 "Photo: umass.edu")
Students hustling with final exams and papers are pouring into the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, where foot traffic has swelled since the creation of the Learning Commons - more than doubling student use in one measure - and library and university staffs are hustling to meet the increased demand.
According to library gate count figures, in fall 2006, 28 percent more students used the library compared to fall 2005. The fall 2006 numbers are 78 percent above those of the fall of 2004, before the Learning Commons opened in October 2005.
By December 2006, 111,826 users visited the library, up from 95,132 in December 2005 and 63,049 in December 2004, according to gate count figures found on the library's website, compiled from a study conducted by consultant Gordon Fretwell.
By May 2006, only seven months after the Learning Commons opened, 125,356 people entered the library - up from 58,499 the previous year.
"In the spring semester, after spring break, [library usage] starts to pick up and will crescendo up until the reading period, right before finals," Alling said. "That is our peak time. Of course during finals, we're very busy. We'll have lines for computers until 1:30 or 2 a.m., at that point." On many evenings, no public computer goes unused. Students are packed in to use the facility's hardware and software, and to consult librarians and technology staff on how to best use the facilities. With parking enforcement suspended most evenings, students are parking along the access paths to Du Bois, giving the sense of a facility filled to capacity.
Renovations to the main floor of the library, now designated the "Learning Commons," seem to have fueled the library's resurgence. The refurbishing of the floor, once lined with wooden desks and chairs, elicited positive reactions from librarians and students.
"The library staff feels [the library] has been reenergized," Alling said. "It was pretty quiet, but people are really coming back now."
In a survey conducted by library administration on March 14, 2006, over 50 percent of respondents said that their overall impression of the renovations was very favorable, while just below 30 percent said their thoughts about the Learning Commons were somewhat favorable.
"I used to not study at all at the library, but the changes have caused me to use it more often. Now I study there approximately five hours a week," said Brendan Kemp, a senior computer systems engineering major.
Matthew McVickar, a senior Japanese major, agreed. "I really like the new Learning Commons and I've started to use the area a lot more than the coffee shops that I used to use."
On the other hand, success has also led to some concerns about crowding. In a Learning Commons focus group report, students aired concerns about lack of available workspaces as traffic growth continues.
Daniel Schwartz, a senior sport management student, griped about public computers being busy and long waits in lines for their use, complaints to which library administration is seeking to respond, according to Alling.
"Obviously, we don't have enough computers for everyone and we probably never will since there are 18,000 students on campus," she said. "But we're working on creative ways to make the most of what we do have."
One such innovation is the new ability for students to print to Learning Commons' printers from remote locations, one measure the library has implemented to alleviate some congestion around library computers.
Another complaint is that the Learning Commons is too loud and too unlike a traditionally quiet library environment because of the laid-back atmosphere.
Schwartz said, "It's always crowded at the Learning Commons and I dislike how much noise there is."
Zach Denver, a senior communications and political science major, added, "I think if there was more private space for students, I would want to use the Learning Commons more."
Alling said the staff has considered the concern about noise. "We're aware of that, but the space was designed so people can collaborate and work together. For those people who do want silent or quiet space, we're trying to extend those options to the second and third floor."
Quiet study space, with new furnishings and Wi-fi hook-ups, has been added on both floors, and both facilities seem to be running at capacity during evening hours.
That's been a good addition, according to Richard Rogers, faculty advisor to the Provost for Undergraduate Education, "It was clearly something the students wanted. It's nice to be loud and crazy sometimes, but it's also nice to get away from that because it can be too much like the dorms."
The Learning Commons has also been useful for teachers, who view it as an extra resource, said Rogers, who teaches a statistics class. Students can use an array of licensed software in the Commons without purchasing the programs themselves, he said.
"It's a real savings to the students and it's not that big of an inconvenience when there are so many computers," he added. "I'd like to see more [teachers incorporate the Learning Commons] and revamp their assignments so students can take advantage of collaborative learning and all the resources in the Commons."
An integral part of the Learning Commons and the library has been the Procrastination Station, the new dining facility on the entrance level.
Alling said, "We wanted to make it so that students would never have to leave, and having food and drink available to them is a big part of that."
Another way in which the library has attempted to improve is the recent replacement of all lights in the building to more energy-conserving bulbs, according to Terry Warner, assistant director of library administrative services.
Learning Commons renovations will enter a second and final phase this fall, according to Warner.
"The renovations will improve heating, ventilation, air conditioning and sprinkling systems in the Learning Commons," Warner said.
Despite starting in the fall, Warner does not anticipate any inconvenience to students.
Rogers added, "Most of us will notice nothing, but [when it's finished] there will be improved air quality and circulation. It hurts to have to pay [for the renovations] because the first million, you could see visible changes, but this is more infrastructure work, which is less visible."
Alling said the library would like to honor students' requests to stay open 24 hours, seven days a week as opposed to the current 24 hours, five days a week - but that will require more funding.
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