Posted on Friday, July 26, 2019
Kelly Ansley
Kelly Ansley has big plans for the Frank and Laura Lewis Library.
As the new director, she said she wants to expand services and opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
“The library just celebrated its 10th anniversary, and not much has changed in 10 years,” she said. “There were a lot of updates that were needed.”
Her first order of business was rearranging the library itself.
“The computers and computer lab have been moved to the third floor by the Hunter Help Desk, creating more space for individual and group study,” she said.
A new browsing collection has been added to the main (second floor) just past the circulation desk. It will be organized by genre and will include recent books, as well as books pulled from the first-floor stacks.
April Butler, Circulation Manager, said she hopes people will enjoy access to books they may have forgotten.
For example, she said the bestseller “Girl on a Train” stayed checked out when it was located on the second floor with the newer releases.
“But once we put it downstairs, no one checked it out.”
The browsing collection also will include popular fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, Young Adult books and DVD movies. The CD selections are scheduled to be moved to the second floor soon.
Ansley, who earned her master’s in library science with a concentration in reference and user services, said the plan is for the main floor to be a collaborative and fun space.
“People will be able to come in and make things,” she said. “We will have a gaming station, Lego blocks and a coloring area. We also are planning to install a 3D printer.”
Another new feature is a 24/7 chat tool that has been added to the library’s website.
“Even when the library is closed, we will have a qualified librarian who is familiar with our catalog who can answer questions.”
Ansley also wants to have what she calls a “roving research assistant.”
“We’ll send a staffer out with an iPad to walk around campus – especially during finals – to reference questions for students.”
Some people are intimidated by a library, Ansley said, and she wants to change that.
“One of our goals is to make the library a fun place to visit,” she said. “If we can get them to the library to read for pleasure, they are more likely to come back to do research.”
Ansley said she is extremely grateful for the staff at Lewis Library.
“They have jumped in so enthusiastically with all my ideas,” she said. “And they have been a source of valuable information for me.”
Mark your calendars now for Oct. 18-20, LaGrange College Homecoming Weekend. A fun-filled lineup starts Friday night at Overlook Plaza at Wild Leap Brewery in downtown LaGrange, and will continue through Sunday morning. Visit here for more information.
Panther Pathways sessions for transfer students will be Aug. 2 and Aug. 23. A session for admitted first-year students will be Aug. 12-13. Pathways includes meeting with an academic advisor, registering for classes, understanding the financial aspect of education at LaGrange College, exploring leadership development and meeting peers.
Basketball
Four members of the Panther basketball team were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches 2018-19 Honors Court. Senior Elijah Adedoyin (Biology/Biochemistry (Pre-Med), senior Jack McCormack (Business/Sports Management), senior Travis Thompson (Accounting) and senior Stephen Wagner (Political Science). All four are on the Honors Court for the second straight year.
2 – Karen Pruett
Stephanie Reeves
3 – Linda McMullen
Andrea Mueller
5 – Brandi Cameron
7 – Bethany Harris
8 – Matthew Donnett
10 – Kevin Shirley
13 – Stacey Ernstberger
Jarred Rutherford
14 – Chris Lee
16 – John Kraus
18 – Devin James
21 – Chastity Hargrett
Tammy Rogers
22 – Todd Prater
28 – Phillip Manning
30 – Ryan Cook
Vickie Evans
Memorable experience for Wallace – LaGrange Daily News, July 3, 2019
Long loving life at LaGrange – The Union-Recorder, July 3, 2019
Former Granger ready to be a Panther – LaGrange Daily News, June 28, 2019
Preston James IV shared how he impacts the lives of students – Rolling Out, June 26, 2019
Category: Faculty, College, Academics, Students
Keywords: library, computers, DVDs, books, CDs, research
