New Library!

OTTAWA--Ottawa University renewed the Gangwish Library to attract more students to a quiet yet colorful place where they can exercise their brains and complete their school assignments. The essential aspect for students to develop a decent interest in studying includes a place where it not only looks nice but is also a quiet environment.  

From a student's perspective, the new facility seems to be a more convenient locale to read, study, do group projects and interact with others students. 

“A place that smells good and has a great view to the Football Field," is how senior Curtis Dawson described the ideal environment. Dawson also characterized his attendance at the old library as “absent” because the wall colors (yellow and brown) did not help to stimulate his brain.  

From the faculty perspective, a few issues are not yet fixed, such as dealing and learning with more technology, reducing the amount of printed books to e-books and keeping students-count because they no longer have a technology count.  

Even with the absence of the technology count, the amount of students entering and using the new facility increased tremendously. 

“As an educated guess, I could say 10 to 20 more students come to the new facility," said Dominique Bronson, senior and library work study employee.  

Starting from the electrical stocks to the electrical hooks connected to the tables, and even the screen and boards in the study rooms, the students at Ottawa University find it convenient and inspirational enough to avoid procrastination.  

 “[I can] concentrate more in a quiet room rather than a place like Allen County’s library because all they had was tables and chairs in a big room," Camila Mercado, transfer student from Allen County College, confessed. 

Jan Lee, Associate Director of Library Services, views the building as being easier for students because the location is closer to the Bistro, allowing students to complete their work in a facility closer to their dorms.  

”With more space for students to utilize, the work space for us the librarians is reduced, and there is not any shelving behind the desks which are crucially needed," Lee added.  

A new space where students would feel more comfortable, have better sittings and group space for group meetings are a few goals the new library is accomplishing.  

Gloria Creed-Dikeogu, Director of Library Services and Associate Professor of Library Science, admitted to not having enough knowledge to organize the extra space in some areas of the library.  

“I feel happy as I could be with this new facility, and us as the librarians have to grow into it; in fact, the library basically has to grow into this facility. We accept change, we learn with change, we have to learn about some of the things that still have to be done, like programming, for example. And most of all we work with change even if it gives us a little of a hard time working with technology," Creed-Dikeogu said.  

Having unused space offers the librarians the opportunity to execute projects they have in mind to benefit the students intellectually, morally and socially. 

“One of the things I would like to do is improve young-adult collections because a number of students have asked me why is it that we don’t have young-adult books, yet we have children's books but not young-adult books. I mean, we are young adults so we should have young adult books, right?," Creed-Dikeogu said.  

From studying to socializing, students find the new facility fits their expectations -- and gives higher expectations to staff for future projects. With the purpose of providing support in a manner to stimulate the wellness and educations of its students, Ottawa University renewed and opened the doors of the Gangwish library.