Today libraries are more than books. They are safe places to study and interact with classmates, instructors, and librarians. Libraries help us to explore and get deep in any subject of knowledge. It is the best place to keep and increase curiosity and share it with others.
In the past, the Kirkwood Iowa City campus had a library, but after moving to the new location at the Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa (KRCUI) in Coralville, there is not a library anymore.
Without a library and other similar spaces of interaction like a cafeteria, a gym and an auditorium, school experience will reduce just to take-classes, go home and go to work. This is not desirable in academic and social terms. School life is more than a degree, it is also forming relationship with others that will continue after graduating.
It is a positive new change that once per week a librarian from the main campus will offer in-person reference help to students at the KRCUI. This is a temporary solution for a large group of credit and non-credit students who are currently taking classes there. To value school experience, improve educational services and attract more students to Kirkwood, a better solution is to build an annex next to the main building for a library and other spaces for interaction and recreation like a cafeteria, a gym and auditorium.
Finally, with a new library and other activities and programs at the KRCUI, this could benefit the community of this area and surrounding areas. The presence of Kirkwood in Coralville needs to go beyond its classrooms and reach out to people to offer its programs and services.
Reading good books, forum discussions and surfing the internet does not have to be something exclusive to students and professors. These activities need to be accessible to everyone because it will have a positive impact on peoples’ lives.
Categories: Opinion
