I recently visited the Simpson Library at the University of Mary Washington.

Digital Access

The UMW Libraries website is incredibly comprehensive, representing both the Simpson (main) library and the Special Collections library. The Simpson Library site is very user friendly, and while I was not able to access complete details on digital catalog items without an account, the catalog is accessible to the public. The library clearly serves all faculty, students, alumni and guests of UMW. There is a wealth of topics that users may need assistance with right there on the front page, in addition to research help.

As a non-student, I was still able to access LibGuides for various courses, and all of the linked resources–so essentially, with the exception of Databases and Digital Resources, I could still get a ton of valuable information from the site if I wanted to. A staff directory is available. They specifically offer remote research assistance appointments, which I think is nice (but I’m sure adds to the decrease in actual drop-in visits). The Accessibility section of the website gives info on how those with special needs may access all areas of the collection, and gives details on which entrances/areas are wheelchair accessible, etc. I found it very comprehensive.

The Space

The library was fairly easy to find, though I did have to park in a weird spot downtown and then go on a bit of a walking adventure to get there! The entrance is kind of randomly located on a path through campus, with an unobtrusive sign on the wall, which I found surprising–you’d think the library would be more significantly noticeable. The library is three levels, with a circulation and reference desk on the main floor, Special Collections library housed on the 2nd floor, a variety of meeting rooms and “sunroom” spaces with flexible seating on the 3rd floor, and the entire collection spread over the 3 floors. There are PCs and Macs available for use on the main floor, and specifically designated computers for searching the catalog on all 3 floors. The shelving is all metal and quite tall, so wouldn’t be accessible to everyone (even me! I couldn’t reach the top shelves), but the website says they’ll provide assistance with reaching items. My favorite thing was the two-story study carrels on the 3rd floor, known as “treehouses”. It seemed like they would be fun to work in! Rubin & Rubin discuss the shift in academic libraries to becoming more patron-centered spaces, with flexible spaces for group work and available technology, with the collections being supportive rather than central (2020, p.171). This library has plenty of space for groups to work, but it lacks the current technologies (aside from computers) that would allow for digital collaborations.

Services and Intellectual Access

The library is organized using the Library of Congress system. Their (very tiny) fiction section is by genre. Wall signage lets patrons know which floor to find specific parts of the collection, and the catalog can be accessed via designated computers on every level. The shelves are labeled on the ends with LOC designations. There were a couple of promotional flyers advertising summer hours and a display in one of the conference rooms, but other than that I didn’t really see any programming advertised. I suppose you might not see as much of that in an academic library, and perhaps the summer is also a factor, but I was kind of disappointed. As far as academic services, though, you can get drop-in help or schedule an appointment with a librarian for research help. They do in-person or virtual appointments, and the librarians are assigned specific areas of the curriculum, so they are very familiar with the subjects that patrons may need assistance with. You can also get Inter-Library Loans, and they have course reserves for easily accessing required materials.

People

When I was in the library, it was completely empty with the exception of staff, who were all white. Despite a statement on their accessibility page about diversity and inclusion, I didn’t see much evidence indicating this–but I also didn’t see evidence against it, except the absence of signage in other languages. There are 18 staff members, including a variety of librarians–they even have someone assigned as a Digital Resources librarian, and one who only handles Inter-Library loans. I was particularly interested to see they have a Head of Access Services and Outreach–that sounds like my kind of job! I can see how it would be easy to get “pigeon-holed” into a position in a larger university, given how specific some of the titles were at this smaller school. I imagine the library would be busier during the regular academic year, though the librarian I interviewed with did tell me that their drop in numbers are down a lot since the pandemic started. What’s really nice is that the public are able to obtain guest library cards, so they can access services here as well.

Collections

The library has a large non-fiction and reference collection, a tiny popular fiction collection, a small juvenile/YA collection, newspapers, magazines, maps, and even microform. I hadn’t seen a Microfiche reader in quite awhile! They also have over 100,000 e-books and more than 50 databases specific to the library, with over 180 more available through the Virtual Library of Virginia collection. They also circulate a variety of games and manipulatives that support the K-12 classroom.

The Reference collection is for in-library use only, which is fairly standard. They have huge books with old prints of the Free-Lance Star (the local newspaper) and collection of Praxis study guides as well. It’s clear that this library has an academic focus, and is particularly supportive of the School of Education. They also have a Special Collections library that houses rare books, journals, and university archives. According to Rubin & Rubin (2020), “much of the library’s financial resources are devoted to databases and digital collections,” (p.170), and that is clearly evident based on my observations. While they have some books in other languages, I wasn’t impressed by the diversity of the physical collection. The website and digital resources are more inclusive.

Final Notes

As someone who enjoys libraries anyway (clearly!), I could definitely see myself studying or working in this one if I were a student at UMW. It did have a kind of outdated feel to it, but that may also be due to the fact that I work in a recently renovated library. The space felt homey and welcoming, the staff were extremely helpful, and the flexible seating/meeting places and extensive digital and physical collections were far better than what I had available at my undergraduate school. That being said, I was so impressed with their website that I can see why the library itself has seen drop-in numbers go down–it’s hard to justify making a trip to the space when you have so many digital resources at your fingertips. I will say that this visit was one more nail in the coffin as far as academic librarianship goes, at least for me, because all I could think when looking at the shelves was how much I would want to weed the collection!

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