Research, check outs and crafts what’s available at your campus library
Research, check outs and crafts what’s available at your campus library Utah State University Eastern Library and Learning Commons or LLC offers more than just a place to study. There are several items that can be checked out by students for various amounts of time. With check-outs ranging from books to 3-D printing pens there are plenty of options for anyone to find something they like. The LLC staff is also amazing and an under-utilized resource.
Michael Harris, a Librarian at the LLC, was asked about what it would look like for students’ human resources, as if you have a research paper or are undertaking a project, you’re not on your own. We can help you to get started on that. We all understand that our library catalog and databases can be a little bit difficult. They’re not like navigating a Google search,” Harris said. “One of my jobs is, if someone is getting started on some research and they don’t know where to start, and it’s a little more technical or whatever, they can book time to meet with me. Things like with the makers’ loft, Lexi, you can book time with her to take you through how to work through some of those machines and stuff, you don’t have to learn to do it yourself.”
If a student is interested in setting up a time to meet with Staff for help with research or navigating the makers’ loft, they can come into the library and set up a time or email [email protected]. The makers’ loft has several machines and supplies that students can get access to. They have poster boards and watercolor paper for free for students. Alexis Gonzalez can help students learn to use any of the machines in the makers’ loft, like the sewing machine, 3-D printers, pens or the new podcast room. Some materials used in the maker’s loft will need to be purchased or brought with you, and those are the materials like 3-D printer filament by the gram, which the LLC has.
The maker’s loft also has several items that students can check out. My favorite is the new camera kits, which can be checked out for seven days. They also have games, 3-D printing pens, books teaching you how to do a specific craft, and in the future, they will have crochet kits. eastern.usu.edu/llc/makersloft has more information on what is available in the makers loft. Like any library, the LLC has a variety of books available for checkout. From fantasy to research, there is no shortage of options. If you can’t find a book that you’d like to read, you can start an inter-library loan if another USU campus has the book you are looking for. An inter-library loan checks out the book from that campus, which they then ship to Eastern, where you can pick it up. To get an interlibrary loan started, you can either talk to the staff at the front desk or you can do it yourself on library.usu.edu/services/rsdd/.
If none of the libraries have the book you are looking for (excluding textbooks), you can talk to staff to request that the book be ordered for the LLC. Beyond books, there is a lot to check out. There are movies, DVD players, calculators, phone charging cables, and laptops. All are available for various amounts of time, from four hours to 21 days.
The LLC offers plenty of study spaces, like computers, on both floors. To log on, all you need is your student email and password. If you need a more private space to study, there are two study rooms, 106 and 202, that can be reserved on eastern.usu.edu/llc/ by scrolling to the bottom and clicking the study rooms link, or in person at the front desk.
Each student can make two reservations per day, for up to three hours. This can be done up to two weeks in advance. If you’re looking for a space for a study group, the LLC has a larger room called the classroom. Because this room is often used for meetings, the only way to reserve it is to come up to the front desk to avoid any scheduling conflicts. However, if it is open, it is free to use. For additional study help, the LLC also houses the writing center (eastern.usu.edu/tutoring/writing-center) and tutors (eastern.usu.edu/tutoring/). Both of which have their own hours based on the tutor’s availability.
