Anika Chowdhury, Staff Writer
The De-stress zone at the first floor of Mardigian Library// Anika Chowdhury
The University of Michigan-Dearborn is home to the four-story Mardigian Library, a treasure trove of knowledge catering to the academic community of students, staff and faculty. Throughout the academic semester, the library organizes a series of informative events, commencing with a series of engaging orientation sessions.
On Sept. 6, Anne Dempsey and Qiyan Ba, two members of the dedicated library event planning team, hosted an enlightening library orientation session. The orientation commenced with an insightful tour of the library's various floors.
Upon entering the library's ground floor, visitors are welcomed by the Information Desk, a hub for general inquiries, library policies, book loans, and available technologies, such as scanning and printing services.
The library provides a wide array of loanable technologies, including graphing calculators, cameras, lab goggles, phone chargers, and Chromebooks. Additionally, students can borrow stationery items and conveniently return borrowed books and resources at this desk.
Adjacent to the Information Desk, the cozy Mug Life Cafe offers a relaxing atmosphere. To the right, an alley leads to ITS services and event rooms, while on the left, open computers for students and guests are available, as well as the Library Research Center (LRC), Stameleos Gallery, and an event space in front of the Ford Collaboratory.
The LRC is a valuable resource for students, offering guidance on research, program-specific assistance from designated librarians, access to electronic resources, research topic brainstorming, citation and bibliography support, and assistance with theses and dissertations.
The ground floor also houses The Stameleos Gallery, which showcases artwork from local artist communities. The gallery currently has an ongoing call for student artwork submissions until Sept. 18.
The second floor is primarily designed for collaboration and group activities, equipped with tables, movable whiteboards, and computers.
Although study rooms are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, the library is considering implementing a reservation system.
The third floor offers study tables for individual or group study, Zoom conferences, and a Graduate Collaboratory exclusively accessible to graduate students using their UM-Dearborn ID cards.
The fourth floor is designated as a tranquil study zone for solo study sessions.
The library provides UPrint services on all floors, available to students, faculty and staff.
Notably, each floor features an elevator with a distinct color. The library also offers prayer spaces near exit doors.
Additionally, the library boasts over 3,000 glass sculptures and artworks displayed on each floor, featuring pieces by globally renowned artists such as Salvador DalÃ, Joan Miró, Jacob Lawrence, Electra Stamelos, Vera Sattler, Howard Ben Tré, Fred Birkhill, Herb Babcock, and Dale Chihuly.
The orientation culminated with an informative slideshow introducing the library's website and forthcoming events. The website offers various services, including live chat support until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, the ability to schedule appointments with librarians, and access to subject guides tailored to specific courses or projects in collaboration with class professors.
It also facilitates borrowing from other libraries on the Ann Arbor or Flint campuses, as well as global libraries.
The website is currently undergoing a redesign, and suggestions for a user-friendly experience are welcomed by web designer Qiyan Ba.
The Mardigian Library website
For those who missed the library orientation on Sept. 6, there are additional sessions scheduled for the following dates:
Sept. 7 at 4 p.m.
Sept. 11 at 12 p.m.
Sept. 13 at 1 p.m.
Furthermore, the library hosts a myriad of events each month. This month's highlights include a workshop from Ryan Neloms, the assistant director of Student Conduct: "AI in the Classroom: Avoiding Academic Misconduct," which addresses plagiarism and precautions in the era of generative AI. The workshop will take place on Sept. 14 at 12 p.m.
At 4 p.m. on Sept. 14, undergraduate students will present their insightful research posters at the SURE Showcase in the first-floor event space.
The library also hosts a "Meet your Librarian" event on Sept. 20 and 26 at 2 p.m., offering a friendly consultation and an opportunity to meet program-specific librarians.
Lastly, a "Citation Management" workshop is scheduled for Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. to guide attendees about Zotero.
Stay tuned for updates on the Mardigian Library’s interesting and insightful upcoming monthly events.
Comments