How to Take Full Advantage of Your College Library

Confession: it’s always been a dream of mine to hop on a library’s sliding ladder and sweep through a row of books just like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. I’d get on and sing that classic “Ohhh, isn’t this a-maz-ing” line, preferably when no one else was around because no one needs to hear that.

What’s so great about a library? First, you can’t beat the smell of a book, whether it’s brand new or older. Second, you’ve got thousands upon thousands of volumes just waiting to be read. Third — ok, ok, if you’re not a huge fan of reading, I’m going to lose you right now. Your college library offers so much, and you need to know what vast resources lie beyond those doors so you can maximize your college experience.

From employment opportunities to research aids and beyond, your university library is one of the most important resources you will ever use in your academic career. Check out some tips on how you can harness the power of your college library.

Befriend Your Friendly Neighborhood Librarian

With great power comes great responsibility — and your college librarians have a lot of power at their disposal. Think of them as your academic superheroes. Meeting one is one of the first things you should do when you get to campus, said Todd Chavez, dean of the libraries at the University of South Florida.

“There’s nothing librarians like more than a proactive student who takes the initiative to reach out to them, to let them know they’re there and what their programs and interests are,” Chavez said.

Once you develop that relationship, you’ll likely see a lot of benefits — you’ll have an “in” with the person who’s coordinating everything at the library, and they’ll be able to help you find authoritative, quality resources too.

“The librarian can help with keeping you informed about programs, workshops, and resources that might help you in your studies, so that’s a big deal,” Chavez said.

Attend Library Workshops to Stay Informed

Speaking of workshops, those are a vastly important resource that your college library coordinates. At USF, they’re typically 1-2 hours long and cover important subjects from project management to the basics of copyright law.

And the best part? They’re free, at least at USF. You can learn information for free that will help you grow academically and professionally — sounds like a great deal.

Some may be taught by librarians when the content is about library and information science or how to use the library. Other workshops are taught by university faculty when they relate to their subject matter expertise.

“What most of these [workshops] are designed to do is give you enough information about the topic that you would then be able to explore further if you wanted to go more toward the intermediate level,” Chavez said.

For example, one workshop is about an analytical tool simply called R. It’s heavily used in scientific fields and is finding its way into other disciplines as well, Chavez said.

“It’s one of those ever-growing, ever-changing huge communities of developers and users… we can get you started and we can tell you what it is, how powerful it is, and how it works,” Chavez said.

In other words — library workshops are a great entry point, especially for freshmen who are still exploring their interests and haven’t fully decided on a major yet.

Find a Job and Gain Valuable Experience at Your College Library

Libraries also employ college students, so if you’re looking for an on-campus job, it’s a good place to start. USF’s libraries offer paid internships that are usually two semesters long to students who are interested in library and information science.

Those interns are involved in everything from special collections and archival research to new innovative programs like documenting the world in 3D, which is what USF’s Center for Digital Heritage and Geospatial Information (CDHGI) is doing. The CDHGI uses geomatics, reality capture, 3D technology, visualization, and Global Information Systems to digitize and preserve heritage sites, objects, and landscapes. Want to take a tour of Cape Canaveral to see this in action?

The library also employs students who work at the desk, shelve books, or manage special collections.

“We look at that as a positive service for students, and we try to be competitive in what we pay them so they stay on campus. Students do better when they stay,” Chavez said.

Look for Financial Aid from Your Library

Sometimes, university libraries will offer scholarships to students, and those awards can be pretty substantial. For example, the USF library has about $20,000 to award each year, and the scholarships range from $500 to $5,000.

The applications may require a short essay, but getting more financial aid is always a huge bonus, right? Check with your college library to see if they offer scholarship funding and what the requirements would be for each opportunity.

“This is another reason to get involved with your library,” Chavez said. “Right now, we’re trying to give away money… our librarians are always on the lookout for students who might be in a particular program that’s getting a [scholarship] award.”

Other Aid Your Library May Offer

Libraries may offer more than scholarships if you need help. If you don’t have the financial resources to get your own laptop, the library has computers you can use for assignments. Or, explore the possibility of using your library’s laptop loan program.

You can also thank your library for its advocacy. The USF library is behind all of the university’s textbook affordability efforts, and since 2016 has saved USF students over $40 million on book prices, Chavez said.

Get Access to Millions of Resources

A big part of what a university library does is assemble special collections, whether they’re digital or physical. The USF library has about 3.5 million books and monographs, along with 200,000 serial titles in print and electronic.

On top of that, a college library will have special collections of material that you can use for research or for fun, depending on your interest. Examples of items in those collections at USF include rare materials like a cuneiform tablet from the Babylonian period, a herbarium with 300,000 specimens of dried and preserved plants, and more.

“Library collections aren’t limited to books. It’s not limited to journals, or digital books and digital journals. To me, library collections can be anything at all,” Chavez said. “It can be collections of plant specimens or collections of data or images.”

With the advent of artificial intelligence and how quickly it’s able to create art and images, these types of collections will likely become even more valuable.

“We very carefully curate our collections,” Chavez said. “Everything that’s in the library is here for a reason.”

That being said, libraries can still use AI to their advantage. Chavez pointed out that training AI with a carefully curated collection should yield good results, and the USF library is currently piloting AI applications so students can come and easily find the resources they need.

Have Questions About Resources at USF?

The library offers endless resources, but there’s also a career services center, tutoring, and more. In other words, there are a lot of people and places waiting to help you throughout your academic journey. If you’re stuck on something, reach out to Student Success to get the guidance you need!

However, if your main goal is to have your own Belle moment in the library — you’ll have to discuss that with the librarians.