Reference Point

> Dean's Column Decade of developments Celebrating 10 years at the Park Library of today Reference Point is pub lished biannually by University Libraries. Address questions and suggestions to: Offi ce of the Dean Park Library 407D Central Michigan Uni ver si ty Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Editorial Board Thomas J. Moore Dean of Libraries Richard Cochran Associate Dean of Libraries Megan Moreno, '06 Director of Development and Community Outreach Gerry Edgar Manager, Library Business Services Reference Point Coordinator Production CMU University Communications Writers Dan Digmann Danny Goodwin Sharasa Henley Kayla Rusin Jennifer Sula Editor Dan Digmann Designer Amy Gouin Photographers Robert Barclay Peggy Brisbane Printing CMU Printing Services Libraries' website lib.cmich.edu Academic Year Library Hours Mon - Thurs: 7:50 a.m. - Midnight Fri: 7:50 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sat: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sun: Noon - Midnight Reference Desk 989-774-3470 libref@cmich.edu Tom Moore This academic year we're celebrating a milestone in the life of the CMU Libraries. The Charles V. Park Library, as we know it today, will be 10 years old on Jan. 9, 2012, the anniversary of its fi rst day of service. people have come in the doors to use the library, and about one million books and other items have gone out the doors on loan to students, faculty, staff , and community members. It's been a busy place. Since then almost nine million Even with so many research materials and library services available online, I'm pleased and proud to observe that the physical Park Library, with its gem-like Clarke Historical Library also, is still "the place to be" on campus in Mount Pleasant. Thousands daily fi nd in it everything expected and more: personalized services, key and sometimes unique print collections, excellent technology that connects to our virtual library and the wider Web, outstanding study facilities, stimulating exhibits, and a broad range of public events. Park Library truly remains the academic centerpiece of CMU. While Park Library looks very much the same as it did in its fi rst days a decade ago, thanks to wonderfully respectful library users and continuous attention by staff , it isn't wholly the same. True, the shelves are loaded with books and journals, library staff are eager to off er expertise and service, and the hundreds of computers distributed across four fl oors are heavily used, especially in the evenings. Yet over these years the library as the unrivaled locus of the literature for the scholarly disciplines has gradually been giving way – happily and generously, I prefer to think – to the ascending prominence of a CMU virtual library of millions of purchased and licensed books, journal articles, and other items in the academic lives of our students and faculty. This means that CMU library users have convenient access to much authoritative research information wherever they happen to be 24 hours a day. And they're using it. This is especially the case for our off -campus and online students located from New York to Honolulu in the U.S. and in many countries. While visits to Park Library have continued at a high and steady pace over the years, annual visits to the Libraries' websites now vastly surpass visits to the physical facility. 2 CMU, an AA/EO in sti tu tion, strong ly and ac tive ly strives to in crease diversity within its com mu ni ty (see cmich.edu/aaeo). UComm 8563-4,661 (11/11) Check it out In January please check the University Libraries' website – library.cmich.edu – for next semester's 10th anniversary activities. Or connect and celebrate with us then on Facebook. I trust you'll enjoy this issue of Reference Point, which contains informative articles on other aspects of the CMU Libraries. As always, we're interested in hearing your comments or questions. Tom Moore Dean of Libraries

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