D. H. Hill Library

A LIBRARY OF LOVE

By Bran Poster

D. H. Hill Jr. Library loves its students and offers many free resources. The problem is, there are so many resources available it’s hard to keep track of them all. Thankfully, this magazine is ready to assist! Here is the Roundabout pick of the best D. H. Hill Library has to offer.

The Makerspace

Are you an engineer? An artist? A designer? More generally, do you like to create stuff? If your answer to all or some of these questions is yes, the Makerspace is the place for you. If the Makerspace is a space where you make things, what exactly is inside it? Located on the first floor of D.H. Hill Jr. Library, the Makerspace offers 3D printers, 3D scanners, electronics prototyping kits, sewing machines, a laser cutter, and more! If you’re on Twitch, check out the ncsulibraries channel (lib.ncsu.edu/twitch) for streaming of virtual demonstrations and workshops. First-time visitors will have to complete an online safety orientation course. You can find more info on the orientation course and the Makerspace in general here: lib.ncsu.edu/spaces/ hill-library-makerspace.

The VR Studio

The great fantasy writer C.S. Lewis is purported to have said, “Who are the people most opposed to escapism? Jailors!” Indeed, while it is important to avoid living vicariously through virtual reality, a little detour away from the corporeal can be some much-needed stress relief. Located on D. H. Hill’s second floor, the VR Studio is furnished with seven PC workstations designed to work with intense graphics. A wide variety of virtual reality hardware, such as Oculus Rift, HTC VIVE Pro, Valve Index and Oculus Quest are already running at the stations. In addition, there are more than a hundred VR experiences available for rental from the books and media catalog (more on that later!). You can reserve a VR workstation at this link: lib.ncsu.edu/ spaces/vr-studio

Books lining a shelf in Hill Library

Bran Poster

Digital Media Lab

Radio + Television + Internet + Etcetera = Digital Media. And where on NC State’s campus is the best place to create digital media? Witherspoon Student Center is a good guess, but D. H. Hill Library’s digital media center comes first. The place is loaded: it has workstations with audiovisual editing software, scanners, video and audio editing decks, an enclosed studio with a green screen, and four music booths. If you’re a podcaster, a trumpet tooter, a movie producer, or just about anyone, you could find a use for this equipment. But wait, you say you don’t know how to use it? Lucky for you, the wonderful librarians at D. H. Hill offer media production workshops regularly throughout the semester. You can find more information and reserve space in the lab here: lib.ncsu.edu/spaces/ digital-media-lab.

Book, Media, and Equipment Rentals

A gopher walks up to Hill Library’s Ask Us desk. “So, this is a library, right? That means it has books?” they say in a squeaky voice. “Yes” a librarian replies cooly. The gopher scratches their head. “But I can’t read,” they said. The librarian smiles. “You do know this is D.H. Hill Library, right?” That unfortunate gopher may not know how to read, but they came to the right place. Hill Library is not your conventional library: it doesn't just have books, it has video games, movie films, government documents, computer chargers, personal therapeutic equipment, all to borrow! You can search the entire collection by hovering over the “Find and Borrow” tab at lib.ncsu.edu.