A monthly look at life in the UK Libraries

February 2007

Information Commons Set to Open Feb. 5
The finishing touches are being put on the new Information Commons, now to be called the Hub at W.T.’s. Staff members may
remember that originally it was to be called Willie T.’s Basement,
the name chosen by a student focus group held this past summer.
While Mr. Young’s family initially approved of this, after additional thought the name The Hub at W.T.’s was born. Stacey
Greenwell, interim director, finds the new name very fitting. “If
you look at drawings of the building, the location of the Information Commons is in the very center of the building—the hub. The
name evokes everything we want the Info Commons to be: the
center of activity, a bustling, vibrant environment where the center
of the wheel is the help desk.”
The Hub is scheduled to open on February 5, with a ribbon-cutting
ceremony to be held February 28. Greenwell is more excited about
next fall, when there will be a grand opening geared directly to the
students. She envisions a festive atmosphere, with decorations,
games, maybe even pizza, to welcome students and acquaint them
with the services and resources available to them.
This semester, the Hub service desk will be open the following
hours:
Monday-Wednesday, noon-10:00 p.m.
Thursday, noon-8:00 p.m.
Friday, noon-5:00 p.m.
Greenwell hopes to expand these hours in the fall, but it is unlikely
the Hub will open before noon. The noon opening coincides with
the opening of the Information Technology Customer Service Center (i.e. help desk), which will be providing computer and wireless
assistance. Also, undergrads, who most likely will be the biggest
users, don’t seem to get going before then.
What makes the Hub unique is the merger of reference and IT services, enabling students to get help with both in one place. In the
Hub students will find an IT person at one of the help desks and a
librarian at the other. According to Greenwell, the Hub is “the perfect place for students to work on group presentations. They can
get reference assistance and help with graphics and PowerPoint.
Then they can go over their completed presentations in one of our
practice rooms.” The two practice rooms, converted from AV Services viewing rooms, will be equipped with a wall-mounted flat
screen TV, a video camera, a computer, and a place to plug in a
laptop.
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Top to Bottom: The removal of
the old carpeting; boxes of new
furniture and flooring; freshly
painted walls and new carpeting.

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