My Visit to Different Types of Libraries Near Me

As part of my first semester of study to get my Library Science degree, I visited a variety of different types of libraries. These include a school library, a public library, an academic, and a special collection library. Below are just a few of my observations of each library. 

SCHOOL: https://mychesterfieldschools.com/fcms/academics/library/ https://libguides.ccpsnet.net/homepage

For this library I used the one at the school where I currently work. It is Falling Creek Middle School Library. You can learn plenty of information about the library and their staff and services through their website. It is easy to navigate, making it simple for parents or students to find the information they need. The website also gives the students access to their eBook platform. Something they can access all year long, especially during the summer months when they do not have access to the physical library at school. One thing that I did find interesting on the website was a link to request the library to purchase a book. I knew from the interactions with the librarians that they were constantly trying to grow their library collections. They had asked me a few times about what they think I should buy. I just didn’t realize they had also reached out to the community, students and their families for input as well. I would be curious to know how much of a response they have received. 

Speaking of them, the staff is made up of three individuals. Two are librarians and one is a library assistant. At the end of this past school year, the assistant librarian was retiring, but I do not know if they intended to replace her. I would guess yes, since two librarians to service nearly 1500 students and staff is a lot to take on. The librarians not only help students find books, but help teachers with various lessons. 

The physical library is located on an upper level of the school. It is easily accessed through the main entrance, so visitors unfamiliar to the building can still easily find their way there. It is not a large space, but it has multiple uses. Mainly it is used as a place for students to browse and check out books. The shelves are labeled and easy to navigate. They have a special section of ELL books to serve the large ELL student population. There is a small alcove with computers, but it is rarely used since students are given Chromebooks. A new addition to the library is an area with comfortable seating set off to the side so as not to disrupt daily activities. It is somewhere students can go to read a book they just checked out or simply relax and destress. They offer coloring and puzzles in this area as quiet activities students can participate in. I think this has become important since the pandemic as more students are finding school a stressful place. 

PUBLIC: https://library.chesterfield.gov/157/LaPrade-Library

I had a wide variety of options for a public library. Chesterfield County has many branches of libraries, so I choose the one closest to my home. The LaPrade Library. It is home for the regional manager and assistant regional manager. Their website offers a lot of useful information on hours, location, staff, and events. I found it easy to navigate. The website allows you access to their catalog, but if you want a physical book you must go into the building. 

The building is a decent size. When you first enter the building it has a small lobby. When I visited they were selling some books for just a few dollars. If you go left there is a large meeting room that transforms into the voting center during elections. Go to the right and you enter the main part of the library. There is a large circulation desk as soon as you walk in. You will usually see at least two people working there each time you visit. They are friendly and if not busy try to greet the patrons coming in. Tucked behind and to the side are shelves for “on hold” items. It is made to be self-service and it is easy to get the book you have on hold, check out that leave without spending more than five to ten minutes. Going further into the library, you see the shelves, clearly labeled, set “against” the wall in order to not impede foot traffic. However, they are set apart so that more than one person can browse with ease. Computers are not centralized, which I found interesting until I realized that the ones toward the entrance were set up for catalog use only. Further back, you find more computers for general internet use and a large copier/printer. 

One of the things that I found interesting is their loan of wifi hotspots. While this is not the only thing that is in circulation, they still have a fair amount of digital and print books being checked out, it is the one with the longest wait list. The thing in most demand. It is a newer service that they started when seeing a need for it in the community. 

While I cannot speak for the other branches in the county, I have always found this branch clean, well-organized, and helpful.  

ACADEMIC/ SPECIAL COLLECTIONS- https://www.library.vcu.edu/spaces-tech/james-branch-cabell-library/

Living so close to Richmond, I lucked out and was able to visit one of the branches of the VIrginia Commonwealth University Libraries. It provided me with an example of an academic and special collections library in one place. The branch I visited is called the James Branch Cabell Library. Since most of VCU’s campus is located in downtown RIchmond, it comes as no surprise that the library is located there as well. As such, this library makes good use of floors as a way to organize the materials and resources available. 

For example, the third and fourth floors offer areas for quiet/silent study. In these areas there is no cellphone use. The only difference between the floors is the level of talking. On the fourth floor the expectation is that there is no talking at all. Within the library are event and art spaces as well. Lastly, what college academic library would be complete without a coffee fix nearby. The first floor is host to a Starbucks. 

The staff for an academic library is organized differently from that of public and school libraries. Instead of having one or two librarians to help any student, there are specialists. These specialists are there to help with certain subject areas. These specialists are there to help with students’ research or project needs. The special collections have their own dedicated staff of six. They also have tech support, since so much is done digitally these days. 

Speaking of digital, their website is a host of information. Some of it general, hours and location details, other things more specific. It even has a history of the library for those who might be interested. The most useful is likely the databases. This allows students to access the resources of the library without having to go into the building. 

When you first enter the building you enter the lower level. This level is meant more as a services area. This is where they have IT Support, classrooms, and a workshop area. The first floor has a collection of study rooms, shelves of books, computer and printing services. The second floor is mainly study rooms and a few meeting rooms. The third and fourth floor house the most books, with the fourth also having the special collections area. 

Not being a VCU student, I was not able to enter the special collections area, but I was able to read about it on the website. The collections include art, medical artifacts, university archives, comic arts, and other rare books and manuscripts. There is a special reading room for those who come to look at anything from the special collections. In order to access this area of the library, you do need to register in advance. They do also offer classes or consultations. 

Conclusions-
One of the things that I found interesting about my visit to each of the different libraries was the environment. Each of the libraries had a unique vibe about it. Brain Matthews and Leigh Ann Soitsmann talk about how a space is important to how information is received and interpreted and libraries are not immune (2020). In their article “Encoding Space”, they talk about how, “Visiting a library unlocks certain mental modes, different ways of thinking, seeing, and being” (Matthews & Soitsmann, 2020). When keeping this in mind, you wonder how much the environment helps a patron get into this mindset. In my experience, visiting each library, I found the environment to match the mission of the library. While they all shared similar attributes, the environments were clearly designed with the patrons in mind. For example, the academic library, which is used more for research and study purposes, has less communal areas in order to reduce possible nose distractions. It made me think about my own efforts to ensure my classroom is a warm and welcoming environment. I used these visits as a chance to try and see myself in my future profession. If I learned anything, it was that I don’t think I would fit in the world of an academic or special collections library.\

References

Matthews, B. & Soistmann, L. (2020). Encoding Space: Shaping Learning Environments That Unlock Human Potential. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2020/09/01/encoding-space-library-design/