With the Gateway and the new Truax library taking shape, 2013 promises to be a banner year for Madison College Libraries. The new library, scheduled to open in early summer, is a bright, airy, welcoming space, bathed in natural light, with west-facing views. But as eagerly anticipated as the move to the new library space is, there are plenty of other things to look forward to in the libraries in the coming year. Here are just a few of the new and improved services and resources you’ll find as you embark upon a new semester.

“Did you know?”

New to our library home page this semester is the “Did You Know?” button. Click on it to view a video short highlighting a specific library resource or service. The current “Did You Know?” spot covers how to book a group study room at Truax, Fort Atkinson, Reedsburg or Watertown. “Did You Know?” topics will be rotated, with new ones being added on a monthly basis. So keep clicking that button. You might discover a library service you didn’t know we offered!

Downloadable Audiobooks

We just purchased 111 audiobook titles, the start of a brand new downloadable audiobook collection, which we plan to build on over the coming months and years. Titles include history, biographies, mysteries, science fiction titles and even a romance or two. They can be downloaded one user at a time and will be searchable and downloadable from our catalog 24/7.

E-Readers and iPad’s to go

Starting in February students will be able to check out NOOK colors, Kindle Fires, Kindle DXs and iPads on 3-day reserve from the Truax library. Look for some of these devices to be available for checkout at our other campus libraries starting in the late summer or fall.

E-Books

Our e-book collection continues to grow with the addition of 200 new business, health, science and history titles just this month. Titles are downloadable to most electronic devices.

Additional study room added

A fourth study room is now available for use at the Truax Library. This and all of our other study rooms at Truax, Fort Atkinson, Reedsburg and Watertown can now be booked ONLINE. Look for the booking link on the library home page at the bottom of the orange Library Services box on the right hand side of the page.

Two library corrections at Truax

Over the winter break, in preparation for the move to the new library this summer, we divided the Truax collection into two:  a main collection and a new “storage” collection. The storage collection is currently located in the back shelving area by the Learning Center. After the move to the new library, this collection will be housed in a separate location, but for now items from both collections may be checked out in the normal way. When searching the online catalog for an item, you’ll be able to tell if it is part of the storage collection by the notation “STORAGE – ASK AT DESK.”

Of course, some things remain reassuringly the same. Along with all the new resources and services, and the preparations for the move to a beautiful new library space, we continue to provide what we have always provided – “free access for students and staff to the recorded knowledge of human civilization in a variety of formats to support the teaching and learning processes of the college.” (Library Mission Statement).

Welcome back students! It’s going to be quite a semester!