University of Tennessee Martin opens new library learning commons

The University of Tennessee Martin recently held a ceremonial ribbon cutting for its new library learning commons, located within the Paul Meek Library. The library learning commons will be home to the many academic assistance and support programs offered at the university, all available in one place.

According to an article on the University of Tennessee Martin’s website, Dr. Erik Nordberg, who serves as the library’s dean, was quoted as saying of the reason it’s important for students to utilize the services, “We know from collected data that students who take advantage of academic support functions and services do better. They attain higher grade-point averages, they are more likely to progress semester to semester, and they are more likely to progress to graduation and succeed. The problem tends to be that students think there is a stigma to ask for help or to get a tutor or do those kinds of things.”

The library has long hosted academic services and programs to assist students, including the Student Success Center’s Supplemental Instruction Program, a smaller version of the Hortense Parrish Writing Lab, and a STEM lab. While these services were available at the library, Nordberg wanted to collaborate with the Student Success Center to find a way to be even more helpful to the campus community in terms of providing resources for academic assistance.

Nordberg worked with the Student Success Center’s director of retention, Brad Baumgardner, to figure out how to form a more collaborative effort for student support. The first obstacle was creating a physical space to house the project, which involved relocating library materials–a years-long process.

“In effect, we were able to focus and re-energize our print collection on the second floor and open up the area for the library learning commons. It’s taken us three years to do that, and that’s been a lot of hard work by librarians and staff to review titles, select titles, input from teaching faculty on campus and then, of course, just the physical nature of moving thousands of volumes and shelving,” said Nordberg.

After that step of the project, the team was able to proceed with creating the library learning commons, which features consultation booths, computers, and a welcome desk. The area will be staffed with academic coaches.

Nordberg said, “Come to the library learning commons – the location is right in the name – and ask for some assistance. If you need help finding a peer-reviewed article, we can get you to a librarian. If you need help getting those peer-reviewed articles into an essay, we’ll find somebody from the writing center. If you have a challenge with a harder class, we will connect you to a peer educator student associated with that course.”

For more information about the University of Tennessee Martin, visit the school’s website.