April 2024 Department Debrief: University Libraries
April 22, 2024
University Libraries
To contact University Libraries: Call (614) 292-6785, visit their website or submit a question through their Ask Us page
Department Debrief is a monthly article from the Parent and Family Relations office dedicated to helping family members and supporters better understand the services, opportunities and support offered by particular offices for students.
This month, our team met with Ohio State’s University Libraries to learn more about how they operate, what resources, services and expertise they provide students and how they actively work to preserve knowledge and its transmission to others.
1. As the madness of finals week begins to grip the campus, Brutus Buckeye emerges with a whimsical offer: he will cancel all final exams if you can explain what University Libraries is in 30 seconds. With time ticking away, what would your elevator pitch be to Brutus Buckeye?
The Ohio State University Libraries is the hub of academic resources, materials and services. With nine libraries on the Columbus campus holding 9.7 million total volumes, 2.5 million electronic resources and 75 million research materials as a charter member of OhioLINK, University Libraries proudly stands as the second largest lender in its global network.
“University Libraries is here to connect students, researchers, faculty, staff and visitors to the information, services, resources and materials they need when they need them,” said Casey Cramer, University Libraries Marketing and Communications Consultant. “Our libraries are open to all students regardless of their major.”
University Libraries is also affiliated with Ohio State’s Health Sciences Library, Law Library and regional campus libraries.
“There are unique things about every single one of our libraries, which I absolutely love,” Cramer said.
Among these unique features includes some libraries being designated as quieter spaces and the Architecture Library even boasting a rooftop garden.
Included in the umbrella term of “materials and resources,” University Libraries provides e-books, streaming videos, online journals, various databases, articles, journals, dissertations, newspapers, images and much more.
“So, the key message is, if a student, instructor, visitor [or] anyone needs access to a type of material or just has a question on something, we encourage you to come to us because if we don’t have [something] in our collections, we have access to so much more through OhioLINK and other libraries as well,” Cramer said.
University Libraries’ locations on the Columbus campus include 18th Avenue Library (which includes Research Commons), Architecture Library, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Fine Arts Library, Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Library, Geology Library, Music & Dance Library, Thompson Library, and Veterinary Medicine Library. Their locations and hours can be found online.
Regional campuses also have access to online resources as well as their own libraries.
With seven distinctive collections, subject librarians with expertise in more than 100 areas, research coaching and more, University Libraries is heavily equipped to help everyone and anyone, but particularly students, especially as midterm papers or final exams approach.
“We have books, [and] we have a lot of them, but it’s really the people working at University Libraries who make a difference. How they go above and beyond to help students along their journeys is amazing,” Cramer said.
During midterm and finals season, University Libraries works hard to provide students with different programs and services, including designating study break spots at certain locations with coloring books, puzzles and even therapy dogs in a program called Pause4Paws.
“We understand mental health is so crucial, especially during [finals week],” Cramer said.
Additionally, no videography or photography is permitted in libraries during finals week to limit distractions to students studying for exams.
Stephanie Founds, First Year Experience Specialist, said that as an academic library, University Libraries’ resources consist of collections that support the study and research of topics taught on campus. “We have a lot of academic programs at Ohio State, so our collection is understandably large,” Founds said. “Generally, those are books and materials that cover niche topics that researchers want to study, whereas you might find more generalized knowledge [and] fiction titles in a public library’s collection.”
They do, however, also have a partnership with the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Students can sign up for a Columbus Metropolitan Library card at Thompson Library and enjoy books from their leisure reading collection as well as reserve materials from the public library.
Although the libraries may appear to be designated for students, faculty and staff, everyone is welcome to check out their locations, collections and use their computers, including potential donors, external researchers and visitors.
2. What procedures do students need to follow to access library materials?
Students simply need their BuckID or Ohio State login information to access materials. Guests, however, can also use some University Libraries resources if they sign up for a Courtesy Card.
Students can simply take the material they hope to check out to the circulation or service desk. Online, they can access materials with their Ohio State login information.
Beyond just accessing its materials, students can reserve study spaces in Thompson Library, 18th Avenue Library or the Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Library.
The rooms are typically equipped with whiteboards and monitors students can connect their phones or laptops to.
“It’s a good way to have that kind of collaborative meeting for group study, or to work on projects together,” Founds said.
To reserve study rooms or check their availability, students can look visit the room reservation page online.
3. Can you shed light on the origins of popular superstitions within the university?
Some popular superstitions on campus that involve the Libraries include the belief that rubbing the William Oxley Thompson bust will bring good luck on exams. The Thompson bust was brought to the university in the early 1920s and now resides in Thompson Library in front of the Oval entrance.
Other hidden treasures include the secret desk of anonymous notes in the Geology Library. Loaned to Ohio State by the Orton Ceramic Foundation in 2012, the desk contains notes as early as 2013.
Filled with secrets, confessions, drawings and more, the origins of those two traditions are unknown.
Although not necessarily a superstition or tradition, it is also typically seen as a sign of respect that students get quieter as they go up each floor level in the libraries.
Particularly in Thompson Library, which has 11 floors, the first floor is a conversational atmosphere while the 11th is rarely not silent.
4. What are some intriguing or unexpected types of books housed in The Ohio State University Libraries?
University Libraries houses a variety of special collections in some of its libraries.
“We allow our materials to be used, even our rare books and manuscripts,” Cramer said.
Holding Temple scribe manuscripts, original Star Trek series materials, books about magic and much more, Thompson Library has its own gallery featuring various exhibits and collections.
“That’s the whole point, teaching with those special collections, getting the materials out and making them accessible to researchers and students and non-students as well to be able to utilize, that’s pretty cool,” Cramer said.
5. If you could give one word of advice to parents, families and students, what would it be?
From a library standpoint, Founds said she advises students to always ask for help.
“I just want people to know that they can and should ask for help,” Founds said. “I think college students, especially first-year or first-generation students, might think they’ve got to do everything on their own, but it doesn’t mean they can’t ask for help along the way.”
Cramer agreed.
“Just ask,” Cramer said. “We want that connection because we found that students who connect with us, and the sooner they connect with us, then the more we can help them out, and the more success they’ll have in their academic journey, their research journey, whatever journey they’re on.”
Brooke Tacsar
Student Assistant
Parent and Family Relations