Keene State College students are spending up to $33,000 per year to attend college, but what is that money being spent on? One of the many things the college spends that money on are services of programs to help students be successful.
Photo illustration by Sebastien Mehegan / Multimedia Director
One central hub for a lot of programs is the Mason Library, and their staff is dedicated to helping students take advantage of these programs.
Junior Victoria Sansevero, who has been working in the library since her first year said, “A lot of students.. Haven’t seen or ever handled resources that our library offers so they don’t know what to expect or know what they need.”
Circulation and Information Desks
At the circulation desk, students can check in and out books. The circulation desk workers can answer any general questions about the library.
Information desk handles more information based research questions. A student can go to the information desk to get help from the research fellows.
Research Consultations
Dean of Mason Library Celia Rabinowitz, said, “When people come into the library they want help when they want it. If you have some time, if you start a bit early, the research consultation can be really helpful, you can even make another consultation with that same person.” Research consultations are a way for students to get connected with research in an easy way. A student signs up for a research consultation and then is matched with a student research fellow or librarian that knows how the information databases work already. That way students have a someone there who knows where the information that they are looking for is rather than searching the whole system until they come across something that might be helpful for them.
In the library, there are many students and librarians ready to help students who are willing to take the time to get their research done right.
Associate Professor and the Department Chair of the Mason Library Jennifer Ditkoff, said, “For a lot of students in ITW (Integrated Thinking and Writing) that one on one research help for a half an hour…really does help a lot because they might be coming in from a high school that didn’t really have the same resources or this is a bigger library so it’s sort of intimidating or they are just getting started learning how to do research.”
Live chat for questions, FAQ questions
On the KSC website, a function of the Mason Library homepage is a live chat option to help students answer any question they may have. As long as there is a worker at the information desk, students can send in a personal question and will get an answer within a day.
Archives
The archives are a “treasure chest here that not a lot of students know about” said Rabinowitz. There are a number of resources available to students in the archives, as well as some digital archives on KSCommons. There is a collection of films and materials from award-winning filmmaker Louis de Rochemont, including one of the Oscars he won in the archives. On Nov. 14 the library will be screening of one of his films and the Oscar will be on display.
Collaborative Study Spaces and Study Rooms
Study rooms can be signed out on a first-come first-serve basis. The library also offers computers where two laptops can be plugged in and students can see both screens in the same place. Mason Library also offers KSC study night on alternating Monday and Tuesday nights at 7-10 p.m., there is food and trivia breaks and open to all students.
Keene Public Library
All Keene State students can use their student identification (ID) to take out books from the Keene Public Library. If a student uses the catalogue online they can place a hold on any book, CD, or DVD and have it delivered to Mason Library from the Keene Public Library. Students can also return any book from the Keene Public Library at the Mason Library and vice versa.
Printers and scanners
It’s pretty common knowledge that there are printers in the library. There are a number of computers available to students as well. What is a little less commonly known is there is a high-technology scanner in the library that will take a picture of any document, book or item and convert that image into a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG).
Green bikes
The green bike program is available to all students. It allows them to rent a bike out from the library like they would a book. This program is available at the circulation desk in the front lobby of the library.
Twitter and Facebook
Mason Library has a Facebook and Twitter page to inform students of any upcoming events.
“There are a lot of different resources so if anyone is ever confused or needs help I suggest they come in and we can help walk them through it,” said Sansevero.
Alyssa Salerno can be contacted at asalerno@kscequinox.com
