Library Adapts to Meet Students’ Diverse Needs

The UCSF Library has streamlined its services to help students’ lives run more smoothly, allowing students to reserve group study rooms online, make photocopies and print from library computers using UCSF ID cards, and to access research help and tutorials online, as well as in person.

The Library also launched a popular iPad lending program last year. Students and other UCSF personnel can borrow iPads and other multimedia equipment from the Tech Commons on the second floor of the Parnassus Campus Library.

What changes can students look forward to in the coming year?

The Library is working on redesigning an area of the Parnassus Library’s main floor to make it more conducive to collaborative work and computer use.

“We’re calling it ‘The Living Room’ and hope that it will offer students a comfortable space to work, chat, and relax,” said Jim Munson, Director of Administration, Access, and Delivery.

The perfect study spot

The Library is sensitive to the study needs of its diverse student population. Some students may prefer to study in absolute silence, while others want a more flexible, collaborative work space.

The Hearst Reading Room, on the main floor of the Parnassus Library, is open for individual and group study 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When the Library is closed, students can use their campus ID cards to directly enter the Hearst Room (to the left of the main entrance when facing the building).

The UCSF-only quiet study space, located on the fifth  floor of the Parnassus Library, offers beautiful views, plenty of light, and ample study space. UCSF students must use their campus ID cards to enter.

The group study rooms on the second, third, and fourth floors of the Parnassus Library are ideal for collaborative study and group projects. Six rooms have wall-mounted monitors for group viewing of laptop displays, and all rooms have whiteboards and wireless access. Students can reserve these rooms at tiny.ucsf.edu/reserve.

The Mission Bay FAMRI Library in the Rutter Community Center stays open until midnight on Mondays through Thursdays. After 9 p.m., students can enter via the computer lab doors to the left of the Library’s main entrance.

The Library’s collection covers most aspects of the health science disciplines, consisting of approximately 640,000 volumes, more than 30,000 journals in print and online formats, and selected online databases in a wide variety of subject areas. If you can’t find what you need among these vast holdings, the Library can always get it for you. Visit the website (www.library.ucsf.edu) to access a wealth of health sciences resources, including digital collections developed by the Library. Other programs and services include:

• The Education Services group offers in-person and online help with research and citation management. Education librarians also provide customized instruction to support the curricula of each school.
• The Library’s Learning Technologies group, located in the Tech Commons, supports the application of instructional technology to teaching and learning at UCSF. Hardware, software, and consulting support are available for the development of educational materials. The Tech Commons also includes a room where students can practice their presentation skills.
• The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), located on the second floor of the Parnassus Library, contains technology-enhanced classrooms (which are open as study rooms when a class is not in session), computer and multimedia labs, and the Kanbar Center for Simulation, Clinical Skills, and Telemedicine Education. Students in all programs can expect opportunities to attend classes in the TLC, including engaging in interprofessional learning activities. Learn more about the TLC at tlc.ucsf.edu.

The Library also maintains computing facilities in the Medical Sciences Building and the Mission Bay Community Center.

LINKS:

• Library: library.ucsf.edu
• Teaching and Learning Center: tlc.ucsf.edu
• Learn more about library accounts and services in this online guide: tiny.ucsf.edu/students
• Online Guide for New Students: guides.library.ucsf.edu/gettingstarted_students