At NSU’s Davie campus, office space in the Alvin Sherman Library was converted in 2015 to an area for students to talk or work on group projects. The space includes modern furniture and charging ports that can be easily rearranged for different sized groups.
At FAU, Hixson has been on a mission since she arrived two years ago to transform the library on a shoestring budget.
“We are taking what money we can find and are using it to create spaces that are more inviting, functional and conducive for our students,” Hixson said.
Sam Maurice, 19, a sophomore at FAU, is taking advantage of the transformation.
“During my freshman year, the library was a lot more cold and closed off,” she said. “Students get to decide how loud the volume is. It’s a place to socialize and a lot more fun.”
FAU’s library was one of the first buildings on campus when the university opened in 1964, and some parts hadn’t been upgraded since then, Hixson said.
“There were students sitting on the floor, sitting on foot stools, using footstools as desks,” she said. “Students simply didn’t have enough seating.”
Phone and laptop cords were strewn through book shelves because students couldn’t find conveniently located power outlets. Wireless access was spotty.
Although FAU’s colors are blue and red, the walls were painted dark green. There wasn't good working space for graduate students, who prefer a quieter atmosphere than undergraduates, who like to combine studying with socializing. In late 2015, the library used a $10,000 grant from the University Club, a foundation that supports FAU activities, for furniture, paint and to convert offices into student space. Last year, the library received $250,000 from the university for some bigger upgrades.
Today, students relax on colorful red and blue stuffed chairs on the first floor lobby. There are extra outlets around the library along with lockers that double as fast charging stations for cell phones.
Library officials turned a suite of unused offices on the second floor into a graduate student lounge with a set of computers, comfortable sofas and cubicles for extra work space. A graduate student ID is needed to get in this space, which is quieter than other parts of the library.
The fifth floor used to be completely closed off to the public, but it has been replaced by a large student room with sofas, chairs, desks, white boards, plenty of electrical outlets and lots of people chatting with each other.
Ryan Connell, 18, was using a marker and white board to work on a equation for an advanced math class.
“I used to never come to the library,” he said. “I hadn’t seen the inside of a library in two years. Now I’ve been here four times in the past week.”
“I hadn’t seen the inside of a library in two years.” Student Ryan Connell