A Library for Tomorrow

by Lauren Best

For those who have heard him speak, President Don Betz’s frequent references to the University of Central Oklahoma’s founding members and its first class in 1890 serve as a familiar anecdotal lesson in legacy. As he often states, that relatively small group of people – full of promise and ambition – had the vision to see something that existed far beyond themselves, beyond their reach; they saw into the future. Betz refers to this founding class as a reminder that the current stewards of UCO are simply standing on the shoulders of those who came before them.

Betz often invokes the sentiment that the Central community has the privilege and responsibility of continuing the work and vision of those who created the institution. To many, Betz has the same ability as Central’s founding members – the ability to see into the future beyond his own actions, and one of the pivotal pieces of Betz’s lasting legacy is his continued support of libraries and what lies within their walls. Throughout his tenure as president, and with his committed direction, Central’s Max Chambers Library has advanced as a space for learning, collaboration, creativity, innovation, and, perhaps most notably, preservation.

For any president, university or otherwise, archiving his or her presidential tenure is a practical step in preserving a piece of history. Archives, both digital and physical, provide firsthand access to documents, photographs, letters or mementos of value for discovery and study by future generations. For Betz, the archival process started even before his presidential appointment. He began curating archives of his personal papers while serving as Central’s provost in the 1990s.

After announcing his retirement last summer, however, Betz took a more active role in archiving. He worked with Nicole

Willard, assistant director of the Max Chambers Library, to process his personal and presidential papers and decide what should be included in his presidential archive.

“He understands history; he understands the importance of archives, and he is definitely a visionary,” Willard said.

“Betz keeps a diary of everything he does every day. These diaries might be interesting to someone 200 years from now. Now, it’s just mundane, but in 200 years it will be really exciting.”

Through the archival process, future generations of Bronchos, historians and researchers will have access into the mind and ideas of President Betz and a glimpse into the life of a university president in 2019.

“Think 125 years from now. Anything we’re doing now is going to be fascinating. The further away we get from this period, the more fascinating it becomes,” Willard said.

Though Betz looks towards a legacy that touches the next century’s students, he also has emphasized the importance of transforming learning for this generation’s students. Upon returning to Central for his presidency in 2011, Betz had a vision to create more “learning commons” spaces to better suit the evolving needs of students and educators.

“Everywhere he goes, he always visits the library,” Willard said. “Betz had been back to the University of Denver, where he received his graduate degree, and they had built a new learning commons building. When he came back [to Central], the idea was in his head, ‘how can we do something like this here?’”

Bucky Dodd, the chief learning innovation officer for Central’s Center for eLearning and Connected Environments (CeCE), was appointed to the initial learning commons task force.

“As we walked through the library, prior to the many renovations and changes, we noticed students were trying to make it work for themselves,” Dodd said. “Students were dragging these heavy pieces of furniture into a configuration to support the work they were doing. We wanted to create an environment, with both digital and physical spaces, that were flexible and conducive to learning.”

The creation of the learning commons spaces in the library saw the addition of group study rooms and the Innovation Studio. With cutting-edge technology, many students and faculty now can access 3D printers, a green screen room and virtual reality equipment. Additionally, the library is in the process of creating more nontraditional spaces for students, faculty and the UCO community to connect, collaborate and create information.

“The future of the library is one of not just access to information but one of connecting information, of growing new information,” Dodd said. “Libraries that find themselves in the most innovative light will embrace that vision. They’ll recognize that learning happens across different modalities, across different technologies. They truly are a partner in a student or person’s collective learning environment.”

Willard echoed this vision of interdisciplinary collaboration.

“We’ve become more of a ‘place,’” Willard said. “Learning commons are about providing those spaces where students or researchers can come together and create new knowledge with their interactions and their studies.”

With a strong focus on fostering connections between students and the surrounding community, Betz hasn’t neglected to spark curiosity and the spirit of collaboration within that community –comprised largely of Central’s faculty and staff.

In 2016, Betz began the Presidential Book Club in which faculty, staff and students could come together to read books that Betz personally recommended. In addition to hosting a book club, Betz facilitated an end-of-the-semester wrap-up session with book club participants, to discuss ideas and to further connect.

“It was great for UCO employees to develop professionally outside of attending a class,” said Fran Petties, director of Central’s Professional Development department and co-creator of the clubs. “This was another way for them to reflect, share ideas, meet other people, compare and contrast, grow, and even share personal things in a small group setting that they may not normally do in a bigger setting.”

Betz has continued to facilitate and host the President Book Clubs each semester, and community participation has grown since its creation.

Alongside his papers, diaries and notes, Betz’s involvement in creating the library’s learning commons and his campus book club participation are sure to appear in his archives, representing his personal legacy of leadership – a legacy focused on creating a better future and the collaboration it takes to do so. ON