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Libraries provide learning opportunities through art It's diffi cult to take a break from visual and intellectual engagement in Park Library. Designated exhibit spaces and artwork displays are ever-present to capture visitors' eyes and engage their minds. Even after Marnie Greene closes her books and laptop for a moment while studying in the Library's Baber Room, her education continues. "I always enjoy the artwork on display here," says Greene, a junior special education major who typically studies in the Baber Room three times each week. "It's easy to get sidetracked by the colorful paintings, and I even learn through the little descriptions they have. " This is exactly how it should be in an academic library, according to Lucy Shelton Caswell, faculty emeritus of University Libraries at The Ohio State University. education Exhibit-enhanced In her article "Building a Strategy for Academic Library Exhibits" that appeared in College & Research Library News, Caswell states that, "while exhibitions are a secondary function of academic libraries, they may make a substantial contribution to the academic community. " Gone are the days at Park Library when artwork was relegated to randomly fi lling empty spaces on the walls. Prominent exhibit areas were among the primary features implemented when the building was remodeled 10 years ago. "We knew we were building a monumental library, so we knew we'd have lots of walls and other spaces that we could use to extend and enrich the cultural environment on campus, University Libraries. "The library can be a place that completely opens the doors to new ideas and new information the students didn't expect to fi nd when they came into the building. " says Tom Moore, dean of " Art Professor Sally Rose demonstrates a weaving method in her fi bers class. Library exhibit spaces provide opportunities for Rose's students to display their works. In addition to special displays in the facility, Park Library features fi ve exhibit areas: • Baber Room • Clarke Historical Library • Extended Hours Study and Student Gallery • Fourth Floor Exhibit Area • Third Floor Exhibit Area "Most exhibitions are found only in art venues, where your sole purpose is to view art," says senior Tanya Moutzalias, a photojournalism and two- dimensional fi ne art photography major. "The library art exhibit spaces bring art to the students. " Viewing the exhibits often is the reason Graciela Mercedes visits Park Library. The senior art major says the exhibits have the power to generate a diff erent type of learning. "You're really absorbing it at your own pace and in your own fashion," she says. "It's nice to have this resource, and I think it's a privilege to have this opportunity. 10 "