New look for libraries

At the U., the move towards a digital center has come slowly as librarians work to transfer hard copies into online-accessible versions and to get funding for high-tech software. Since 1996, the library has increased its e-publications and electronic databases from 250 to 138,000. In that same time, Web page views have grown to 10.3 million a year and computer-use hours have doubled.

All the online accessibility hasn't deterred students from making the trek to the library, however, with the number of patrons also doubling to 1.5 million.

"Information just doesn't float around and get gathered on its own. Libraries give it structure," Ogburn said. "It's a place that people come to create information and knowledge."

That emphasis on group work also prompted all three schools to expand space for teams of students working on projects. New study rooms equipped with computers and flat-screen television at USU offer students a space to meet, research and prepare a final presentation, said Linda Wolcott, vice provost of libraries at USU.

The U. will also feature enhanced group study rooms, plus high-tech rooms for classes.

"It's exciting to walk through and see chemistry students drawing compounds and talking. It's not just a bunch of students reading art books," Ogburn said.

And while some students still want to browse bookshelves and take home something tangible, the need to plow through an entire text is becoming less common, Ogburn said. Initial checkouts from the library dropped 10 percent from 2002 to 2005.

At the recently completed Merrill-Cazier library at USU, a new automated book retrieval system cleared out many of the less-used books and journals to make room for the new computerized focus. Books are stored in bins in a warehouse-type room and are pulled out by a robotic crane when requested, Wolcott said.

The U. library will also feature a 14,000-square-foot retrieval center with 2.2 million items.

"It's our purpose to make sure knowledge lives for a long time, whether it's digital, paper or papyrus," Ogburn said.

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