The J.D. Williams Library is bringing reading and library services into the community with their Pop Up Library.
The Pop Up Library is exactly how it sounds – a library booth set up at residence halls, outdoor campus areas and even the Grove. However, it’s much more than just books. The Pop Up Library offers patrons information about library resources, news and events as well as technology demonstrations.
This new addition to the J.D. Williams library is made possible by a 2014 grant from the Mississippi Library Leadership Institute within the Mississippi Library Commission.
“The library has so much more to offer than just books,” Outreach and Instruction Librarian Melissa Dennis said. “We believe in supporting creative, fun technology that can help you learn in and out of the classroom. That is why we are using a grant funded by the Institute for Library and Museum Services to help you think outside the box.”
The grant allowed the library to create an iPad lending program to promote popular Mississippi authored e-books as well as invest nearly $4,000 in technology lending and outreach services, including the Pop Up Library.
“When students, faculty and staff see our pop up library, they will be able to stop by and check out exciting new technology that the library is providing to make required class assignments more fun,” Dennis said. “The pop up library provides extended library outreach beyond the walls of the library to the University and Oxford community, with an emphasis on STEM outreach. This also allows the library to expand technology outreach to those who are struggling to keep up with course requirements, limited class time and increased student enrollment.”
The Pop Up Library can be found in the Grove during Ole Miss home football games, right in front of the Carrier Hall School of Engineering. In November, it can be found in residence hall lobbies in the evenings to offer students research help as the semester draws to a close.
“We want our students to use our books, journals, databases, government documents and a myriad of other materials to write papers, create art or compositions and develop new science or engineering ideas,” engineering and reference librarian Brian Young said.
He added that he hopes all students will learn how to create human-computer interaction projects.
“Getting students, faculty, staff and community users excited to use and learn STEM materials gives the library an opportunity to share other resources and services with users and draw more people into the library and potentially into a STEM major.”
Visitors that come to the library tent can learn about the circulation of iPad minis, MakeyMakey kits and Raspberry Pi kits as well as the new video production area, Studio One.
“We create a welcoming space for everyone to feel accepted and enjoy refreshments and conversations with librarians outside the J.D. Williams Library,” Dennis said. “The library is known for hosting learning spaces and materials for people of all backgrounds, and we enjoy promoting the creative resources and services they may not know about.”