DEAN’S LETTER
From the Desk of Dean Schmand My first year as dean of the James E. Walker Library was remarkable. As you can imagine, there is quite a lot to learn about an organization during the first year, and I know that there is still more learning ahead for me. Initially, I had conversations with library staff and faculty, then scheduled conversations with colleagues across campus, including college deans, vice presidents, program and center directors, and more. Each of these interactions presented a picture of the amazing work happening in support of student success as well as potential future opportunities and partnerships. Additionally, I met with some amazing MTSU alumni and friends of the library and heard more about their individual experiences. Several changes to library services and spaces emerged from these discussions. From experience with lending equipment at my previous institution, I worked with Library Technology to expand available equipment for checkout to students. For the Fall 2021 semester, we
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extended the checkout period for laptops from only four hours to three days. We also added some existing Makerspace technology into the circulating equipment pool, and we purchased more digital cameras and audio recorders to loan. Additionally, we made some changes involving study spaces and furniture around the building before students returned in the fall. It was clear early on that the faculty, staff, and student employees working in Walker Library are committed to creating an exceptional user experience for everyone across MTSU. Throughout the pandemic, they navigated working remotely, designing new online support services, and then returning to campus with new protocols and modified working and learning spaces. Faculty, staff, and students remained resilient, adaptive, and successful in handling the multitude of changes and challenges they faced.
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