LaChance Library Prioritizes Student Experiences for Library Services
By Cody Mercarter | Observer Contributor
The LaChance Library is the go-to place for a quiet study spot, with chairs and tables scattered throughout and shelves towering over even the tallest people at MWCC. Students seem to have no say in what books come in or what they need the most. But that is soon changing.
According to Robert Koch, Assistant Dean of the Collaborative Learning Commons, “We’re going to come up with a user experience board at the entry to the library. When you come in, there will be survey questions and opportunities to tell us more about what you need, not just in terms of the books, but in terms of the space and the services.” Koch has only been with MWCC since November of 2021, but he has always tried to put the students first, and this experience board demonstrates that.
Professional Writing major Amal Elkhoury stated, “The books in the library seem to be in fair quality, [although] some are falling apart. [Overall] they seem to be…old.” That is an ongoing theme with the books in the library. According to statistics collected by librarian Matthew Raymond, the average age of books in the collection is fifty-three years old. Many of the books showcased on the “New Books” bookshelf at the front of the library were actually released years ago, but are newly acquired by the library. However, there is an explanation for this.
Koch noted, “There was a seven-year gap when no books were ordered.” This occurred fairly recently, as he elaborated, “My predecessor, Elliot Brandow, who arrived in 2021, collaborated extensively with Sarah Williams to acquire numerous books focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Koch has continued this practice of frequent book ordering, with assistance from Matt Raymond, the collections librarian at MWCC.
Raymond also oversees the removal of books in a process known as weeding. Koch explained, “In that process, we examine the collection, we determine what is old, damaged, outdated, and we see from what’s there: does it need to be replaced or removed?”
In recent years, the library has prioritized the online library, making it more convenient and easier for students to get the information they need wherever they are. This focus became especially crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic when the majority of students shifted to online learning, a trend that continues to this day. Students love the idea of the accessibility of the online library. According to Liberal Arts student Jai Yang, “Online [materials] allow me to find more books on my topic and faster than if I were to physically look for them,” adding that, “Having access to online resources is the best and fastest way for students to get resources.”
Some of the online materials tend to be out of budget for the library. Koch touched on that subject, saying, “Sometimes we simply cannot afford to purchase, for example, two journals in one of the STEM fields. The company wanted to charge us $11,000 for two journals, in one branch of the STEMs.”
However, not all students prefer online materials. During interviews, some expressed a preference for physical books. First-year student Abbie McClanahan explained, “I prefer physical books over digital because I’m able to stay more focused when I have the actual book in front of me.”
Despite potential limitations in the library’s collection, LaChance Library offers a solution for students. It is part of a system called CW Mars, primarily a public library system. Students can borrow books from most libraries in central western Massachusetts, maximizing this resource. Koch explained, “We can loan books from any other library to come to ours for you all to use.”
LaChance Library and its staff are committed to assisting students. The development of the new user experience board shows that they care about what students think, and they’re doing what they can to continue to support students at the Mount.
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