#5. We’re not here to shush you (and we offer ideal spaces where we won’t shush you).
How do you learn? Do you read a book? Do you use the internet? Do you collaborate with classmates? Or is it all of the above? In the past, reading in quiet libraries was a common way of learning something new. Now, however, there are multiple channels for learning. Reynolds Library recognizes this shift, and we want to build a community that supports 21st century learning. The way we balance the needs of individual learners and groups is through access to our study rooms. If you need to collaborate and study with others, ask for a group study room. If you need to watch a video on the Internet, check out a pair of our headphones at the front desk. The bottom line is that we want you to learn however you learn best: whether it’s with a group or by yourself. The main library supports a quiet scholarship, but our study rooms allow for learning through collaboration and conversation.
#4. We’re more than just books.
Do you need to charge your iPhone or do an assignment using Visual Studio or other unique software? Do you have to use a peer reviewed article for an assignment and don’t know where to get one? Do you just want to watch the final season of Breaking Bad while also reading a few graphic novels over Spring break? At Reynolds library, books are just a fraction of the content that we offer. Nowadays, we focus most of our budget on licensing library databases. Library databases provide quality online resources (articles originally published in print) that you can access 24/7 and anywhere you have an Internet connection. We also provide some computers with software used in specific classes. Check out the full list here. We also provide bestselling fiction books and popular videos for you to check out. We want you to use this stuff! If there’s anything that we don’t provide, let us know. Though we may not be able to purchase all requests, we always welcome your input.
#3: We can save you money and time:
Have you ever done research on the Internet, discovered a potentially great article, clicked into it, and then gotten something like this:
Information, as you likely know, isn’t always free, especially when you are Googling it. However, when you use library resources, you’ll never see a link like the one above, because you have access to millions of articles as a Reynolds student. Even better, by using our library databases (instead of going to Google first) you’re less likely to get a paper that your professor is going to hand back to you with a low grade or a request to rewrite your paper. (It always take more time to write a paper twice.) Unfortunately, not everything about Reynolds library is free. If you need to print at the library, make sure to bring two dollars in cash with you the first time you visit. Our library staff will walk you through the process.
#2. We’re good at what we do:
Just a few more facts about our library databases: we subscribe to over a hundred databases and we pay a ton of money to provide access to them. Unfortunately, library databases can sometimes be confusing and overwhelming. Enter the Reynolds librarian (who you can find at the Reference Desk at all three campuses)! There is always a Reynolds librarian on duty to help you and the good news is we’re trained to help you with your research and citation questions. All Reynolds librarians have master’s degrees in library science, and we are skilled at finding great sources for your particular research needs. Come to us first before you start writing your research paper to gather great sources. Come to us later when you have completed a rough draft of your paper to get help with your MLA or APA citations. Just ask us! (And if you can’t come in personally, don’t hesitate to call us or use our 24/7 online reference service.)
#1. Your success is our number one priority.
Ask us who we work for, and you might think we’d say Reynolds Community College. In reality many of us might say that we work for the students of Reynolds Community College; we work for you. Librarians don’t have all the answers, but if you come to us with a question, any kind of question, know that we are going to help you solve it or to get you to the right person to help you solve it. Why? Because we know it’s sometimes hard to ask a question, that you may feel embarrassed or unsure. But when you ask, we also know that you’re trying, that you care about your success and consequently we care too. Good luck on your new semester, but please remember that you don’t have to do it on your own.
