Students propose renovations to Business/SPEA library

After reviewing student proposals from the Z302: Managing Behavioral Organizations course, the library administration and the deans of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Kelley School of Business will meet in May to discuss the students’ suggestions to improve library services.\nLast semester, about 700 students completed “The Case Competition” and evaluated the Business/SPEA Library services through their Z302 class.\nProfessor Keith Dayton said his classes complete the project every semester with a facility either on or off campus. \nOne of the largest libraries on campus, the Business/SPEA Library serves more than half a million patrons each year with a wide range of resources, including books on finance, solar power and even the complete bound periodicals of Martha Stewart Living. \nLibrary Services creates the course Web site each semester for the research project. So Carolyn Walters, executive associate dean of IU libraries, approached Dayton with the idea to use the Business/SPEA Library for this semester.\n“It was clear that we would take their comments very seriously, that students could make changes,” Dayton said, “(and) they responded to that.”\nThe out-of-class group projects required students to write a four- to five-page recommendation and complete a 12- to 15-minute presentation. \nDayton said many students mentioned the need for additional printers, and at the beginning of the spring semester, the library added two new printing stations.\n“There was a wide range of recommendations that were made, probably one of the best competitions like this that I’ve seen in a long time,” Dayton said. The best presentations were notable for their “effort, content, originality and the realistic recommendations that they made,” he said. \nThe library administration received copies of all the presentations and chose the best four.\n“We basically got 140 great ideas,” said J.B. Hill, director of public services for the library. \nMany of the proposals asked for more printers and repair of damages in study rooms. Hill acknowledged that the library is primarily suited for private study, whereas many business students require more group space.\nJunior Adam Kessler said his group made suggestions to change the atmosphere in the library.\n“A lot of people focused on crazy ideas,” Kessler said. “(But students) just want a quiet place to study. The biggest problem with this library is that it is so gloomy, like a morgue.” \nOther suggestions included adding places to eat, better lighting, fresh paint, new furniture and TVs. \n“The schools are very strong, so the libraries need to reflect that,” Hill said.\nBesides printers and paint, Hill and Walters said the library doesn’t want to make further improvements until after the May meeting in case there are large-scale renovations in the future.\nEric Bartheld, director of communications and administration for IU Libraries, called the project a “gold mine for information, like one giant focus group.” He applauded the students’ efforts, which he said will be helpful in May.\nDayton said it was a “very cool dynamic working across campus to make something happen.”