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The Library Forms Student Advisory Committee

The library's goal in forming a student advisory committee was to invite students to take a role in how library services can be improved.

"I joined the Student Advisory Committee because I think it's important for students to have a say," Andrea Flores '12 said. "Personally, I don't use the library as much as I could. Being on the committee helps me see all that the library offers to students."  

To find committee members, nominations were asked for from a variety of faculty and staff. The library staff also appeared before the Student Senate, and invited students to self-nominate. The committee now numbers 12, a larger number than was anticipated. Nine are undergraduate students, two are graduate students, and one student is in the Horizon program.

"The library hopes to create a lasting relationship that will enable us to have a more in-depth conversation about what really matters to the students, what they need to achieve academic success, how we can help them get there; we also want input on how we can offer creative programs and services that students will enjoy," Outreach and Arts Liaison Librarian Maryke Barber said.

The committee meets three times per semester during the dinner hour on Wednesdays.

Meetings have been a mix of discussion and brief presentations by the library staff. There have been discussions about everything from the library's mission to customer service, from archives to the library web site.(posted 4/29)

Q&A With Joan Ruelle, University Librarian

University Librarian Joan Ruelle sits down to discuss the library as well as the rumored secret librarian hand shake.

Q: What made you want to become a librarian?
A: I sincerely enjoy the quest and mystery of academic research - which I suppose makes me a kind of geek. But I'm also very passionate about helping people learn the research skills that will serve them throughout their professional and personal lives.

Q: What most excites you about your job?
A: Whether it's a great one-on-one encounter with a student or faculty member wrestling with a difficult research question, or working with the library team to figure out how best to support academic and co-curricular initiatives on campus - what we do is always reflective of the bigger picture of the life of Hollins.

Q: How do you build the quality of our campus library in a time of shrinking budgets?
A: To be the best stewards of our campus resources it is imperative that we prioritize the information needs of Hollins. That is true in times of plenty as well as lean times, but it becomes even more important with limited budgets. We try to prioritize the purchase of materials that are core to the mission of Hollins, and still provide access to other materials.

Q: What do you think students would be most surprised to find out about the library and librarians? Do librarians really have a secret handshake?
A: In print, I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of the secret handshake. There are all kinds of stereotypes of librarians such as that we fear people and prefer the company of cats. My personal request would be that if you must seek your librarian role model from film, please take it from Party Girl rather than It's a Wonderful Life or the Music Man.(posted 4/29)

The Wyndham Robertson Library is the 2009 recipient of the ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award (College category).  This award is given to libraries whose staff provide innovative and dedicated services that further the educational mission of their institutions; it is awarded by the Association of College and Research Libraries, the academic section of the American Library Association. Funded by Blackwell's Book Services, the Award is accompanied by a $3,000 cash prize.

According to the award's creator the goal of the award is to recognize that excellence in libraries is the result of many individuals working together over time. The awards committee praised the WRL staff for their innovation, creativity and "can do" attitude in creating programs and services such as this year's Poker Run Orientation, our new documentary film series and the thriving information literacy instruction program. 

Unlike awards which single out one individual, this one embraces the entire library staff, from University Librarian Joan Ruelle to the many student employees who participate in library operations.  Appropriately so, since in addition to working in circulation, archives and other library departments, the students join the staff for such Hollins traditions as climbing Tinker Mountain and competing in the campus SHARE Olympiad.

As much as this award means to the dedicated staff of the Wyndham Robertson Library, it is also a celebration of Hollins University.  Our greatest library successes have come from partnerships with our colleagues across the Hollins campus.  It is through these relationships that the library has been more fully integrated into the life of a campus community that truly encourages creativity and leadership in higher education.  In 2009 the Wyndham Robertson Library will celebrate its 10th birthday and we look forward to adding this recognition from our professional colleagues to the celebration. 

At the Wyndham Robertson Library we pride ourselves on turning our relatively small size into an asset: we are able to be flexible, work quickly to create new services, and go in- and outside of the library to connect directly with Hollins faculty and students. None of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of the entire library staff, and on their behalf we thank ACRL for this award. 

For further information about this award, please visit:  http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009
/january2009/acrlexcellence.cfm