NOVA Community College on the Woodbridge, Virginia, campus is the academic library I chose to visit. I called and spoke with a research librarian before I drove out to the campus; she informed me they would be open until 7pm Monday through Thursday, so I planned to visit the library after I got off of work. However, when I showed up to the building the next day, it was closed, and no one was answering the phone. Since I don’t have any other college located near me that are open after my work hours, I was forced to do my visit through their website.
The NOVA Library home page displayed the numerous campus locations, including Woodbridge. It lists the staff’s names and positions, which include a Reference and Instruction Librarian, a Circulation and Reserves Librarian, and a Library Supervisor. The site also has a link to their blog, which goes into more details about their circulation rules, library policies, and archives. While searching the site, I noticed a video tour that allowed me to see the inside of the library.
When you enter the glass double doors, you will find the circulation desk to the left. This is where you may check out any books or movies with a current NOVA ID. Across from the desk are groups of chairs and tables for studying. The wall is lined with lounge chairs that are able to look out the tall windows to the courtyard below.
If you continue past the circulation desk, you will see the Reading Room. There are shelves displaying books next to several square cushions for sitting. This is also where you will find the periodicals, magazines, newspapers, and other types of media. However, I wasn’t able to get many details about the collections themselves, although I do know that they include classics, encyclopedias, and DVDs. If you decide you need help researching any of the materials in the library, you can ask the Research Desk employees. They are there to assist you with locating items, creating citations, and preparing research papers.
Additionally, the library has several small group study rooms, with one room containing an LCD screen that allows you to plug in your laptop for viewing. It was nice to see the study room incorporating this type of technology since Rubin and Rubin (2021) state that academic libraries emphasize “active learning and cooperative or collaborative learning in groups, mainly stemming from increased reliance on digital resources” (p. 171). There is also a large Instructional room that is utilized for classroom learning; however, if the room is unoccupied, anyone is allowed to use it. If you wish to use one of the library’s computers, there are tables supplying Macs and PCs. Although I appreciate the library supplying these computers, I thought that it would be hard to maintain any privacy since there were four computers for each small table.
Near the printers and copiers, you will find a NOVA card machine which allows students to add money to their card, granting them access to printers and copying machines. Across from these machines was one of my favorite items in the library: a vending machine with school supplies for sale. I thought this was a brilliant idea because, once you are settled in the library, you don’t want to leave merely because you don’t have a pencil.
Although I was unable to physically walk through the library, I feel like I was able to get a good impression of the place. It has plenty of light and chairs for reading, and there were numerous group study rooms provided. When I talked to the librarian on the phone, she told me that about 60% of the student body was still virtual, so the library isn’t visited as often as it had been before the COVID pandemic. She had hopes that the number of offline students will increase for the Fall semester so the library can see more use.
References
Rubin, R. E. and Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.). ALA Neal-Schuman.
The outside of this library looks very modern! It seems inviting to students. I had to do one of my visits virtually for a similar reason. I agree the privacy of the computers might become an issue. I think we will see a major influx of library usage, when people feel more comfortable getting out, due to COVID. This reminds me of how excited I was when our public library reopened. I wonder if this campus typically has a large number of virtual students, or is it due to the pandemic?
From talking with the librarian, I believe the large number of virtual students is due to the COVID pandemic. She believes that the numbers of in person students should increase in the future. This particular campus is located in close proximity to several high schools, so I can see commuting to the school would be easy. However, there were only 4 or 5 buildings on the campus including a small bookstore. They might be able to offer more classes virtually since the buildings that housed classrooms seemed limited.
The outside appears modern and bright with tall windows. It’s too bad you couldn’t go inside, but you’ve done an excellent job describing its resources and layout! The school supplies vending machine is brilliant! I’ve never seen that before. What a fantastic idea, and what a great way to serve your patrons who may have forgotten something at home. I agree that privacy could be an issue using the public computers. I was surprised to hear 60% of students are virtual. That’s a significant amount but also understandable due to the pandemic. I wonder if in-person enrollment will increase in the future or if virtual will now stay with us.
The library is in a new building, and I wish I had been able to go inside. It looked like it had plenty of windows and tall ceilings. I’m glad that you were able to get a sense of the resources and layout since describing a place where you have only seen a video tour was not easy!
The outside of this library is quite beautiful. It looks well maintained and updated. I was disappointed to hear the library closes at 7 pm, and I think an academic library would have longer hours to accommodate those with jobs or late classes. I liked the virtual tour of the building. It seems like you were able to get a good feel for the place even though you could not physically go inside.
When I talked to the librarian, she said that a typical school week has the library closing at 7pm Monday through Thursday and 5pm on Fridays. However, while I was locked outside the building, I called and was informed by a recording that they close at 4pm every weekday. This was very disappointing, not just because I wouldn’t be able to go inside, but students had a limited window to utilize it.
That library is absolutely gorgeous! I was also surprised to see that an academic library would close by 7 PM. I’m guessing it’s based on the number of students who use the facilities? I always picture an academic library being open very late for students who have to study at odd times!
That is a good point that maybe their hours are limited due to the small numbers of students in person. Hopefully, if their nonvirtual attendance increases in the fall like the librarian hopes, the hours will extend later than 7pm.