(COLUMBIA, MO) – It’s National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide–and the perfect time to discover how worlds connect @ your library.
The MU Libraries are celebrating National Library Week by launching on Twitter and asking our users to send us their thoughts, ideas and suggestions for the Libraries. The MU Libraries are connecting with more users in more ways than ever. This year, 50% more patrons have walked through the doors of Ellis Library than visited last year. To accommodate these users, 35 new computers have been added to the Information Commons, two new group study rooms have been made available and additional seating has been added to the Bookmark Café. To keep up with what is happening at Ellis Library and the eight branch libraries, visit our Web site at mulibraries.missouri.edu, join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
“The Columbia Public Library is seeing similar increases,” says Melissa Carr, Library Director. “We have added computers and services to keep up with the influx as well.”
We now have 25 new Internet-access computers, and we have added program sessions to help patrons applying for jobs online or who are working on resumés. Our virtual branch is busier than ever and features new information content to help patrons answer many commonly asked questions. You can now also subscribe to regular library news e-mails, receive our RSS feeds or follow us on Twitter.
Stafford Library at Columbia College celebrates National Library Week with patrons by providing free coffee in the library during the week. The library’s collection is highlighted with displays and informational items. “Columbia College students use the library not only to study but to prepare for class presentations and to meet with friends and classmates,” states Janet Caruthers, Library Director. “We are always striving to provide resources and an environment that are beneficial to our students’ needs.”
“Everyday, libraries in Columbia help to transform our community,” says Jim Cogswell, Director of MU Libraries. “At the MU Libraries, the Columbia Public Library and other libraries in the area, people of all backgrounds come together (in person and online) to meet up with friends and study, to attend lectures and concerts or view an exhibit, to do research with the assistance of a trained professional, to get help finding a job or to find homework help. During National Library Week we want to remind the members of our community about the valuable resources they can find at their local libraries.”
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.