Author: Claire Larson
The Occidental College library is gearing up for renovations to better address student needs. A team of administrators, including President Veitch and Vice President of Information Resources in Information Technology Services Pam McQuesten, have been working with students and the architectural firm Shepley Bulfinch to create plans for improved library facilities. On Sept. 25 McQuesten sent a campus-wide e-mail explaining the process by which changes will be made. A timeline and proposal from Shepley Bulfinch was attached to the e-mail.
McQuesten, who heads the project, says that there is no preconceived notion of what innovations will be made. Her recent e-mail to students termed the vision for the library as an “academic commons.” The new vision of the library includes tailoring the space to the needs of Oxy students. McQuesten said, “An academic commons is customized to the campus. A residential liberal arts college will have different needs than a community college, so we need to ask, ‘What does our campus want? What do students want?'”
The services that would be included in Occidental’s academic commons will be based entirely on student input. Typically, according to McQuesten, an academic commons refers to learning spaces and integrated services such as writing centers, media production centers, experimental classrooms, video conferencing rooms, large-scale printing facilities, event spaces and even places to eat, in which students can work together and use the materials available to learn. “We are considering how to redesign the whole [library] facility to fit how students learn together,” McQuesten said.
The idea of reorganizing the library came from emerging trends in how students study together on a social level and how technology and electronic resources have changed the ways students research, access, create and communicate material and ideas. “The students who use the library at midnight are different from those at 5 p.m.,” McQuesten said, addressing a desire to accommodate a spectrum of students who use the library for different purposes and in different ways than others.On Sept. 22 President Veitch presented a brief statement to the Associated Students of Occidental College (ASOC) Senate in which he outlined a few ideas he has for the campus, including upgrading services in the library. According to ASOC Student President Andrew DeBlock (senior), Veitch told the Senate he would like to see art put up in new places around campus, the library being one of those places. “He cited the library as a location where art installations could be integrated into the building,” DeBlock said. “During [Veitch’s] time as an undergraduate, he appreciated being confronted by art in unexpected places.”
DeBlock invites students to communicate with the ASOC about library changes. “Personally, I am happy with the library as it is. That being said, I strongly encourage students to contact me if they are dissatisfied with the library or the services it provides,” he said.
Students around campus already have opinions about library innovation. “I would like to see a more updated selection of books. They’re a bit outdated for my major,” said Sociology major Caroline Wade (senior).
Other students, like Leana Napoles (senior), appreciate the availability of study rooms. “But I want more spaces for larger groups to meet, especially during finals week when the library gets really busy,” Napoles said.
McQuesten emphasized the importance of this kind of student input during the development process. The ASOC is available to respond to student contributions, and McQuesten herself is open to student participation.
“There are ideas out there that I haven’t thought of that would be very helpful,” she said.
Starting this week, surveys will be posted in the library through the rest of fall semester for students to provide their input. McQuesten is also considering creating a Facebook page for the library renovation to further encourage student participation in developing plans for the project.
A copy of the proposal was e-mailed to students on Sept. 25. The email included a description of the ways in which the firm will assess the needs of the college and a list of questions they will be asking themselves throughout the design process. Questions included, “What works and does not work in the existing Library?” and “What are the emerging trends in library, information technology and academic support, and what are their physical space needs?”. The e-mail also included a timeline of work to be done.
During the week of Oct. 12, the Shepley Bulfinch architectural firm will be on campus. According to the attached proposal, focus groups will meet with the ASOC so that students can talk directly to the architects about their plans.
Shepley Bulfinch will organize the student input it receives and create finalized plans, expected for release in January.
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