Library expands to help students on exams

John Lubbock, a 19th century banker and early supporter of Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, once said, “We may sit in our library and yet, be in all quarters of the earth.” The Betty Sue Jessup Library at Piedmont Virginia Community College is working to make this quote ring true, both inside and outside the library. In addition to a new helpful workshop, the library is expanding to allow access to a wealth of knowledge from any computer with high speed internet access.

One of the newest additions to the library is “Films on Demand,” a streaming video resource which can be accessed both on and off campus. The films are focused primarily on medicine, guidance and counseling, and allow the library to rely less on physical media. Crystal Newell, a librarian at PVCC, described the service as a kind of “YouTube for academia.” “Films on Demand” is just one video resource, with more to come.

In response to students’ wishes, the online version of Encyclopedia Britannica has been added as well. Encyclopedia Britannica provides an alternative for students looking to do research and helps them avoid free, but less accurate, websites, such as Wikipedia.

While internet resources provide a greater level of accessibility, programs like Book a Librarian provide plenty of incentive to visit the physical location. Started last spring by librarian Laura Skinner, the program aims to provide workshops on subjects central to student library use. Topics will include proper citation, the use of online databases and avoiding plagiarism. A minimum number of three students is required for a workshop and they can be set up by contacting the library via phone, at  434-961-5309, or through email, at reference@pvcc.edu. Further information can be found on the PVCC website, at pvcc.edu/library.

These new multimedia services offered by the library may prove to be useful for students as finals quickly approach.

[Image Credit: Sanja Gjenero]