LibraryLinks Spring 2006
Information Commons Opens in Bartle Library
By Bern Mulligan
The Bartle Information Commons opened its doors to the public for
the first time on Sunday, March 19, 2006. This was the culmination of more
than two years of planning, involving many units on campus.
So far, business has been brisk, as students returning from Spring Break made the transition from the South Pod to the IC. From early each morning until late in the evening, the IC is filled with students taking advantage of the vast array of application software and tools available from the IC desk tops. There is also scanning, color printing, laptop loans, and space to collaborate and practice presentations. The service desk is staffed by librarians and information technology consultants ready to answer questions that run the gamut from the simple (“How do I log on?”) to the very complex (“What are the effects of agribusiness on the Guatemalan rain forest?”). While there, students can now also take advantage of the other resources offered at the library: reference works, circulating books, print journals and lots of quiet study space. And the IC, like Bartle Library itself, is open continuously from noon Sunday through 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday noon until 8 p.m., so there is plenty of time to use the new facility.
A smaller Information Commons in the Science Library is scheduled to be completed this fall.
