Personal Reflection, Summation, and Thank You!

 Overall, my visit to the Sawyer Library at Husson University was a nice change compared to the public libraries I have visited for past classes. I especially want to thank Shelly Davis and Diane Hanscom for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with me and answer my questions. You were both very thorough in your answers even if I wasn't very thorough in my note-taking. I also appreciate how accommodating you both were when I had to reschedule my visit at the last minute. Thank you!

As I said, this was my first visit to an academic library for a class assignment and it was nice to take note of some of the differences. First, Sawyer Library is at Husson University so the patrons are usually students and faculty. There were no kids running around, no frantic parents, just students studying. Second, there was no need to have maker spaces or any other program that may loan out other technology. It's purely an academic library and only has what is necessary for the various programs of study. Third, having a separate IT department makes dealing with what technology they do have a lot easier than in most public libraries. Smaller, more rural public libraries can't afford a separate person to deal with the technology let alone a whole department.

I enjoyed my visit to Husson University and the Sawyer Library. As I said in my first post, my grandmother graduated from Husson in 1948. She was a sorority member and a member of the women's basketball team. Growing up I would often accompany her to both men's and women's basketball games, various alumni events, and events with the alumni of her sorority. If she were still alive I would have had to take her on my interview because she loved visiting the campus and I don't think she had seen the library. So, as I bring this blog to a close, I want to dedicate this assignment to my grandmother, Eunice Harding Sibley 5/9/1928 - 1/12/2020. Thank you for reading!

Library Interview

Disclaimer: I did this interview back in October. Due to personal issues, I am only now writing it up for this blog. Turns out I do not take very good notes and my memory is not what it used to be so instead of writing in question-and-answer format, I’m going to go the narrative route and hope I cover all the important aspects of this assignment.

The entrance to the W. Tom and Bonnie Sawyer Library at Husson University.

After being postponed for a week due to a migraine, I arrived at the Husson University campus for my interview with University Librarian, Shelly Davis, and Resource Discovery and Access Librarian, Diane Hanscom. Diane has worked at the library for many years and Shelly is new, so we all sat down together for the interview. I started off by asking who was responsible for managing the technology used by the library. Since the Sawyer Library is part of a larger whole, Husson University, there is a separate IT department that handles most issues. The librarians and/or student workers may fix a few minor problems that arise but most things, such as hardware issues and program updates, are taken care of by the IT department. As for keeping everything up to date, I was told that the IT department does a pretty good job of staying on top of it. They also handle most of the maintenance and repair of the various systems.

Next, we got into the nitty-gritty about how the network is organized and what systems are available for student use. The wi-fi covers the entire campus, not just the library, so students can be anywhere and access the information they need. Students log in to the system from either their own computers or the computers available within the library. Once logged in, students have access to Google for basic internet searches or they can access the library’s various online resources to search for any information they may need.

The Sawyer library is on the Minerva system which connects students and staff to all the books and materials within the collection as well as other libraries throughout the state both academic and public. For anything outside of the state, the library provides access to Worldcat.org. eBooks are also available through Credo reference and the Maine Infonet CloudLibrary.

Tip sheets on how to use the various databases.

The library also provides access to over 100 databases including, but not limited to, the Maine State Library, EBSCO, and ProQuest. In total, database subscriptions account for $400,000 of the library budget annually.

Library computers for student use.

As for technology within the walls of the library, there are 9 computers available for student and faculty use. Six are located near the entrance and the other three are in the back. For those that prefer to use their own laptops, there are several study carrels available as well as many other desks and tables. There are many outlets along the walls and a charging station is also available if needed.

Merlin Reader

Other technologies found in the library are two black and white and one color printer/copier/scanners which are all networked through the cloud and all available for student use. There is also a microfilm machine, or at least enough parts to put one together, a portable DVD/CD player for use within the library, and for those with visual issues there is a Merlin Reader available.

Security Gates

Besides what is made available to students and faculty, library staff also have access to a computer at the circulation desk, their own color printer, and Diane and Shelly each have their own computers, a PC and a Mac, respectively. As far as security goes, there is a security gate at the entrance/exit to the library and there are security strips in most of the materials to prevent theft. Cybersecurity is handled by the IT department who provides library staff with annual training.

That pretty much brings me to the end of the interview. The library does not have any technology available for students to check out and while the public can access the library and some of the materials within it, they have no access to any of the databases or to the printers.   

After the interview, I was given a tour of the library and allowed to take a few pictures before I said my goodbyes and headed home.