Site Visit Report Christine S. Roach LIS 654-3

Reeves Library From the library’s mission statement: “Reeves Library provides resources and services which support the curriculum, aid in scholarly research, and encourage further exploration of all dimensions of learning. The library will respond to the complex and rapid changes occurring in information technology and will provide a gateway to information.” Some facts about the institution Enrollment: 1543 (644 men, 899 women). Approximately 24 states and 10 countries represented in the student body. Bachelor’s degrees offered in Art, Science, and Music. Most popular departments: Biology, English, Education, Psychology, Economics and Business, Sociology, Music, Art.

Library Resources 51 online databases and indexes (some full-text, some citation only). Roughly 200,000 print volumes. ___ periodicals. About 40 workstations (mostly PC) for student, faculty and alumni use (no public use of computers allowed). Microsoft Office Suite on all workstations. OPAC available at all workstations, and at two OPAC-only terminals. Hardwired workstations. Wireless network available for use with personal laptops.

Library Website Designed in conjunction with the college’s in- house web designer. Student focus groups were used to find out what was wrong with the old site, and what the new one needed to have. Wording and jargon were very important. Limited space on the homepage still causes difficulties.

Future Plans Expansion of wireless network availability. –This requires new wireless hubs and signal repeaters. –This will be done in conjunction with the IT department. Better advertisement of e-reference services. Plan for purchase of new computer hardware and software. Plan for expansion of workstation areas, possibly the creation of an Information Commons.

Conclusion Reeves is a small library in an increasingly wired world. Like many small libraries, it sometimes struggles to meet users’ tech needs. Financial support is not always what it should be. Cooperation can be difficult to garner. Keeping the library current in regards to its computer technology requires constant attention and effort.