Free access to digital materials saves MTSU students more than $1.4 million so far Page 6
Middle Tennessee State University library.mtsu.edu
Fall 2024 | Volume 11, No. 1
DEAN
Kathleen L. Schmand
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Clay V. Trainum
SENIOR EDITOR
Drew Ruble
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Carol Stuart DESIGNER
Brian Evans
DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE AND VISUAL SERVICES
Kristy D. O'Neal
UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHERS
Cat Curtis Murphy, James Cessna, Andy Heidt, J. Intintoli
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Nancy Broden
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Clay V. Trainum, Nancy DeGennaro
UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT Sidney A. McPhee
UNIVERSITY PROVOST Mark Byrnes VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Andrew Oppmann
640
Free
Textbooks
MTSU’s
Legendary
From
the desk of DEAN SCHMAND
As we continue into another new academic year, I thought it valuable to share some examples of the integral work Walker Library is doing relative to open access, open scholarship, and open educational resources. Throughout this issue, you will have the opportunity to explore several of our significant initiatives and learn more about the positive impact on students and faculty.
Specific actions led to our engagement with all things open. In 2014, Walker Library implemented a few new strategic services to support and deliver freely available scholarly content. Digital Scholarship Initiatives (DSI) manages and facilitates access to Journals@MTSU, which now hosts 12 open-access journals on its site.
JEWLScholar@MTSU , the institutional repository, was created to provide access to scholarly and research material produced by MTSU faculty, staff, and students. Users can search for theses and dissertations, campus newsletters and magazines, data, and more. Interested in finding an older issue of the Sidelines student newspaper? You can view issues back to December 1938. DSI recently expanded to include MT Open Press, an exciting endeavor resulting in two published open access books with more to come. Digital Collections, largely image-based, continue to grow and share more unique content with students and researchers alike.
As you can imagine, the cost of scholarly information increases annually. Each year, the library seeks creative ways to maximize its purchasing power while ensuring faculty and students have access to pertinent resources. A traditional
publishing model would show a faculty member submitting their scholarly article to an established publisher. They would sign over their copyright, and the publisher would sell it back as part of a database or journal package to the faculty member’s institution. Open access is changing the business model for publishing and facilitating greater access to scholarly content.
In 2020, MTSU received a $100,000 grant from the Tennessee Board of Regents to implement an open educational resources (OER) program . Why was this important to accomplish? Read on in this issue to learn more about what OER materials encompass and how they support affordable education and academic success for all MTSU students.
To continue supporting open access and open scholarship (shared and freely available research information), MTSU joined the Higher Education Leadership Initiative for Open Scholarship (HELIOS Open) in 2021. This group provides an excellent community of colleges and universities working to advance the widespread sharing of scholarly data and activities.
The future is bright for Walker Library and MTSU. We continue to advance services and spaces that support students and faculty in their learning, teaching, and research. I know that there are more changes ahead of us, and I am looking forward to seeing what we can do better for the MTSU community.
Kathleen L. Schmand, Dean of James E. Walker Library
STUDENT WORKERS NEED YOUR BACKING
Give to the David Robinson or James E. Walker scholarship funds to assist student workers with college costs
A Textbook Case
Checkbook Savings
As a Pell Grant-eligible student, MTSU Political Science major Jorge Avila was shocked at the sticker price for textbooks his freshman year.
“I knew I’d have to pay for textbooks, but it was a challenge. My family is not financially affluent,” said Avila, now a junior. “And it does take a good chunk out of your funds.”
Avila’s struggle to buy course materials is not uncommon. A study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group showed 66% of college students nationwide forgo buying textbooks despite concerns about grades.
College textbooks have nearly doubled in cost over the past decade, with hard-copy versions ranging from $150 to $400 each and annual spending on materials as high as $1,200— roughly three times the rate of inflation—according to the nonprofit Education Data Initiative.
But MTSU is helping ensure student success by offering free digital access to scholastic materials through open educational resources (OER), with over $1.4 million in textbook savings since the program was implemented in 2021.
“Open educational resources provide the opportunity for the library to advance student success on campus as well as academic excellence by ensuring students have information and course materials available to them at low or no cost,” said Kathleen Schmand, dean of MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, where the OER program is headquartered.
Commitment to Cutting Costs
Open educational resources, from textbooks to videos and more, “are materials for teaching or learning that are either in the public domain or have been released under a license that allows them to be freely used, changed, or shared with others,” according to EdWeek.org. Accessible online, these resources also typically provide downloading options for students who prefer a hard copy of the course materials.
Free access to digital materials saves MTSU students more than $1.4 million on textbooks so far by Nancy DeGennaro
“The library is committed to driving down textbook costs. And OER demonstrates the University’s commitment to being equitable, inclusive, and student-centered,” said Ginelle Baskin, the Walker Library student success and open education librarian who oversees OER.
More than 14,200 students have benefited from at least one of MTSU’s 78 OER courses, which have more than quadrupled in number over the past two years, according to data collected since 2022 by the MTSU Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning, and Research.
“As MTSU desires its students’ success, it makes sense to implement free resources in classes to remove some of the barriers faced by a large portion of its students,” said Victoria Grigsby, a Student Government Association (SGA) senator who worked on legislation defending OER.
Grigsby noted that 35% of MTSU students use need-based financial aid, making OER a vital asset.
“Additionally, as a Blue Elite campus tour guide, I can say that OER is a huge selling point for new applicants to MTSU and their families, who are concerned about the financial impact of their education,” said Grigsby, a junior Political Science major.
Students can find courses that use OER by following the detailed instructions at mtsu.edu/oer/textbooks.php.
Avila said he’s a “big fan of OER.”
“It just makes education more affordable,” said Avila, who also serves as an SGA senator. “Personally, I’ve had classes where I was fortunate to not have to pay for textbooks, and that has been a great help.”
Setting Up Students for Success
For decades, consumers had little choice but to accept the out-of-control rising prices for college textbooks. The digital revolution has changed all that.
In 2020, MTSU received a $100,000 grant from the Tennessee Board of Regents to bolster the University’s OER, which can be a game-changer for many students who face the choice between textbooks or groceries and gas.
OER can replace conventional materials without impacting student performance. In fact, OER has been shown to increase student learning by providing affordable course materials.
“With OER, you don’t have to worry about people getting behind,” said Baskin, who was tapped to lead the program in 2023.
Ann Mulhearn, a History lecturer at MTSU, adopted OER for her general education American history classes, and the feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
“They appreciate the savings, of course. It's frustrating to have purchased a $100 book and only use two chapters in it,” Mulhearn said. “OER solves that problem—only what is truly needed for the class is included in the class.
“They can also download the material to their devices and use it offline, which is extremely convenient. That type of flexibility again removes a barrier to full student participation in the learning process.”
Developing OER can be challenging, Baskin said, and one of the biggest hurdles for educators is finding open textbooks for their classes. But that’s where the OER team really shines.
“We can show them where to look, and if there is OER, they can adapt it and change it, too,” Baskin said. “It’s neat to see items out there that are valuable and affordable learning materials.”
Affordable, Adaptable, and Accessible
Building a foundation of high-quality OER can offer educators resources to customize course content so that it is current and relevant.
If there aren’t open textbook resources, Baskin said, the team can help educators create course materials from scratch. The
OER team at MTSU is also dedicated to helping faculty find or adapt materials for coursework.
“We are trying to get faculty to use OER. We don’t expect people to understand the process right off the bat. But when you know better, we do better,” Baskin said. “And I feel like there’s growing support for OER.”
MTSU Provost Mark Byrnes recently approved funding for the library to pilot an Affordable Course Materials grant program for faculty to support the adoption and creation of OER classes (see sidebar at bottom right)
Assistant Professor Angela Hooser has spent the last few years redesigning her Introduction to Education class, which examines schools as historical and sociopolitical institutions and explores effective teaching practices. As she researched sources, she began to replace expensive texts with various pieces of OERs.
“I then connected with support at MTSU and realized that I could create my own OER that aligned with course objectives,” Hooser said. “OER has allowed for diverse perspectives and intersectional identities to be embedded seamlessly within the course.”
Hooser believes the impact of OER goes beyond the classroom.
“I believe that OER can, and should, be wielded as a tool to allow future educators to envision themselves as teaching professionals while also inviting critical reflection on political, economic, and racial tensions in schools historically and currently,” Hooser said. “This permits our future teachers to see how they can impact students and the larger society from their position as informed advocates for education.”
OER also is helping reshape how students access necessary resources, especially students with disabilities. In 2023, a multidisciplinary team of faculty participated in workshops to explore how openly licensed educational materials can be key levers for adapting existing resources.
Baskin said the advisory group wanted to expand OER and learn ways to provide more accessibility to MTSU students— those who are registered with the Disability and Access Center as well as anyone else who could benefit.
“Aside from the cost benefit to individual students, OER also creates equity of access. Digital formats allow for manipulation such as larger font, dyslexic font, read aloud, etc., which removes barriers for many students,” Mulhearn said.
And knocking down barriers to education is the overarching theme of OER.
Learn
Faculty Incentive
MTSU’s Walker Library this fall is piloting a new Affordable Course Materials grant program that supports faculty in the adoption, adaptation, or creation of no-cost course materials for their classes.
Emphasizing open educational resources, these grants promote academic innovation, improve educational equity, and position MTSU at the forefront of the global movement toward open education.
Course materials can include textbooks as well as other teaching materials, such as videos, slide decks, podcasts, or other supplementary materials. Award amounts will range from $500 to $4,000 depending on the project, and preference will be given to projects impacting high-enrollment courses.
A Textbook Case
Textbooks on reserve let students spend on necessities
The life of a typical college student is hard to define. Some are squeezing in classes between shifts at work, and some are trying to navigate a multitude of duties with their club or sports team; still others may be busy socializing while trying to make the most of their final years of schooling. However, the one thing that cuts across the broad spectrum of all these activities is that college is expensive.
Walker Library is keenly aware of the financial challenges faced by most students attending MTSU, and with the continued implementation of the Library Textbook Program, it is answering the call to make the cost of attendance cheaper for every Blue Raider.
This is a concern that transcends any one university. Earlier this year, OnCampus Research’s Faculty Watch Report stated that two-thirds of faculty members consider textbook affordability their top priority, and while there is a growing use of e-textbooks, nearly three-fourths of faculty surveyed still use print materials for their courses, and the costs only seem to be getting higher.
This is where Walker Library comes in. While the campus as a whole is making strides toward open access materials in its classes, the library is ensuring that students can start college life on the right foot by offering textbooks for checkout for students who are in general education courses. These are typically classes taken by students in their first year or two on campus. This represents a student population still learning the skill and maturity necessary to be an effective college student, and the library’s commitment to making these materials available free of charge can be life-changing.
“Studies have shown that 63% of students have skipped purchasing textbooks at some point in their college career,” said acquisitions librarian Suzanne Mangrum. “We’ve seen
by Clay V. Trainum
this program’s usage grow, and it shows that we can fill a vital need for students who need access to assigned texts.”
According to the most recent estimates from the University, MTSU students are expected to budget $1,260 on books and supplies during the 2024–25 academic year. That is no small number, and since the 1970s, it represents an increase of more than 1,000%. Oftentimes at MTSU, the average student may forgo purchasing books simply because they can’t afford them, leading to poorer academic outcomes.
That’s just the cost of books and materials. Consider the rising cost of living, especially in the Murfreesboro and middle Tennessee region. When asked what they would do with an extra $1,000, many students’ first reaction was to say that they would pay their rent. As MTSU also welcomes a large commuter population, many students also pointed to gas as a chief concern. “Buying textbooks is a burden for all college students, but it is especially difficult for students who are low income,” said Victoria Grigsby, a Student Government Association senator.
Available from the circulation desk on the first floor, the textbooks in the general education checkout program are available for in-library use for three hours. This also introduces students to the library’s collections, services, and excellent study spaces.
“This fall marks the fifth year of the program, which has also expanded to include a number of e-books for upper division courses as well,” Mangrum said. “The foundation of the program continues to be centered on providing access to books for introductory courses to smooth the path forward for students, particularly freshmen and those new to campus. We want to be known as a place that can remove barriers and provide a friendly point of contact on campus.”
MTSU’s imprint offers open books with free digital downloads by Clay V. Trainum
Following a successful first year, MT Open Press is gearing up for even more titles entering the Fall 2024 semester. The process has proven rewarding so far, with unsolicited requests from interested authors, free full-text downloads, and print-on-demand purchases.
Serving as the official publishing imprint of Walker Library, MT Open Press operates with the mission of providing open access publishing opportunities to the middle Tennessee community.
The program, run by the library’s Digital Scholarship Initiatives office, began in an effort to be an outlet for those on campus looking to write a book. Without an official university press to turn to, MT Open Press can serve as a one-stop shop with a process designed to be author-focused and transparent. Unlike commercial publishers, the imprint is not profit-driven, and the needs of the authors and editors are put first. Additionally, everything published by MT Open Press is open access, meaning that readers can access the books for free online.
MT Open Press provides all the technical infrastructure and long-term services to support the access, discovery, and use of digital publications. When the press and an author come to an agreement, the imprint springs into action with its services, which include but are not limited to direct support for the author or editor, copy editing, layout, marketing, and distribution coordination. Essentially, the idea is to remove many of the headaches that someone attempting to publish independently might experience.
Learning Curve
Starting a press has been a learning process, as the staff of MT Open Press are quick to point out in reference to its first two books. Even that only underpins the imprint’s commitment to author needs, as the staff worked directly to collect feedback from the authors of each book to improve the overall workflow.
The success of the first two books, one focusing on intercultural competencies in study abroad programs and the other on privacy and safety in online learning, has resulted in thousands of downloads, presentations at conferences, and even use in course curricula.
Given the size and scope of the program and the fact that MT Open Press is still a relatively small organization, the imprint is selective on the proposals that it takes up with
authors, evaluating each project based on three core tenets: community value, quality, and capacity. MT Open Press wants to promote an inclusive culture that aligns with MTSU strategically while featuring high-quality scholarly content without compromising the ability of the imprint to deliver the necessary amount of support to its authors and editors.
What’s Next
These books are planned for the upcoming year:
• Educator Reflections: The Power of Our Stories, a collection of essays edited by MTSU College of Education professors Pamela Kramer Artel and Robyn Ridgely. In an effort to help fight the growing teacher shortage, this book will feature stories from more than a dozen former MTSU College of Education students and educators across campus and the region as they reflect on their careers as teachers. It will focus on their pathways, pivotal moments, mentors, and hopes for the future, and it will offer encouragement to those looking into the field as well as those seeking inspiration to stay in the classroom.
• The Engaged Music Teacher: Building Policy Understanding and Capacity for Advocacy, another book with an education focus and the first single-author publication for MT Open Press. MTSU School of Music’s Christopher Dye is creating a toolkit for music educators who may need to advocate for funding as they enter the workforce and begin teaching on the K–12 level. The book will be a resource to prepare students to become policyaware professionals and effective advocates after graduation. It will also serve as a valuable textbook for music education faculty, structuring weekly discussions and activities in the classroom.
As the new books get on track for publishing, MT Open Press will begin the process again, launching another call for proposals as it continues to build its offerings.
More about MT Open Press
To read free digital editions or purchase print copies, visit openpress.mtsu.edu.
Want to help? Consider a donation by contacting kathleen.schmand@mtsu.edu.
inside information
Library pioneers platform to provide functionality and flexibility for the future
As thousands of students enter and exit Walker Library every week, few—if any—are thinking about what’s going on behind the scenes of one of MTSU’s busiest buildings. Perhaps it’s a little surprising that many of the people behind the closed doors are committed to building an open and international community tasked with taking libraries into the future.
Just a few years ago, MTSU’s Walker Library and the University of Tennessee–Martin library became the first in Tennessee to transition to the FOLIO Library Services Platform—a system used by libraries to manage resources and services that are available to users. This platform, spearheaded by the Open Library Foundation, is open source and allows each library to build its system to match its needs.
“FOLIO’s openness gives us a lot of flexibility,” said Clay Oldham, who serves as the library’s applications support analyst. “The benefit of it being open is that we’re able to use it to pivot in a way that can fairly and equitably address user concerns, certainly more so than previous closed systems. All of the changes in FOLIO are community informed, and while there are tools already within FOLIO that can incorporate into a lot of libraries, we have the ability to also change it and make it work better for us.”
In the years since announcing its transition to the system, Walker Library has been joined by hundreds of fellow libraries, big and small, in adopting the system and joining the community. MTSU’s early adoption has given the school an opportunity to be an active participant in a community that includes librarians, developers, networks, and vendors.
“An open system environment is almost like a democracy,” Oldham said. “You have to participate, and you have to be involved to ensure that it’s an informed community. It looks different, and you don’t have the luxury of being lazy about it either. The more involved we are, the more the system addresses our needs.
Data security and privacy provide an additional benefit in the system, without need of a third party.
“For us there are also major ethical motivations to stay within an open environment,” Oldham added. “These kinds of systems allow us to have more direct control over the direction of the library, our tools, and our resources. It also lets us make sure that our data is kept responsibly and not by another entity. That’s important to us as well.”
The system changeover may not have been immediately noticeable to users, but the functionality proved to be quite a large undertaking as it directly affected the library’s online catalog, JEWL Search, and checkout services.
“Everything that we’re attempting to do when we work within this system is with patrons in mind,” Oldham said. “I think the real advantage of being open is that we can always make sure that the concerns of our community are better reflected in the continued development of the product. That makes us a better library.”
From the Foundation: How You Can Help
The James E. Walker Library, just like all aspects of MTSU, depends on private support from alumni, friends, and community members to be able to meet all the needs of the campus community.
There is a perception that not every gift matters, but every gift—no matter the size—strengthens our University.
The focus areas for our fundraising efforts help secure the future of the library and the students of MTSU:
• Need for individual study spaces, practical environments for students and groups to have a comfortable and productive place to study
• Equipment-lending to help ensure our students have access to the kinds of technology resources they will need to be successful
• Garnering support for our student worker scholarship programs as well as our student worker emergency fund
• Strengthening the support for established library funds and the Library Enrichment Fund, which supports updates in technology
Every gift, large or small, helps the library fulfill its commitment to the campus community in providing safe study areas, resources, and technology that today’s college students need.
Contact
Katie Enzor
Director of Development Initiatives
615-898-5329
katie.enzor@mtsu.edu
library.mtsu.edu/give
Legendary
state ecologist’s collection now preserved by MTSU’s Walker Library
by Nancy DeGennaro
Mack Prichard began his storied 50-year career with the state of Tennessee at 16 as a seasonal naturalist at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park near Memphis. Over the decades, he was instrumental in promoting conservation and establishing state parks and natural areas throughout Tennessee.
Now, hundreds of books, papers, and postcards from the estate of the legendary Tennessee ecologist are housed in Special Collections at MTSU’s James E. Walker Library. Prichard, who died in 2020 at age 81, served the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation as the first state archaeologist and later as the first state naturalist.
“I am enjoying the postcard collection,” said Susan Martin, Special Collections librarian. “It is quite extensive, covering almost all 50 states, as well as select foreign countries. Flora, fauna, and natural history are the predominant subjects, but there’s also your typical tourist ‘greetings from’ and tourist sites as well. I am particularly fond of a small batch of American Airlines and British Airways cards.”
The Mack Prichard Collection was donated by the Mack S. Prichard Foundation, which preserves and promotes the legacy of the late conservationist. The collection includes approximately 350 books from his personal library, dozens of papers from numerous speaking engagements and scholarly presentations, and thousands of things from places he found interesting.
“We are so pleased to be able to help preserve Mack’s legacy, and the collection complements our other collections that focus on Tennessee and natural history,” Martin said. “It will allow us to connect with a new segment of MTSU faculty and students, as well as in the wider community.”
Prichard also was a founding member of the nonprofit Tennessee Trails Association and was involved in the creation of at least 30 conservation associations throughout the state. Additionally, he is a noted figure in the preservation of Nashville’s beloved Radnor Lake, which was eventually enveloped within the Tennessee State Park system.
“He was a driving force behind the creation of Savage Gulf State Natural Area as well as at least 22 other state parks and natural areas,” said Mary Priestley, a board member of the nonprofit Friends of South Cumberland State Parks.
“A complex and driven person, he had a propensity for saving things, including particularly Tennessee’s beauty spots, archaeological treasures, and waterways.
“He also saved books, papers, and postcards, and I’m so thankful that the collection has a home at MTSU.”
In addition to his career as an environmentalist, historian, and archaeologist, Prichard was a noted photographer who documented nature and notable locations across the state.
Those images are housed in the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville.
The Mack S. Prichard Foundation, curated by the Friends of South Cumberland State Parks, was also in search of a home for his personal library. Biology Professor Kim Sadler connected foundation representatives with Special Collections, and plans were put in place to move the items to MTSU. It was a win-win for everyone.
“MTSU’s Center for Environmental Education and Center for Cedar Glade Studies have a long-standing partnership in conservation with Tennessee State Parks through our staff and outreach programs,” Sadler said. “The Mack Prichard Collection provides our students with hands-on access to Mack’s resources that supported him while serving as Tennessee’s first state naturalist.”
Other collections at Special Collections in Walker Library include Early Tennessee Imprints, Margaret Lindsley Warden Memorial Collection for Equine Studies, the Joan Hunt Collection, and extensive materials on Tennessee agriculture, geology, and archaeology.
The Prichard collection is currently being processed by the Special Collections staff.
“We are working on arranging his personal papers and writing a finding aid, as well as cataloging the books,” Martin said.
Learn more
MTSU Special Collections: library.mtsu.edu/ specialcollections.
Mack S. Prichard Foundation: mackprichard.com
Inside Walker Library
BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK
Ever wanted a book to read and didn’t know where to start? Sometimes one has to rely on friends’ suggestions to find that perfect match. The library gave this job a whirl in February, celebrating Valentine’s Day with Blind Date with a Book. Individual books were wrapped in paper with a few notes on the themes present in the text. The patron could then go check out a book before unwrapping it to find out what they were going to read. The idea proved incredibly successful for the library, as the “dating pool” had to be refilled multiple times over the course of a few days and strengthened many students’ relationship with recreational reading.
BOARD GAME NIGHT
With the growing popularity of board games and strategy games, the library partnered with the Margaret H. Ordoubadian University Writing Center and MTSU’s Tabletop Club to put on a de-stress activity in the final weeks of the semester with a Board Game Night. Dozens of students crowded into the third-floor Writing Center to learn how to play games and take a brief break from those often stressful final nights of the semester.
BLUE RAIDER INTRODUCTIONS
The library plays a key role in MTSU’s annual student orientation program, CUSTOMS. The event, which is required for everyone beginning their journey as a Blue Raider, walks new students through everything they need to know before starting life on campus.
For the library, this actually starts many months before any of the new students step foot on campus. Clay Trainum, the library’s marketing and communications coordinator, meets with the entire student orientation team to update the advisors on what they need to know to answer questions about the library. He also develops materials to distribute at every event. When the orientation day arrives, the library sets up a table at the Student Union to answer any and all questions and showcase everything on offer to students.
WELCOME TO THE MAKERSPACE
Once again, the Walker Library’s immensely popular Makerspace opened its doors to the entire campus community to showcase the multitude of items on offer to students interested in creating. Since the introduction of the Makerspace nearly a decade ago, the space has become a bustling hub of creativity.
The annual open house, conducted in partnership with MT Engage, welcomes hundreds of students, faculty, and staff into the second-floor space and offers the rare chance to sample anything and everything from virtual reality to robotics to 3D printing. The event is annually one of the library’s best-attended events and has long been a staple of MT Engage Week.
A LITTLE TRIVIA
In response to student suggestions, the library began hosting trivia nights, offering students a short break from their studies to work a different part of their brains and a chance to win prizes. Organized by a library faculty and staff team, the popular events drew a wide swath of students, with a little help from the Student Government Association.
DUCK HUNT
As the semesters wound down this past school year, one may have noticed the small yellow face of a rubber duck peeking its head around a bookshelf. While understandably a bit of an absurdist sight at an academic library, it represented a program built around lightening the mood going into the final weeks of school. Students were tasked with finding dozens of ducks hidden throughout the building, and each one found would result in a small prize pack and de-stress kit provided by the library’s first-floor reference desk.
BLOOD DRIVE IN THE LIBRARY
The library hosted its first-ever blood drive last March as part of a campuswide push to increase donations for the American Red Cross. More than 60 people flooded into the common area on the library’s first floor to participate, many of them donating for the first time. Gene Baker, who spearheaded the drive for the Red Cross, said the drive hit 150% of its goal for donations, resulting in enough blood to potentially save 173 lives.
STRESS-FREE ZONES
The library’s incredibly successful Stress-Free Zones continued this year as nearly 1,000 students participated across the two events. This is the single largest library program every semester. Taking place on Tuesday of the final week of classes, it offers a small release of tension and stress for students in the library working on that final project or trying to cram for that last test of the year.
Over the years the Stress-Free Zone has featured free food, stress reduction activities, and teams of therapy dogs from Music City Pet Partners. Additionally, the Raider Health Corps, an MTSU student group tasked with educating their peers on health issues, has provided hundreds of kits designed to help reduce stress.
VIRTUAL REALITY SHOW
Virtual Reality Night in the Makerspace always makes for a fun evening on the second floor as the library’s creative hub welcomes in speakers and students to feature the immersive technology. Taking place each semester, the program often showcases faculty work in the field and opens eyes to the limitless possibilities of what can be achieved with both virtual and augmented reality. Additionally, the space hosts demonstrations throughout the evening, both academic and recreational, that range from learning Beat Saber to taking part in a professional flight simulation.
CAREER WORKSHOPS
Partnering with MTSU’s Career Development Center, the library hosted a number of career workshops over the course of the school year. The events showcased how the library could help students learn to use research tools to discover information about prospective companies. Additionally, the Career Development Center demonstrated to students the role that it could play in helping them navigate their upcoming job and internship searches.
PLANT SALE TO STOCK PANTRY
The library’s annual plant sale was once again a smash with the campus community, with all proceeds going to support the MTSU Student Food Pantry. The event is developed and run by volunteers across the library. Plants are grown for weeks leading up to the sale in late April. While heirloom tomatoes are the star of the show, options run the gamut from catnip to lemon cucumbers to violet sparkle peppers. Originally planned for a three-day event, the plant sale was sold out in one day.
FOOD DRIVE AND SNACK STAND
The library continued its partnership with the MTSU Student Food Pantry this past year with one of its most ambitious undertakings. Looking to fight food insecurity on campus, the library installed a student snack station on the first floor to provide snacks to students coming into the building. With food provided by the pantry, the snack station was kept stocked by volunteers within the library. Additionally, the library continued its long-standing February Food Fight, pitting the floors of the building against one another to see which could donate the most food to the pantry. This year, the fourth floor narrowly edged out the second on the final day of the fight as hundreds of pounds of food was donated in addition to $445 in cash donations.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS ON EXHIBIT
Special Collections is home to the library’s arm for acquiring, preserving, and providing access to valuable, unique, and fragile materials. The fourth-floor space hosted a pair of exhibits to showcase different parts of its collection this past year. In the fall, Making Connections featured the hidden collections within Special Collections. These are the microcollections that develop within some of the department’s established collections. The spring exhibit, Printing for the People, examined the role of press and print in everyday life, from the time Johannes Gutenberg printed his first Bible to now.
LIBRARY RACKS UP ALA HONORS
Walker Library was a two-time winner during this past school year’s Core PR Xchange Awards, put on every year by the American Library Association. JEWL Magazine earned recognition in the advocacy/ fundraising/annual report category, and Dimensions of Wellness captured the virtual exhibit category. These mark the first wins in the competition for the library, and the winners were showcased during the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego during the summer.
JEWL Magazine
James E. Walker Library
1301 E. Main St.
MTSU Box 13
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
A LIBRARY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY AND BEYOND
James E. Walker Library delivers exceptional services in an environment that inspires learning and interaction, uniting the intellectual and social aspects of our University.
Support from alumni and friends helps us to provide exceptional experiences for our students through the incorporation of technologically rich study spaces, an interactive writing center, about 700,000 physical volumes, a Makerspace, and almost 600 carefully selected databases and millions of full-text articles, e-books, streaming audio and video, and many more online resources for research.
Visit library.mtsu.edu/give to make your online gift, or email devofc@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-2502 for more information.
