The Space & Physical Access

Norlin Library is the largest library on the University of Colorado Boulder campus in Boulder, Colorado.  CU, as it is commonly referred to, is a very large and beautiful campus.  I spent much time in various parts of Norlin Library as an undergrad.  With that said, it is very challenging to find parking nearby and walking is required to get around campus.  There are nice open pathways that make it very handicap accessible, but parking may not be super close to the library.  One must plan ahead if new to campus, to locate the library, in addition to finding a parking spot.  Public transportation is readily available and can drop you off at several stops through campus.  Bike racks are prevalent and be careful for skateboarders on the sidewalks, as I have almost been run over by them!   

Norlin Library is very large and intimidating from the outside.  One side of the library that I feel is more approachable is called Norlin Commons.  Norlin Commons is a modern, open space with tons of natural light and coffeeshop to get your caffeine and snack fix.  There is a plethora of seating options near outlets for plugging in and working on your laptop.  It has more of a coffee shop feel, and is a very busy area on campus.  

If you venture into other parts of the library, the atmosphere and ambiance will vary greatly.  I recall walking through the Norlin stacks in search of a study cubicle.  There are areas in the stacks that are very quiet, with old oak tables and desks along the perimeter, lined with windows.  The smell of old books is very present, and you know this is where the serious focusing happens!  At first, I was really intimidated by the space as it is so large, but as I became more comfortable, I turned it into a fun exploration game asking myself, what can I find when I walk through this door?    

People (Patrons & Staff)

Norlin Library is on a beautiful college campus in Boulder, Colorado and therefore that means there are beautiful people all around.  You are officially in the Boulder Bubble as we locals jokingly called it.  It serves a wide variety of students and faculty with a diverse set of needs.  There are also helpful librarians and graduate students who are working. The second floor is where you can go to find someone. They can help answer questions about research or finding something in the stacks.  There is a website that will direct you to set up an appointment, if you are in need of research help specific to your field.  A large campus bodes a wealth of knowledge, and a library can bring people together in collaboration within and across the fields.  I appreciated going to the library not only for the space to focus on my work, but for the sense that I was a part of something much larger than myself.  It gave me a sense of community and the feeling that we are all in this together, even though I didn’t know anyone.      

Digital Access

Wifi is superb wherever you are on campus and in all the libraries.  Norlin Library is fully equipped for students with multiple outlets and plugs at most study areas.  Norlin Library website is easy to navigate and built for students and faculty.  Many sites require a login/password.  Their research page alone is quite extensive, for example, how to get started, research strategies, or if you need research help in a certain field.  1,451 databases were found for all the CU Libraries.              

Services & Intellectual Access

As a student one has various perks which are great to know about while studying on campus.  Students have an allotted sum of money devoted to making copies on any machine on campus.  Students can reserve online study rooms in Norlin library if they need a private space to work or need to meet with a small group. There are specific computer labs available as well on campus if you don’t have your laptop or need to access a certain program. I spent a lot of time in the Geography building where they had a computer lab as I needed ArcGIS and other Cartography programs not available on my laptop.     

Collections

Norlin Library is one of six libraries on campus, all of which house the largest collection (over 7.5 million volumes) in the Rocky Mountain Region.  Norlin Library houses the collections for humanities, social sciences and life sciences, in addition to the Rare and Distinctive Collections.  It can be very overwhelming to try to find something in this library, but with a little patience and time, and perhaps some help from a librarian, you will feel accomplished upon leaving. Rubin & Rubin (2020) discuss how “librarians are encouraged to employ active learning strategies that engage students” (p. 147). I wish I had more assistance in this regard. Rubin & Rubin (2020) continues by saying “emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking skills in the information search and evaluation process, on the ethics and use of information, and on understanding the context in which knowledge is created” (p. 147). This is where I struggled in undergrad and I wish I had more training.  

Other

Boulder is a very white, affluent community and that does not exclude the campus.  There is diversity in activities, forums, conferences, concerts, sporting events, and so on but there is a definite “type” of person that attends undergrad here.  I was an atypical student in my undergrad, as I was older and I fit in better with the grad students.  I found more diversity in the graduate student body versus the undergraduate student body.  Overall, I was very impressed with the faculty but I must say they were not diverse ethnically.  Boulder brags about “being different”, but in what way?  Yes, there are many alternative thinkers, old hippies and free spirits but the viewpoint is still very white and very affluent. The local (Lyons) flagstone and red clay tile roofs are signature to the buildings on campus with the picturesque Flatirons and Boulder’s foothills as the backdrop. (See both pictures below taken from the Creative Commons).     

References

Lund, K.  (2008).  Norlin Library, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado.  [photograph].  Flickr.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/75683070@N00/2334663293  CC BY-SA 2.0

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

SK.  (2014).  University of Colorado Boulder.  [photograph].  Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/irisphotos/14334152210/in/album-72157645400252815/ CC BY-ND 2.0

University of Colorado.  (n.d.).  Norlin Commons.  Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.colorado.edu/libraries/libraries-collections/norlin-library

Varner, J.  (2006).  University of Colorado.  [photograph].  Flickr.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/molas/albums/785920 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0