Last Thursday CMLE took a group of our members to tour the library at St. Cloud State University, and to meet the new library Dean, Rhonda Huisman! Rhonda and her staff were so welcoming and it was so exciting to discover all the great things happening at this academic library!
Right away we knew that this library was a fun place, from the welcoming banners on each floor to the happy snowman in an office space.
After everyone had arrived and we made introductions, we were ready to explore! Even though I attended SCSU for a few years, I knew that there were parts of the library that I didn’t know about, and was excited to discover them!
Outside the Dean’s office area is the main computer area, with lots of spacious areas for students to spread out. We heard about students who would set themselves up to work at a computer and stay so long they went through multiple meals! Whatever it takes to get those assignments finished!
It was great to see a library providing access to vending machines and a microwave for students to use. It was a busy area and hard to take a picture without including students!
Also on this floor was a great book display all about career readiness for after college. Preparing for job hunting and the workforce is an important part of college, so it was great to see some recommended reading.
We were also able to tour some of the classrooms the library has available for both librarians and faculty to use. This room is the favorite because the design allows for more collaboration. It’s easier to have discussions sitting at a circular table, plus the many whiteboards and giant screen on the wall allows for ideas to be shared easily.
The design of this library is very open and airy, and these high ceilings definitely help that feeling. We admired the architecture while students busily worked together at the long tables.
Next, we were very excited to descend into the basement, especially since we heard the rumor that it may be haunted, which always adds to the excitement.
As you can tell from the sign below, the basement is an area for quiet study. We were in awe of all the materials available down here, from microfilm, to extra large books, to rows and rows of books in compact shelving. The library very helpfully has directions for how to use the compact shelving, but they also have the Husky Fetch service that will bring students the books they request if they are unable to locate them.
After the basement, we went up to the third floor which is also an area for quiet work. The windows are lovely, and you can look down on a lot of the library from here. It’s pretty cool!
We turned the corner to discover the archives! They had a bunch of books on display that were written by faculty, and of course I recognized a favorite former professor, so I had to take a picture. There were also very cool artifacts on display from the William M. Lindgren East Asian Art Collection.
We continued across the third floor into the children’s area. The Education building also has children’s materials. This area was cheerful with lots of stuffed animal friends adorning the shelves.
And believe it or not, the fun didn’t end there! Check out more fun pictures from the tour below:
Thank you so much to Rhonda for a wonderful tour, and thank you to our members that were able to attend, we always appreciate a chance to see you in person! Don’t worry if you missed this group visit, we will be setting up another one soon!