Academic Library: Radford University Library

For the academic library visit, I’ve chosen the McConnell Library which is the campus library for Radford University, my undergraduate alma mater! I did not spend a ton of time in the library throughout school outside of a few late nights working on papers for a couple of classes. Being a theatre major, most of my time was spent in the performing arts building including the drafting lab and the costume shop, but the library has plenty to offer!

Digital Access

https://www.radford.edu/content/library.html

Overall, the library is easy to navigate and feels inviting for students who may need to use it. The home page isn’t too bogged down with unnecessary information. There is a scrolling banner with some featured highlights, a bar with links at the top with access to various collections and information, the search bar is front and center, and the hours of both the campus library and the RU Carilion library located in Roanoke, VA are located just under the search. There are also links for email and chat conversations with the library staff in addition to phone numbers.

There is a tab specifically for collections on the bar under the university header at the top of the website (Radford University Libraries, 2022). Under the collections tab, you can find an assortment of links from reading books, the open journal system, audiovisual equipment, social justice, the DVD collection, and pandemic and Black Lives Matter resources. It’s easy to discern that this library serves university students due to the catalog and journal search on the home page, as well as the usage of the word “semester” for the hours. The catalog is accessible by the public, though journals and more research-based items require a university log in. 

There is a services tab with links for information about various services including accessible technology but that is for in-house use. There is a phone number for the front desk if assistance is needed. There is a link to the Discrimination Policy, Title IX, and the privacy statement at the bottom of the website page but no accommodations or resources for the visually impaired or those with different reading or language abilities are obvious. On the Library Policy page under “About,” there is a note about service animals being welcome but that was all I could find from a simple look. 

There is a staff directory on the website with names, titles, and contact information for about thirty staff members. There are many different kinds of positions listed, two that stood out to me were Library Stacks & Binding Specialist and Appalachian Music Specialist and some of the staff are professors. The number of staff listed makes me assume that this is a larger library and a university library with various position titles, and titles that include words like professor next to them. I’m also going to assume there may be work-study and part-time positions that are not listed on the website. 

The Space & Physical Access

The McConnell Library is located on the campus of Radford University, not too far from Main St. and the main entrance to campus. The building may be somewhat large and intimidating to some people but in general Radford University is a smaller school campus and in comparison, the library doesn’t look too big from the outside. It definitely looks like it belongs on an academic campus. 

There are benches outside as well as bike racks and signage. The signage is consistent throughout the building. There is a large staircase in the front of the building, a popular spot for graduation photos, with a wheelchair ramp and elevator access to the right in the picture above. There is a parking lot on the backside of the building, as pictured below, with direct access to Main St. and pretty landscaping complete with red and white flowers.

I did think the inside was intimidating upon my first visit but there are maps located throughout the building and staff to help direct anyone who is lost or needs assistance There are many different spaces inside the library; there are five levels total. Maps are located throughout the building as well as online. There are many reading and study nooks throughout the building with seating that is comfortable enough for productivity or maybe even a quick power nap between projects or classes.

Overall the space is welcoming and accessible for patrons with varying needs as well as for different age groups, though it’s not meant for children. It’s obvious from the furniture and height of services throughout that this is a place meant for young adults and adults. There is usually art by students on display on top of shelves or in cabinets. There are archived collections that require staff assistance, and there are study rooms that may require a reservation for a certain number of students, computer labs too, but smaller study rooms meant for one or two people are available on a first-come-first-served basis. For the moment I believe the space is updated to serve the needs of its target audience.

Service & Intellectual Access

Just beyond the main entrance (which is pictured above), you can find the Assistive Technology room, making it easily accessible to patrons upon their entry to the building. There used to be a small cafe on the main level too but now it’s simply a lounge. As far as any other special services go there is a research help desk located on the main level, as well as an art gallery that doubles as a study area. For the purpose of students, I don’t believe services are inaccessible, however, I didn’t need help so I can imagine that would vary depending on someone’s situation.

The library catalog is accessible near the main collection, “P” is housed on the main level, the A’s start on level 5, the top level, and S-Z can be found on the bottom level, 1, arranged by the Library of Congress. There is also an extensive DVD collection, including newer movies and television shows available for students to check out. I also discovered that the Radford University library is a part of the Montgomery Floyd Regional Library system (the summer that I finished an extra class for my MAT I was working in Radford and had a library card and was able to check out a textbook from the university library to avoid having to purchase it!)

Overall this library seems to serve its target audience, students in need of a space to study or work on projects are welcome here as long as their behavior is not disruptive or inappropriate. There are “silent” study areas and there is signage for those locations in the library.

People: Patrons & Staff

Overall interactions among staff and patrons reflect those you might assume happen in an academic library. There are students meeting with someone at the research help desk, there are staff members answering the phone, answering questions about hours of the library, or inquiries about services offered. There are small groups of students working on a project for class, single students at a computer or using their own laptop to do homework. Depending on the floor and the area, the noise levels are moderate to silent enough to hear a pen or pencil drop. 

Staff members have various jobs throughout the building and occasionally there are professors or teaching assistants who aren’t on staff present helping students or teaching smaller classes. There are students of varying ages but most appear to be in their twenties, and vary by race, ethnicity, and gender. I think an older student may feel uncomfortable given the amount of younger students in the space but hopefully in an academic setting anyone who needs to use the space feels welcomed and comfortable. Wheelchair users may feel uncomfortable or intimidated by the stairs in front of the building, but after entering the building through the accommodated entrance, I hope the building supports their needs just as much as anyone else’s.

Collections

The university library offers many collections. Print books are the most evident and are housed throughout the entire building. There are also journals available as well as access to the Scholars Repository, which houses theses and dissertations of graduate students of the university (Radford University Library, 2022). There are computers throughout the building available for student use as well as access to printing services and wifi. 

I believe the academic nature of the collection represents the fact that it is an academic library. There is audiovisual equipment that circulates, students may check out cameras or recording devices for use on a project. According to the website, students may even check out a portable DVD writer to create project products(Radford University Libraries, 2022). As far as barriers, people may have trouble reaching materials on higher shelves and may need assistive technology to use resources but from what I can tell there is always a staff member nearby ready to assist.

Other

It’s clear that this library is built to serve students in need of a space for learning and working while on campus. There are quiet/silent parts of the building for individual students and many rooms or cubicles designed for small groups that need a space to collaborate, spaces that are complete with whiteboards for notes or brainstorming. I’ve always thought of Radford to be a small university (though it has grown so much in my time away) so I was surprised by the size of the library but realistically that shouldn’t surprise me as the university has been up and coming for quite some time. I don’t think anything really disappointed me, this library seems to serve its purpose and if anyone has needs there are staff visible and accessible for questions or other needs. The hours seem standard, and I know from being a student that during finals week the library operates on a 24-hour schedule many of those days. 

A question I may have for someone would be how often are archives accessed by students and what major or area of study do you see most heavily using the archives but as far as library operations everything seems fairly straightforward! As Rubin & Rubin state, though academic institutions support undergraduate programs, “much of the library’s financial resources are devoted to databases and digital collections, research journals, special collections, rare materials, dissertations, and theses, data sets, and monographs” (2020, p 135-136) and this library surely supports that statement.

References:

Radford University. (2022). The beauty of radford. https://www.radford.edu/content/radfordcore/home/contact/beauty.html

Radford University Libraries. (2022). Collections. https://www.radford.edu/content/library/collections.html

Radford University Libraries. (2022). Collections – audiovisual equipment loan. https://www.radford.edu/content/library/collections/audiovisual-equipment-loan.html

Radford University Libraries. (2022). Collections – scholars repository. https://www.radford.edu/content/library/collections/scholars–repository.html

Radford University Libraries. (2022). Library. https://www.radford.edu/content/library.html

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

Trust Reviewers. (n.d.) Reviews of McConnell Library (Library). https://trustreviewers.com/library/west-virginia/mcconnell-library/