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The James E. Brooks Library at Central Washington University has undergone many changes this quarter.
Maureen Rust, student engagement and community outreach librarian, said there are new librarians, more student programing and a new coffee shop planned.
The coffee shop, called Jimmy B’s, is estimated to open in mid-November pending construction.
Rust is new to her position this year, but isn’t new to Brooks Library. Last year she was a non-tenured reference and instruction librarian. The new position is on the tenure-track, she said.
“We have a lot of new librarians and some positions have either been added or retooled,” Rust said.
New librarian Stacy Taylor is focused on usability, and will be doing assessments about physical space, resources and the library’s website in the upcoming year.
“She’s going to do focus groups and surveys to find out what their experience is like accessing resources both online and physically,” Rust said.
Members of the public can purchase a library membership to the Brooks Library if they want to be able to check out materials. Use of materials on site does not require a membership. Membership is $25 for six months or $50 for a year.
Student engagement
Rust has reached out to other campus groups focused on student life like the Wellness Center, the Veterans Center, the Center for Diversity and Social Justice, the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement and other departments on campus that support students academically, emotionally and socially.
“I’ve reached out to find out what we can do to collaborate and how the library can support their mission,” Rust said.
Some of the student engagement activities at Brooks Library thus far have included a game night and a quarterly book club discussion. This quarter’s book was “Orange is the New Black,” which lined up with the university’s series on mass incarceration.
Library courses
In the fall of 2014, Brooks Library launched its Library and Information Science programs. The programs provide three different tracks (LIS minor, Type B certificate or a school library media specialist endorsement) and offer 11 different courses. In the 2014-15 academic year the library had 164 students enrolled in Library and Information Science classes.
Dog program
Rust said she is determined to institute a finals week Canines on Campus program where registered therapy dogs visit the library to help students de-stress as they’re studying.
She’s encountered a roadblock because there are no registered therapy dogs in the county, but said she could bring a trainer in for a day if enough community members were interested in having their dogs certified.
“I am certain having therapy dogs in our community will happen — it would be so beneficial to not just our students, but to other local organizations and institutions that may want to take advantage of their availability and the proven benefits therapy animals can provide in stressful situations,” Rust said.
Anyone interested in getting their dogs certified for the program can contact Maureen Rust at mrust@cwu.edu.
Originally published by the Ellensburg Daily Record.