September 20, 2009

New CGCC library opens to public Monday

By Sam Craig
The Chronicle

     Books are still going up on the shelves, computers are still in the process of being set up and the whole place still smells like fresh, wet paint. It’s not quite there yet, but come Monday, this place will be a fully functioning library.
     Columbia Gorge Community College will open its brand new library on Monday. With all new furniture, computers, media, shelves and even rooms, the library would like to be a place that students will find extremely comfortable.
It’s a very open space. From one end of the library it’s possible to see clear across to the other side.
     The library has a fresh coat of paint, new carpeting and the lighting system has been changed around from the old eye-straining style lights.
     Computer stations are set up in various spots around the library; 45 computers in all, mean that almost anyone who needs a computer can have one. Seven study rooms through the library will allow students to get away from the crowd and study in peace, or in a group, depending on the situation.
     A wide selection of educational DVDs, CDs, video tapes, newspapers and magazines accompany the books on the library shelves. A new section called “Leisure Reading” offers selections that aren’t necessarily all about class subjects. Comfy chairs are scattered throughout and let students curl up with a good book without straining their backs.
     “It used to be divided up,” said Rosemary Ross, director of library services. “We’ve changed it all so that it’s more what’s now called a library information commons.”
     It’s nice to be back in the old room, library staff members said. Though it has been a while since they’d been in this larger space, getting everything ready and put back on the shelves feels good after spending over a year in a tiny library across campus, they said.
     “They moved us out of here in June of last year,” Ross said. “They put us in a small place in Building Two. They put a whole lot of the collection and the furniture in storage on campus, and then they started working in here. There were a lot of things done. All the pillars were made new, some of the study rooms were made new, the wall was taken down, the whole service area was completely remodeled, and the offices were completely remodeled. We’d been asking about it for a long time and they finally painted the ceiling. It looks wonderful.”
     Perhaps most important of all, the library now offers air conditioning to keep things cool in the summer. For both staff and students, summers in the library were scorching.
     “They put air conditioning in this entire building,” Ross said. “The library has never had air conditioning and it was a real old heating system that left some things to be desired. So this is a whole new system that has been installed and it does both heating and air conditioning. It’s so quiet, too. It’s on now and you can hardly hear it.”
     The building’s new heating and air conditioning system could be called better than central air. It’s a “smart” system that cools down and heats up individual sections of the library, depending on the temperature and how many people are in an area at a given time. With units placed all around the library, the room stays at a constant temperature.
     Our air conditioning system before,” said Tony Dunne, who works in the library, “was opening the windows. Mother Nature. It was horrible.”
     The CGCC library really wants to help make computers a part of everyday life for all students, even those who aren’t very tech savvy. With an information technology worker on staff from the computer classes, keeping students and the public up to date on the latest in technology should be a lot easier. The IT worker will help computer users with any issues that may arise related to hardware, software, printing, scanning and getting the most from their library experience.
     “We’re trying to integrate the technology with traditional library resources like books and DVDs, CDs, newspapers and magazines,” Ross said. “We are making it more accessible for everybody that way, with better use of the floor space by putting all the computers out in the central area.”
     Some talking is allowed in the library, so there’s no worry of being shooshed by librarians, but for those who need a little extra peace and quiet, there are a few spots they can go and not hear chattering while trying to study or finish an essay.
     “We now have seven study rooms,” Ross said. “We used to have three. Two of them are for silent study, because we allow quiet talking throughout the library. No one’s going around saying, ‘Shh,’ unless you’re causing a small riot.”
     The library also has one new feature that makes it possible to have more shelf space and allows students who live far away to get to the library without even leaving their living rooms.
     CGCC’s library has a subscription that gives students online access to hundreds of magazine titles and searchable archives that reach back, in some cases, for decades. Students can also access over 40,000 books online.
     “Students don’t even have to drive to the library anymore,” Dunne said. “But we’d really like it if they did.”
     The library will be opening on Monday, and even though it’s not really a kid-friendly place — there’s no kids section or pop-up book to be found — Ross invites the public to come in and spend some time. Adults in the community, including those who aren’t students are welcome to come in, check out some books or other items and spend some time on the computers.
     “Our mission is to support the institution and provide materials related to the curriculum that is taught here,” Ross said. “We really encourage people to come in, get a library card and see this place.”
     “We’ve got the best view of any other library,” Dunne added, pointing out the windows at the gorge view. “You really can’t beat this.”