Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • Classifieds
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / News / Additions to the Brown Library offer creative opportunity
Students study in the newly remodled Brown Library. (Photo by Nicholas Cromwell)

Additions to the Brown Library offer creative opportunity

September 29, 2018 by Ashley Alfred

New additions to the Brown Library are nearing completion after a summer full of renovations.

With funding from donors, the Brown Library added three new learning facilities available to students: the Reading Commons, Scholars Lab and an electronics shop in the maker lab.

“The purpose of the new spaces and services is to host our students’ creative inquiry and share critical ideas,” said John Weaver, dean of library services and educational technology. “All these changes are designed to connect the creativity of our students to information, tools and expertise that they need to excel in their academic interest and programs.”

The new Reading Commons will give students a place to enjoy books, journals and other literary works in the library. Further, the commons will host new literary events for students, such as short story readings, poetry slams, documentary films and collections of popular modern books.

The electronics shop in the Maker Lab will offer students the opportunity to experiment with microcontrollers and other digital devices.

“Learning to program simple projects has never been so accessible,” said Darren Wilson, director of the Maker Lab. “The increased space and tool offerings make it possible for students to come in and start experimenting right away.”

The Scholars Lab, which will open in October, will provide access to scholarly software that has not previously been available to students.

“We’re seeking to provide access to the most robust tools for searching and analyzing texts and for tracking and visualizing behaviors, like eye-tracking tools to measure human interaction with computer screens,” Weaver said.

Weaver said the lab will have experts on staff to assist with the use of all new tools and will showcase these tools and hardware to students. New tools in the Scholars Lab include digital screens, web-publishing, electronic theses and dissertations, open-access journals and more.

“These changes continue to position students to compete nationally through deeper collaboration with other students and through access to higher quality information and technology,” Weaver said. “We’re always looking to improve our resources so that ACU students receive one of the best academic library experiences available.”

Weaver said Ivy League schools and other major research universities come to ACU to learn from the model of library services, which are built for design thinking and creative action.

“We’re like proud homeowners who update their kitchen to improve their cooking ability and dining experience,” said Weaver. “We’re constantly seeking to remodel the library’s scholarly kitchen so our students can experience new fields of inquiry and utilize new tools.”

Filed Under: News

Other News:

  • Bean hosts a teaching kitchen

  • SGA fall budget passes after 17 amendment proposals

  • Gallery: Women’s Soccer takes victory over Tarleton State

About Ashley Alfred

You are here: Home / News / Additions to the Brown Library offer creative opportunity

Other News:

  • Bean hosts a teaching kitchen

  • SGA fall budget passes after 17 amendment proposals

  • Gallery: Women’s Soccer takes victory over Tarleton State

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Twitter feed is not available at the moment.

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

14 hours ago

The Optimist
Swing Cats took center stage with their annual event, Fall Stomp, on Friday. Held at the Elks Art Center, this event has become a tradition that brings the past into the present. For more media coverage of this event and others go to acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. ------------------------------------------------------------------#acu #abilenechristianuniversity #fallstomp #swingdancing #jazzbands ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

1 week ago

The Optimist
The student-run Hispanos Unidos club put together its annual Entra a La Plaza to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Attendees were able to experience authentic Hispanic traditions like traditional Hispanic food, dancing with live music and offered selections from local businesses like Mary’s Paleteria. For more media coverage for this event and others visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio.-------------------------------------------------------------#acu #acunews #HispanicHeritageMonth #hispanosunidos ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 22, 2023

Our top stories this week include the passing of Dr. Bob Hunter, a new endowment ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 8, 2023
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 1, 2023
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 25, 2023

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Podcasts

© 2023 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved