The Maverick magazine is a great way to stay in touch with current events at your alma mater, old classmates and the bright future of Colorado Mesa University.
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ON CAMPUS LIBRARY BECOMES A Chautaqua of Emma Goldman, performed by Sally Ann Drucker, was one of many community events held at the library. Sarah Nwagwu, a CMU student from Nigeria, discussed life in her home country as part of the Cultural Café series. 10 B ad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities. –R. David Lankes, professor and dean's scholar for new librarianship, Syracuse University School of Information Studies I f it's been a while since you've been to the CMU Tomlinson Library, you may be surprised at all that's going on. For one, food and coffee are now available on the first floor of the library. Older alumni may remember a time when a cup of coffee would have been considered contraband within the hallowed stacks. No longer, feel free to sip away on a latté while trying to write a research paper (except in the Special Collections and Archives — food and beverages are still prohibited there). Second, the library is no longer solely a place for quiet, solitary study. It has become a community learning space. Groups of students gather at tables and in workrooms to engage in lively discussions and work on group projects. Rose Petralia, the head of public services for the library, said university libraries have become much more of a social space. "Information is everywhere," Petralia said. "Most of the books and the library databases are accessible at home, but students are coming to the library in greater numbers because of the opportunities for community learning." The library also hosts many events that are open to the community. One recent event was a Chautauqua, which the Museum of Western Colorado co-sponsored. One of the more popular events at the library is the Cultural Café series. At these events, international students, faculty and community members present and discuss aspects of life in their home country or a country where they have lived and studied. Samples of the featured country's cuisine adds a flavorful flair to the presentations. CMU Library Director Sylvia Rael is adamant that while there have been big changes at the library, the essential research and reference services are still just as important, if not more so, in an age where information is at everyone's fingertips. "Students know how to Google and get a million sources of information on a certain topic, but they may not know how to evaluate sources and dig deeper and do serious research," she said. So the library offers a series of student workshops throughout the year on everything from preparing for a test to giving presentations as well as how to analyze and cite sources. For those who still look to libraries as a scholarly refuge without noise and distractions, the library has set aside a number of enclosed rooms dedicated to quiet study. There is also a 24-hour space that is partitioned from the rest of the library at night to create a space to study after hours. When it comes to building community on a college campus, there are a lot of differing needs to meet. If Lankes' words are true, the Tomlinson Library is well on the road to greatness. • Nearly three years after a major renovation the Tomlinson Library is still evolving By Josh McDaniel