Scarborough Library – Shepherd University

Nestled in the small town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Scarborough Library resides on the East side of campus. This library is special to me, as I spent numerous hours inside of it as an undergraduate student between the years of 2012 and 2016.

The Rubin and Rubin (2020) text describes the original purpose of academic libraries as a place to house books and journals, to address reference questions, and to provide spaces for quiet study (p. 171). The text goes on to say that the purpose of academic libraries has changed. There is pressure from taxpayers to justify their value by showing that they are vital to student success and retention at the university level (p. 172). 

According to Rubin and Rubin (2020), one way that academic libraries are showing this shift in purpose is by “Redesigning the physical space of the library, de-emphasizing bookshelves and creating collaborative spaces and spaces for library services such as writing labs and makerspaces” (p. 196). Scarborough Library is reflective of these changes. 

The Space & Physical Access

Scarborough Library has three floors. The main level and the second floor is peppered with tables, chairs, and couches for students and patrons to use. Additionally, there are group study rooms that students are able to reserve for a variety of purposes. As pictured above, while the open space of the second floor is a quiet study space, there are comfortable seating options besides the tables. The space has numerous recliners and a few couches. Furthermore, there are several spaces where desktop computers are available for student or patron use. While I was a student, I know that I spent many hours utilizing many aspects of the second floor. 

One interesting aspect of the library’s accessibility to students is the 24-hour room. 

The 24-hour room is accessible from the main library, as pictured above through the windows, during library hours. However, students can access this space from an outside entrance with their student ID cards at any time during the day or night. This space is small, but it provides a few tables, and computers line up around the wall. There is also whiteboard space and a printer (as well as hand sanitizer, as we are still in the midst of a pandemic).

As an observer, I see the 24-hour room hearkening back to the old purpose of academic libraries while also serving its modern purpose. It is a space for quiet study, but it can also be viewed as a crucial tool to help ensure student success and retention. Back when I was a student, I only used this room a handful of times in the middle of the night, but I knew quite a few commuter students that would drive to campus specifically to use this space. Whether a commuter or on campus, this space is very useful for students that may not have a quiet space to work at home or in a residence hall. 

The space and physical access of this library does offer some accommodations. For example, the outside of the library has ramps for wheelchair access and the inside provides elevators. Aside from this, I did not observe any other noticeable diversity for the physical space.

Services & Intellectual Access

While patrons of Scarborough Library need to be a student or have a library card to gain access to many of the computers, anyone can access the digital library catalog. I also noted that this library’s catalog was part of World Cat. 

After perusing through the shelves, I noticed that the physical library collection is organized by Library of Congress call numbers. Interestingly enough, when I got to the small children’s book section on the second floor of the library, I came across a small poster that might be found in an elementary school library. This poster sported a big, green worm that wore glasses and gave basic information about the Dewey Decimal System. Then, once I looked a bit closer at the books, I noticed this section was organized by the Dewey Decimal System. I wasn’t expecting to observe this, so it was quite surprising. 

Scarborough Library has various services that are apparent. Physically in the library, there is a research help desk. However, during my visit, there was no one located at this desk. Additionally, the bottom floor of the library is the home of the Academic Support Center, which offers students tutoring services. The ASC, as students called it during my time at Shepherd University, was a place that I went frequently. I worked as a writing tutor, but during that time I would also utilize that service myself. 

The fact that the Academic Support Center is housed within the library aligns with the pressure for academic libraries to justify their value. If there is pressure on these libraries to aid in student success and retention, then offering tutoring services inside of the library is one way to fit into this expectation. 

People, Patrons, & Staff

I completed my in-person observation of this library on a weekend, so I did not get the chance to observe many student interactions aside from a few that were clearly studying. That being said, I did notice that there were several displays and signs related to Black History Month that were still up from February. Aside from these displays, I did not notice much diversity outside of the library collection itself. 

There is also a lack of diversity for the librarian staff, as noted on the website. There are ten librarian positions, and nearly all of them are white women. The ten main jobs (aside from student assistants) at Scarborough Library are as follows: library technical assistant; coordinator of research services; coordinator of collections; periodicals and documents assistant; reference and special collections librarian; evening services and coordinator of course reserves; supervisor of student assistants; access services librarian and assistant to the dean; coordinator of systems; and coordinator of interlibrary loan. 

Additionally, three of these also serve as library liaisons: Liaison for College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Liaison for College of Nursing, Education, and Health Sciences and College of Business; and Liaison for College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Shepherd University is small, so as can be observed, three librarians need to split departments for specific student inquiries. 

 Collections

When I think of magazines and peer-reviewed journals, my brain automatically makes a connection to a library’s digital databases. However, I was surprised to find that Scarborough Library also offers physical copies to a variety of magazines and journals. 

In addition, this library also has an archives and special collections section, but that area is only for patrons that make a reservation. However, there is a special room on the second floor of the library that offers a space for patrons to safely examine artifacts from the archives. This room is home to a microfilm viewer. 

Aside from this, there is a EduTech Center (also located in a locked room on the second floor). This is where a lot of technology, aside from desktop computers, reside. I have never been inside of this room, but I could see video equipment, a green screen, and a SMART board. 

Digital Access

Scarborough Library’s website (https://www.shepherd.edu/library) is hosted on the main Shepherd University page. Aside from this, the web page seems straightforward and it was easy for me to navigate. 

All of the staff information that I have already mentioned I found from the main library website. Additionally, there is an “Ask a Librarian” page that anyone, students or community library patrons, can pose questions to. 

There are several things on the website that I expected to see, such as links to databases and LibGuides (includes guides for all disciplines as well as library guides and tutorials), and information about how to arrange for instruction on information literacy from a library liaison. There are also services specifically for faculty. 

Final Take-Aways

As Rubin & Rubin (2020) state, “Today, academic libraries employ a number of strategies to build relationships and engage students. They offer programs on information literacy, programs on how to prepare a research paper, and advanced workshops on topics such as data literacy and visualization, or they provide physical spaces for students to collaborate on projects” (p. 173). In this sense, Scarborough Library really exemplifies this role and mission of serving students. Some major ways this library achieves this is through its literacy instruction, the Academic Support Center, and offering rooms where students can come together to collaborate on projects. As a student, these things were important to me in addition to the quiet place to work. 

On the other hand, I do wonder how well the library advertises all of its services to students. It has been six years since I was an undergraduate at Shepherd University, but if the library offered services, such as scheduling an appointment for help with research, I was unaware of it. That being said, how many students are taking advantage of these services available to them? If part of the purpose of academic libraries is there to serve students, shouldn’t this information be widely advertised? Of course, I do not know how much has changed, but it was not apparent during my visit if the library advertised all of their services outside of their website. 

Overall, though, I fully enjoyed the time that I spent wandering the library and making observations. It was both nostalgic and informative. 

References

Free, A. (2022, March 5). [Photograph of a quiet study floor sign and library seating]. Google Photos. https://photos.app.goo.gl/3Dy2oJFBGUa85aBJ6

Free, A. (2022, March 5). [Photograph of a twenty-four hour room in a library]. Google Photos. https://photos.app.goo.gl/3Dy2oJFBGUa85aBJ6

Lawrence, A. (2020, November). [Photo of the front of Scarborough LIbrary]. Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x89c9fb905f015e9f%3A0x3f4297587d781a1b !3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPI4p7Ae gXtHW5enO8By6zrS8vgGVaP7lL5u3Dc%3Dw190-h143-k-no!5sscarborough%20library %20shepherd%20university%20-%20Google%20Search!15zQ2dJZ0FRPT0&imagekey =!1e10!2sAF1QipPx5zge06srru00CbDjSngvgDSuqd998G1ZJShZ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2 ahUKEwjQxdXO47z2AhUin-AKHaEABfoQoip6BAhIEAM

Rubin, R. E. and Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.).  ALA Neal-Schuman.