by Brooklyn Dance
In an effort to create more space for future offices in Waggoner Library, the Student Teacher Library has a new home on the third floor of Mackey.
“The best explanation is that we were short on space,” said Judy Bivens, accreditation co-director and MLIS program coordinator.
For roughly two months over the summer, offices were torn down, new offices were built, several faculty were relocated and hundreds of books were moved.
The new student library, which serves as a training space for student teachers, moved from the basement of the Waggoner library to the top floor of Mackey, where education classes can now meet.
“I really do like it. It’s convenient to have everything in the same building,” said. Samantha Newman, a junior studying elementary education.
Education students spend more time in Mackey so it’s easier for them access.
“There is a lot more traffic up here”, Bivens said.
Though the library actually moved to a smaller space, everything still fits, including: children’s fiction and nonfiction for grades kindergarten through eighth; how-to-teach type books; example textbooks and common core related books; as well as DVD videos on teaching. Young adult literature along with anything teachers of another major may need stayed in Waggoner.
The library is open to anyone.
Bivens said she loves the change.
“I have a window now,” she said. “I worked underground for 15 years, so this is a big deal.”
A change in location also means a change in hours. The new location closes at 6 p.m. on week days instead of operating on library hours.
“Our hours are much more limited, because there’s a librarian that works every night in the other library, along with a night supervisor. We don’t have that. It’s just us,” said Bivens.
However, the new library is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays for students.
No new books or materials were added during the shift, but Bivens said they will soon install a “Mondo pad,” which is essentially a big touch screen TV for teachers to use during instruction.
“We are partnering with metro schools, and they are using them for their faculty and we want to train our students as they go into those schools,” she said.
