USD library underutilized but helpful resource
The library is a place where students can go to study with friends or get some quiet time and study by themselves, but there are students on campus that hardly ever go the I.D. Weeks Library while at USD.
The library is a great resource for all students and should be taken advantage of more often. It provides a great place for students to go and study in peace and quiet. Even if the quiet environment isn’t what someone is looking for, the library’s first floor is not a quiet zone. Students there are allowed to talk at a regular volume while conversing and working with other students. Whether a student needs a quiet area or a somewhat louder study area, the library provides both.
The library also provides more than just an area for studying. The Writing Center is located in the library and helps students having trouble with papers get the help they need in grammar use and sentence structure. If students are having tech troubles the library also has an IT center to help with any problems that might arise during the school year. They will even order parts if necessary with a small fee, of course.
The benefits of the library continue with the fact that it has many great reference materials nearby for students to use. Even if a student isn’t looking for academic reading material, the shelves are also stocked with newspapers, magazines and a wide assortment of CDs to choose from. Also, if a student can get their hands on an old VCR, the library still has a wide assortment of movies on their shelves.
The more prevalent benefits aside, the library is a good place to gather for students who have group projects. The mere fact of having a big table to gather around with a wide computer screen to all look can greatly improve the group’s chances of getting a good grade.
Even if going to the library physically is something students don’t want to do, the USD library is part of the Digital Library of South Dakota. This designation means that a wide assortment of portraits, manuscripts and other materials pertaining to USD are available online for any student to access. So even if a student never goes to the actual building itself, the library’s resources are still readily available for use.
But going and actually working at the library can greatly influence how well a student performs in college. A study by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission has shown that students who actively use a library and seek assistance from librarians and supporting staff have a higher rate of academic success. In the end, those who make full use of what the library has to offer can improve their college career.
A college library has many things to offer to students, and the students that take full advantage of these offers are far more likely to have a successful academic career.
