The Space and Physical Access

The Simpson Library is located on the lovely University of Mary Washington (UMW) campus in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Simpson Library opened in 1987 to replace Trinkle Library, which had become too small to house the ever-growing collections. This library is not just for UMW students and staff, but it is also a community library open to the public. The old brick building is three stories with each floor housing different Call Numbers. The first floor is dedicated to community needs, housing Juvenile, Young Adult, current magazines, DVDs, printers, and computers for patrons to use when searching the catalog or using the internet. It also holds the Reference books (REFB A-Z), Microfilm, Microfiche, Journals, older Magazines, and older Newspapers, which may be used more by UMW students and staff. The second floor houses print books L-Z, including Oversize books. The third floor holds print books A-K, including Oversize books. To move from floor to floor, you have the choice of a stairway or an elevator.

When I first walked into this library, I felt the need to whisper and tread lightly due to the old feel it gave me. Even after the librarian (seated at the circulation desk to the left) let me know I did not need to whisper when speaking, it still gave me that ‘stay quiet’ vibe. Since I do not live close by the UMW campus, I had to drive to the library. There was a nearby parking lot at the back of the library, but it was reserved for UMW students and staff. I parked on a nearby street and walked the short distance on the campus pathways to get to the library. The front entrance can only be accessed from campus pathways. These pathways can be accessible by bicycle or wheelchair, if necessary. There were bike racks on either side of the entrance if a patron arrived by bicycle. Located near the entrance by the circulation desk, I noticed a TV screen that flipped through helpful/informative screens. You can find comfortable spaces for individuals (study nooks) or for small groups throughout the building. There are a few classroom type areas that can be reserved as well. There seemed to be a distinct section on the first floor that was more ‘Public Library’ rather than ‘Academic Library.’ The shelving in that section is shorter and more accessible to children or even people in a wheelchair. The rest of the library had higher shelving, which could make it more difficult for some patrons to access those materials. However, their website states they provide physical help retrieving library materials from stacks. The Simpson Library could use a little sprucing up. The seating and study nooks looked like they were from 1987, when the library first opened, and it was a bit gloomy inside because there were not a lot of windows. There is a small outside space with benches for patrons to sit and read or gather with friends. The space looked like it might have extended into the grass on the other side at one point, but currently the grass is extremely overgrown and uninviting.

Services and Intellectual Access

This academic library is mostly geared for the UMW students and staff. It was a pleasant surprise to learn that it was a community library as well. The library staff provides many services, including retrieving library materials, assistance with photocopying, printing, and scanning, research, various software, various scanners, accessing databases, and accessing Braille or Audiobooks for those that need it. Patrons may use the computers to access the catalog and locate the book or media needed. There is signage throughout the library to guide a patron in the right direction. It is also possible to request help from the library staff to assist in finding what is needed. One sign I saw over and over was a ‘DO NOT RE-SHELVE’ sign. They were posted on red shelving carts that were spaced out at the end of different shelves. The reasons for so many red carts with that particular sign is because library staff records usage statistics and they also want to be sure the materials are placed back in the correct spot. The Simpson Library uses the Library of Congress classification system to organize most of their collections.

Patrons and Staff

When I visited the Simpson Library, it was practically empty. There were very few patrons and only two staff members working (there could have been other staff members working behind the scenes though and it was lunchtime). The few patrons I saw seemed to be students and I base that on the fact that they were sitting in study nooks with their backpack and personal device, headphones attached. I did not see anyone actively searching the shelves for materials or using the library computers. Even though I only witnessed minimal staff during my visit, the Simpson Library website helped me learn how many librarians work at the library (24) and what are the various departments. The departments include Circulation, Reference, Interlibrary Loan, Digital Archiving Lab, Government Documents, and Special Collections & University Archives. I cannot speak to the diversity of the library because I did not see enough patrons or staff.

Collections

Being an academic library, the Simpson Library offers a wide range of collections. Some of the collections that were evident as I toured the library were Juvenile print books, Young Adult print books, current and older magazines, DVDs, Reference books, Microfilm, Microfiche, Journals, older Newspapers, Oversize books, books in other languages and more. The Simpson Library does have a Special Collections room that houses rare books and journals, a large collection of WWI posters, and historical materials from all offices, departments, and divisions of UMW. The Special Collections and University Archives department also houses the Digital Archiving Lab, which converts the library’s rare and unique archival materials to digital objects that can be accessed on many platforms. Unfortunately, the Special Collections room was not open at the time of my visit, so I did not get to go in personally, but I did get a picture of the room through the door;) When it is open, a patron simply has to call to make an appointment or request one via email. It was interesting to read in Rubin and Rubin (2020) about the challenges many universities face when dealing with special collections (p. 212). Digitizing significant and important print materials is a way to combat those challenges.

Digital Access

The website for the Simpson Library was very informative, but slightly challenging to navigate. There seemed to be a lot of ‘nooks & crannies’ and at times it was difficult to get back a page previously viewed. The website allows you to do many things, including accessing the catalog, databases, and digital archives. There are also many services available, including interlibrary loan, print, copy, or scan, submitting an honors paper, or even help with citing sources. Again, many of these services are geared toward UMW students (or staff), but patrons can take advantage of the services as well. There are some special services to help with visually impaired patrons, like the National Library Service, which offers free braille and talking books. I liked that you could see some of the librarians (some did not have a picture) that work at the Simpson Library and that you could also see which department they work in and contact them easily via email or phone.

Explore the Simpson Library website.

Overall

I enjoyed visiting the Simpson Library. It had an older, more established feel to it, but the collections were vast and interesting. I was surprised to learn that it was also a public library. I was also a little surprised by the lack of patrons, however, since the Simpson Library is geared more toward UMW students and staff, it probably made a difference that I was visiting the library in the summer. Perhaps the library would be more bustling during Fall or Spring semesters. I would like to make an appointment to see the Special Collections room when it is open again. It sounds intriguing and it would be fascinating to explore.

References

Padden, C. (2022). Simpson Library, Outside area of the Simpson library, Red shelving carts, Outdated sitting area, Special collections room [Photographs of the Simpson Library].

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