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   https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/focus.magazine.30.1%20.pdf

   ... in New York, the zone was dubbed the “Apple Store” during the planning phase for the Hunt Library. Now, in a great bit of serendipity, the signature space will forever be called the Lawrence an... Read more

   ... in New York, the zone was dubbed the “Apple Store” during the planning phase for the Hunt Library. Now, in a great bit of serendipity, the signature space will forever be called the Lawrence and Ella Apple Technology Showcase. The NCSU Libraries has earned an international reputation for being a technology incubator, both at the university and for academic libraries in general. Last year, for instance, the Libraries loaned out almost 100,000 iPads, DSLR cameras, camcorders, laptops, graphics tablets, e-readers, and other technology. As former Senior Class President Jay Dawkins recently put it, “in the ‘real world’ these devices are often reserved for professionals making a lot of money—there are a lot of barriers to these technologies. The Libraries puts them into the hands of students who are being creative with them, who can take the technology and put their ideas into action.” The Tech Showcase will visually invite users to explore the technology that is there for the asking. Students Lawrence and Ella Apple Name Key Technology Space in New Hunt Library entering the building will immediately be able to see what is available to help them boost creativity, excel in their work, and gain technology skills that are invaluable in landing that all-important first job. The Apples, now living in Burlington, North Carolina, have in the past endowed other programs in the Libraries, support- ed graduate fellowships in the Plant Pathology Department, and lived abroad to gear up international programs at NC State, which Lawrence Apple ran during part of his tenure at the university. Lawrence Apple holds three degrees from NC State and was on the faculty from 1955-1991. In 2009, the university awarded him a Watauga Medal—NC State’s highest award for those who have rendered significant and distinguished service to the university. The Hunt Library, now nearing completion on NC State’s Centennial Campus, has been generously funded by the General Assembly and the people of North Carolina. How- ever, naming and other giving opportunities will help ensure that the vision of the Hunt Library as a major competitive advantage for NC State students and faculty, as well as for the economy of North Carolina, can be realized.Donor Spotlight: Lawrence and Ella Apple Apple Technology Showcase 5 NCSU Libraries - FOCUS |But you wouldn’t know this standing outside the D. H. Hill Library at 8:55 a.m. on the /f_irst Saturday of last fall semester. On this beautiful, sunny day in late August, the weather is perfect for driving to the beach to savor the waning moments of summer. Nonetheless, a small crowd has assembled outside the library, waiting for its doors to open at 9 o’ clock. /T_here’s no special promotion, no imminent exam or assignment due; these students just want in. /T_he doors open with an audible click and the stu- dents /f_ile in briskly, heading purposefully toward their spots in the Learning Commons, the stacks, and the Special Collections Reading Room. It’s the beginning of another typical day at the NCSU Libraries. STUDENT SPACES During the busiest periods of the semester, the NCSU Librar - ies receives more than 10,000 in-person visits per day – that’s almost one-third the total enrollment at NC State walking in the door. And these aren’t simply drop-in visits to quickly check email or pick up a book. As students will tell you, they live in the Libraries. At exam time, “you might as well forward [my] mail to the library, ” notes Priyaaka Varatan, a Biomedical Engineering student who is hunkered down with two classmates in a very popular group study room just off the Learning Commons at the D. H. Hill Library. But, it’s important to realize that student time in the Libraries isn’t just about studying. Kelli Rogers, political science gradu- ate and former president of the Student Senate, explained, “It’s so much more than an opportunity to come and to learn . . . it’s really an opportunity, at the Libraries, to come and to experience NC State with your friends. ” /T_his view of the library as a place for more than just schoolwork is central to the NCSU Libraries’ vision for its physical spaces. In today’s environment, access to spaces for convening, collaborating, relaxing, creating, and experimenting (to name a few) can be critical to student success and well-being. Of additional importance is the role that library spaces play in fostering a sense of belonging at NC State. Ellen /T_homas, a graduate student in food science, likes to sit in the serpentine booths on the main /f_loor of D. H. Hill “because you still feel like you’re near people but you feel like you have your own space. ” A sense of ownership and the feeling of being with a shared community are two major reasons that students choose to spend so much of their time in the Libraries. /T_he NCSU Libraries has been dedicated to perfecting the equation for designing spaces that best meet our students’ work and life needs. /T_his endeavor has included surveys and focus groups, student and faculty advisory groups, gathering student input in design workshops and furniture testing, and even ethnographic techniques like participant observation and asking students to document their daily lives through photographs. THE HUNT LIBRARY — SPACES FOR WORKING In the great NC State tradition of putting research into prac- tice, the new James B. Hunt Jr. Library builds on everything we’ve learned about university life and the needs of our users. Although a lot of activity occurs on Centennial Campus, the majority of it takes place behind closed doors, inside offices and research labs, with few suitable spaces for students and researchers to gather. /T_he Hunt Library will not only become this central gathering space, it will also be a unique and The library was once the unquestioned heart of the university campus simply because it held all of the books, journals, and other materials instrumental to teaching and learning. With the rise of digital technologies, students and faculty can now access a large amount of the information they need remotely, through online journals and databases, e-books, and the Internet. Because the library makes all of these resources available from home at the click of a mouse, it might seem like there’s little need to go into the physical library building any more. 6| FOCUS - NCSU Libraries DISTINCTIVE LEARNING SPACES Students flock to the Libraries.much-needed learning space on Centennial Campus. One of the aims of the Hunt Library is to address the serious lack of study seating at NC State University. /T_he UNC system stan- dard recommends library seating for 20% of the student population; NC State has space for less than 5%. /T_he addition of the Hunt Library will double this number, providing plenty of spaces for students to concen- trate and get serious, while the installation of the bookBot automated book delivery system will free up even more precious square footage that would normally be occupied by book stacks, allowing for more learning spaces. Numerous reading areas, each with its own distinct style and character, will be available throughout the building. /T_he Main Read- ing Room will be an elegant, bright, and airy take on the traditional scholarly reading room, while the Rain Garden Reading Lounge will offer comfortable lounge seating and a contemplative view of the garden’s greenery. For those who prefer a higher vantage point, the Skyline Reading Room will provide breathtaking views of Lake Raleigh and the downtown skyline, and the adjacent Skyline Terrace will give students the ability to work while taking advantage of the Carolina sunshine. /T_he Hunt Library will be a place where students and faculty can work, play, eat, relax, get help, try out new technologies, encounter people working in other disciplines, and share ideas and information. Most impor - tantly, it will be a place they’ll want to visit every day. SPACES TO C OLL ABORATE Supporting the kind of learning that takes place on today’s university campus requires more than a sturdy table and a comfy chair. Coursework and research at NC State aren’t just by-the-book: they are frequently active, applied, and collaborative. “Instructors are assigning more team projects and encouraging group study to help students engage more deeply with the course content through collaboration, as well as to enhance their communication and teamwork skills, ” observes Kim Duckett, Principal Librarian for Digital Technologies and Learning. /T_his tendency to work together extends beyond class assignments; for many of today’s stu-dents, it’s a way of life. As Duckett explains, “ ‘Net gen’ students are characteristically highly social and collaborative. Many students like working together, even if they’re not always working on the same project. ” /T_he incredible success of the Learning Commons at the D. H. Hill Library demonstrates that students crave adaptable, varied spaces that can accommodate different activities, from individual study to group problem solving around a whiteboard to watching Y ouTube videos with a friend. /T_he James B. Hunt Jr. Library will feature two separate Learning Commons spaces and almost 100 reservable, collaborative group study rooms. In addition, the Hunt Library will also provide dedicated Commons spaces for faculty members and graduate students, two user groups who do not currently have their own library spaces for working, meeting up, and interacting across colleges and disciplines. YOUR SPACE /T_he new spaces under construction for the Hunt Library have received overwhelmingly positive reviews from the students who have seen them. /T_here’s a buzz around the project that only comes ... Read less

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