Our Library and Its Resources

The MSU library is committed to providing an excellent service to MSU students and the Bozeman community through their community lending process. Recently, I had the opportunity to look at the library usage of MSU students and thought it would be useful to share it with the community. The diverse MSU community uses the library to fulfill their necessities in a unique way.

After reviewing library usage, I doubt we are using these resources fruitfully. According to the library circulation statistics for the fiscal year 2017-18, only 18,158 traditional library materials have been checked out from the library, not counting renewals. MSU enrollment is near 17,000 students. I feel that we shouldn’t experience a large decline in book usage like this. Maybe users aren’t checking the books out but are still referring to them regularly within the library and reshelving the books on their own, but it is doubtful. MSU has a projected library budget of nearly $9,051,839 for the financial year of 2020, and we should maximize the use of the library so that we are getting the maximum benefit from it.

Students should know what the library’s resources are so that they can be best utilized. The library has learning support, tech equipment to check out, group study spaces, and a Virtual Discovery Space that are all useful to students’ academic success.

Using the MSU library can help students envision their path towards success. The library offers learning support for its students, including Smarty-Cats Tutoring and Sophomore Surge. Both these programs focus on peer mentorship through tutoring specific courses and matching freshman seminar classes with upperclassmen mentors.

I also had the opportunity to meet with Melanie Cutietta, the service desk program manager of the MSU library. Cutietta said the most checked-out items in the library are pieces of high-tech equipment. In the last fiscal year, 25,600 out of 46,949 library checkouts were tech checkouts, which shows that students are utilizing technological library resources.

When it comes to study spaces, I have used the quiet study space near the fountain area on the third floor. I met several students who expressed their interest over the soothing atmosphere of this space. Also, many students utilize the group study rooms available on the first and third floors. You must reserve the rooms eight days in advance online or through the service desk. These rooms are beneficial for all students, as there are laptop-hookups, a large monitor and whiteboards. No doubt it will provide you with an interactive learning environment.

If you are a frequent library user, I am sure that you have noticed the new Virtual Discovery Space. This space on the first floor of the library is equipped with four large screens. Students use this space as an aid for their classes as well as for group presentations. Google Earth visualizations can also be viewed when using this space to identify and visualize global issues, and it is a great resource for student projects.

The MSU Library does not just lend books and provide a study space for students; it is a space designated for the optimal use of students and faculty. Its resources are incredibly valuable not only to students, but also to the wider Bozeman community.