TV presenter opens college’s new student library
BROADCASTER Lucy Owen officially opened the new library at Gower College Swansea.
As well as being well stocked with the latest text books, the library, at the college’s Tycoch campus, has enhanced wifi and USB/power sockets embedded in the furniture so students can research using electronic resources.
The original library was completely gutted by fire in October last year.
Four floors of the main building of the campus were severely damaged by water and smoke when the blaze broke out in the early hours.
College principal Mark Jones said: “It was a very challenging year for everyone at the Tycoch Campus – staff and students alike. Our estates and computer services teams and all our contractors had to rebuild the library from scratch.
“Our library staff did a fantastic job in ensuring the service they provide to our students was as unaffected by events as possible while they were based in temporary accommodation.
“Today is an opportunity to thank everyone involved in the rebuilding of the library and also to show them around this fantastic new student facility.”
BBC Wales presenter Ms Owen, who published children’s book BooA-Bog in the Park/Bw-A-Bog yn y Parc in 2016 to raise funds for the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales, said: “I am delighted to officially reopen the library at the Tycoch Campus of Gower College Swansea.
“It’s wonderful to see the hard work that has gone into the rebuilding of this space after the fire last year. It is a spacious, modern new library which I’m sure all students will enjoy using.”
The new library also includes height-adjustable desks for wheelchair users and enclosed areas for learners who might prefer to work in a more private space.
The front area is designed for collaborative work, with tables that can be moved around and soft seating so that people can chat while they study.
High shelving has also been positioned to suit learners who prefer to work in a more traditional ‘quiet’ space.
“We had a really exciting opportunity to create a learning space which caters for today’s learners,” said library manager Mark Ludlam.
“Hundreds of students and members of staff use this new facility on a daily basis and the feedback we have received so far has been overwhelmingly positive.” LAST month I had the pleasure of welcoming Kirsty Williams, Cabinet Secretary for Education, and a number of distinguished experts to Cardiff University to discuss the civic mission of universities in Wales.
As the Cabinet Secretary pointed out in her defining speech at Cardiff University in 2016, since the EU referendum it has become more important than ever to demonstrate our relevance to those in our communities who believe that universities oppose their values and see expert evidence as something irrelevant to them.
The Cabinet Secretary outlined four key areas that universities, as civic institutions, need to focus their activity on. These are: Leading place, raising school standards, encouraging active citizenship and stimulating social enterprise and innovation.
This means that universities need to connect to their places and help improve the health, wealth and wellbeing of the people of Wales.
At Cardiff we’ve been working hard on a new plan to do just this, as part of a refreshed strategy for the University: The Way Forward, 2018-23.
The agenda is not new – over the last five years we’ve been working with our local communities and in Wales more widely to meet these challenges, with some success.
For example, more than 1,000 of our students volunteer on projects in the community each year, supporting the homeless, helping people with dementia, helping children at homework clubs or planning events for older people.
On the employment front, we were the first university in Wales to introduce the Living Wage, and we contribute £2.2bn to the Welsh economy each year, generating £6.36 for every £1 we spend.
In 2014 we also launched five flagship engagement projects in our Transforming Communities programme, covering health, education, poverty, wellbeing, social inclusion, the Welsh language, skills and economic growth.
You’ll continue to find us at events around Wales, including the Hay Festival and the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff next year.
We will also further develop Welsh-medium provision. As Wales’ only world top 100 Russell Group university, we want to provide as many opportunities as possible for our 30,000 students to engage with Welsh culture and language.
Professor Colin Riordan is vice-chancellor of Cardiff University.