Library News

The University Library just announced that the Los Angeles Times book review's best sellers will now be available on the first floor of the Library (behind the elevators and across from Starbucks).





This picture is from the e-mail sent out by the University Library.

Rec Center Update

Students have voted for the SWRC, and plans are well underway for construction. As for now the plan is to create a team of people to design and build the SWRC. They will have to be approved by the CSU Board of Trustees, but once the team is created they will make drawings and schematics. The design should take 14 to 15 months to be finalized said Scott Charmack, vice president of Building and Facilities Management.

The plans still need to be approved,said Charmack, but he doesn't think that there will be any issues with the CSU Board of Trustees.

The entire construction is planned to begin summer of 2009 and finish in about 15 to 16 months, said Charmack. A preliminary design was made years ago but it will be recreated and redesigned to meet student’s needs and desires.

Because it is a non state-funded project, the SWRC still needs to be approved by the fee committee. After approval the chancellor’s office will need to approve the financial plan. It is planned to be presented to the board for approval in May, and if they don’t get to it then, it will wait until July, said Charmack.

New Online Database

This week the library introduced an new online database called Library PressDisplay. It is a full color view of 300+ newspapers as they appeared in in print from the last 60 days.

According to the Library's website "The newspapers are displayed in full-color in their original format on your computer. It is just like reading the familiar print edition, viewers can browse articles and other key content, such as pictures, advertisements, classifieds, and notices while enjoying 60-day back issue access."

In an interview with Greg Aremnto I received a first hand look about how the data base works. He instructed me step-by-step how navigate around the database.

"This database is intended for browsers," said Armento. He also said it is similar to walking into a newsstand.

You can find publications by country, language or alphabetically. Some of them even have a snazzy "enhanced" feature where you can get different formats, languages and even have the stories read to you aloud. The enhanced publications are indicated with a red arrow in a black circle. Once you are looking at the publication, the enhanced articles turn blue when your cursor is over them.

The catch is that only 3 people can use this database at a time, but Armento doesn't think it will be too much of a problem. If/when it does become a problem, they will do something to fix it, said Armento.

Floor by Floor Library Update

On Monday I went into the Campus Library for an interview with one of the associate deans, Sara Sluss. Instead of simply telling me what was going on with all of the renovations, she opted to give me a tour. Here is a floor by floor update of the library:

Lower Level: This level has re-opened and is now equipped with desks for student use as well as media, current periodicals, course reserve, map collections and a big section is blocked off for storage.

When I was there they had moved the desks to close off one corner of the floor and covered the new carpet so they can store the incoming furniture. They couldn't order them to be here for completion of each stage, because there is no where to put it, Sluss said. So the furniture is coming in as the floors are reopening.

Ground Floor: As we all know, there is, of course, a new Starbucks on this level, and there are now restrooms open on this floor. Thank goodness! With all that coffee.......

There is also the new circulation desk that is open and the reference desk (and books) are back. There is a temporary computer outpost, and if you were to visit the library today, you would see the workings for 200+ computers - all with new furniture. There will be big tables for studying around the wall and there will also be Wireless Internet available. For all those technology savvy students who bring their laptops to school.

Second and Third Floors: Well, as we know from previous articles - pretty much nothin'. I went in to get some books on Friday that were (just my luck) on the third floor. I went to the circulation desk on the first floor and luckily they weren't closed off yet. But any day now (since it is now "mid-March" just like the library said) these floors will be inaccessible to students.

Lucky for us, the Library finally figured out a way to get the books to us, and not a moment too late. The Library will have a paging system. They were vague on the details, but what I got out of it was that you fill out and order form, submit it and within 24 hours you will get the materials.

Fourth Floor: This floor houses mainly administration, books and more offices. There is also some tech services (I believe, but they may have moved back down to the Lower Levels). I think that the library has to get more done before they can close the fourth floor because it has a lot of people to move (the administration themselves!)

Fifth Floor: This floor houses the children's collection as well as the mystery collection. The mystery collection was on one of the floors that will be closed and they managed to find a place to move it. There is also a great study place. It has about 100 (this is just from me doing a quick count) chairs around tables for four and eight. It also has (this is my favorite part) cushy chairs. Great for napping - I mean reading.

This floor is eventually going to be opened up into one big study floor lots of room and tables and, if we're lucky enough, more cushy chairs. For online remodle news check out the remodle page on the Library's website.


For the picture I googled "CSULB Library" under images. It is actually from the CSULB website, but there was no photographer listed (that I saw).

What Students Have to Say About Rec

I went out and interviewed students about what they think about the SWRC. Here is what they had to say:

A graduate student and pre-physical therapy major, who wishes not to be named disagreed. "I think building a rec center is total bullshit. Spending $65 million on something we don't need when we have buildings that are falling apart is wrong. The school should focus more on academia and less on body building."

"They're forgetting that CSU is meant to be open to a wider class of people who can't afford other universities. The school is not focused on what it should be, which is education," said Nicholas Xenos, a senior political science major. "Not to mention all the money was spent by the school on the campaign. They're giving away shirts that support the rec center, but no one is asking questions."

Alan Schaefer, a senior marketing major, said that “Long Beach State needs a central location to work out and keep students on campus. Unlike places to go nearby, it will put students first and will cost less money.” “People that voted no did it because they didn’t know all the facts or they just don’t care about the campus,” said Schaefer.

“There is no reason why we shouldn’t have one,” said Derek Franklin, a sophomore business management major, “it seems like a good idea.” Franklin made his decision after hearing a presentation by the University Students Union Board of Trustees Chair, Amanda Stone on Monday night.

Nicholas Xenos, a senior political science major added, “They’re forgetting that CSU is meant to be open to a wider class of people who can’t afford other universities. The school is not focused on what it should be which is education.” “Not to mention all the money was spent by the school on the campaign. They’re giving away shirts that support the rec center but no one is asking questions.”

"I voted yes,” said senior recreation major Nate Bernal after leaving a voting station near the SSPA building. “I think it will pass because it’s a necessity. We’re one of the only schools around that doesn’t have one.”

Students Say "Yes" to Rec Center

After the voting this past week, students voted "yes" for the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Accodring to an article in the Daily 49er, 2,918 students came out to "talk about rec." Of these students, 74.7 percent (2,181) voted yes and 25.2 percent (737) voted no.

Story Ideas

Three ideas for stories include:

1. Follow up on the Library article, and see how much the closure is truly affecting students and how long LINK+ is really taking now that more people are using it.

2. Do another follow up on the construction of the library and find out what happened with construction and how far behind and if they are going over budget.

3. Do a piece about the result of the vote for the Student Rec and Wellness Center, and get student and faculty reactions to it. Then find out how plans will change whether or not it is going to happen.

Library

The CSULB Library is closing off floors two and three of the in mid-March - that includes mid-terms and finals.

Not many people were available for comment in the Library, and when asked about the closures librarians and other library employees all directed to the Library Dean - who was unavailable.

They directed me to look into the LINK+ system, because that is how students are going to be getting books. An interesting fact is throught the LINK+ system, CSULB loans out more books through the system and Inter Library Loan (ILLiad) than they borrow. Not only is this affecting students and faculty at CSULB, but it is also affecting students and faculty at the other libraries in the network.

But a solution may be on the way... according to an e-mail to library personell, "The uncertainty regarding access to 2nd and 3rdfloor stacks after March 14 was resolved this a.m. We will be able to page from those collections...as (of course) we'd originally intended."


This picture was taken by me on the third floor of the library.

Campus Develpoment Updates

The begining of the spring 2007 semester brought many changes to the CSULB campus. "We are trying to make more pleasant spaces for students to use," said Scott Charmack, vice president of Building and Facilities Management.

This semester we saw a new Starbucks in the University Library, two new Seattle's Best coffee shops in the dorms and a new and improved walkway by the Vivian Engineering building.

Up and Comming plans for the campus include a new science building, a new Libral Arts Building, more parking structures more student housing and more dining facilities on campus.

One item on the campus development to-do list is new parking structures. Charmack said there is room for three more structures but, because money to build new parking structures is not provided by the state, the funds would have to come from student fees."The beginning of the semester is peak parking time," Charmack said. "If we were to build to our peak, we would need a new parking structure, but throughout the rest of the semester, it's not as much of a problem."

According to Charmack, Lot 11 (north on Palo Verde by the other new parking structure), Lot 14 (between the Parkside Commons residence halls and the first parking structure) and Lot 7 (near the intersection of 7th Street and East Campus Drive) are all potential places for the new parking structures to accommodate the increasing campus population.

Students living on campus saw the effects of the university's plans for improvement with the opening of two new coffeehouses in the dorms last Monday, but Charmack said there are more plans on the way.

"These plans double the number of student housing available to roughly 4,000 and include new dining halls with space above it," Charmack said. "None of the plans include high-rise buildings."

Intro to my blog

This is my Blog! For one of my journalism classes this semester (J311) we all sign up for a beat - an area that we are responsible for reporting on - and post blogs weekly. In addition to this I am also writing for the on-campus newspaper, the Daily49er, and covering Campus Development. This is why most of my blogs will have a link in them to an article. What I write in my blogs is an elaboration of what was in print. It's tough to get EVERYTHING you hear in print, so this is all the "not-as-newsworthy" information that I got from my sources.