Belk Library and Information Commons hosted its annual Open House this Wednesday, adopting a Renaissance Faire theme to showcase the extensive resources available to the Appalachian State University community and local residents. The event aimed to highlight various ways the library offers support, with attendees partaking in foam sword fights, a medieval photo booth, and festival snacks while learning about different services.
“A lot of students know the library as a place, right? They may not know all of the different services we have to offer,” said Molly Keener, associate dean for Collections in University Libraries, noting that many of the library’s offerings remain largely unknown to its users. The Open House provided an interactive way to familiarize participants with these underutilized services.
Among the many informative tables was the University Writing Center (UWC). Honesty Whichard, a writing consultant for the UWC, explained how the center serves as a valuable resource for students and the Boone community. The UWC helps individuals improve academic, professional, and personal writing skills, also offering an information hub with correct instructions for various citation styles like APA or Chicago. Whichard shared her personal experience, stating that seeking help from the UWC for an assignment before becoming a consultant resulted in an 'A' on that paper, calling it a "standing testimony to what the writing center does."
Beyond the main building, the university hosts a second library, the Nicholas Ernston Music Library, located in the Hayes School of Music. Rebecca Shaw, one of the music librarians, emphasized that this branch is not exclusively for music majors but is open to anyone who wishes to use its services and spaces. The Music Library provides musical scores, books on music, DVDs, and vinyl records, all available for checkout. It also offers study rooms, serving as a convenient alternative for those across campus who may not wish to travel to the main library.
For general inquiries, Belk Library’s Main Service Desk on the first floor assists with questions about campus and off-campus affairs, in addition to helping patrons look up, check out, and return books. The library also extends its services to the wider community through community borrower cards, which enable non-students to check out physical media and access resources not reserved exclusively for students. These cards can be acquired at the front desk for $10 a year.
The lower level of Belk Library houses the Makerspace, where students, faculty, and staff can engage in creative projects. Hannah Pope, head of Makerspace and Innovative Technologies, described it as a place where users can combine creativity with academic purpose, learn new skills, and create items with their hands, often away from a computer screen.
Another significant yet underutilized resource is Open AIR, the university’s repository. Natalie Foreman, manager of the Open Access Publishing Program, described Open AIR as a powerful, user-friendly database. It serves as a comprehensive resource for students to find a variety of research outputs, including datasets and credible research material. Foreman noted that the underutilization of such institutional repositories across universities poses a problem, as it means some of the world’s greatest minds may miss opportunities for collaboration.
Breanne Crumpton, a humanities librarian, underscored that university libraries, in particular, offer numerous services that students may not typically encounter. The Renaissance Fair theme provided an engaging and interactive platform for Belk Library to invite students and the public to discover and utilize the full spectrum of its valuable resources, bringing these often-hidden services to light.
