The Observer, October 13, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 7
KSL celebrates ten years on campus
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of Kelvin Smith Library, "The Library of the Future."
Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to be entered into a raffle for a gift box from 3M. Every time a person used the 3M self-checkout machine, they earned a ticket for the raffle.
On Wednesday, a special invitation-only luncheon for administrators, trustees, donors, and friends of the university was held at the library. The keynote speaker was James Neal, a major library administrator and scholar at Columbia University.
In honor of the anniversary, many festivities will be taking place today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be freebies available to all who visit KSL, including lunch, travel bottles, and bags. There will be opportunities to win USB memory sticks and even an iPod Nano.
In addition to all of the giveways, there will be mini-tours available highlighting what's new at KSL, demonstrations of the Center for Statistics and Geospatial Data and the Freedman Center, 19th–century online newspapers and databases, and the official ribbon cutting of "Cleveland Public Library at KSL," or CPL@KSL as it is dubbed.
Many people are unaware of all of the services KSL has to offer.
Some of the services that the Center for Statistics and Geospatial Data offers include mapping software and poster printing.
The Freedman Center is a digital library, language learning, and multimedia services center. The center offers the use of Photoshop, music software, scanning, services to incorporate sound clips into PowerPoint presentations, a microfilm scanner, web cameras, video cameras, DVD players, Apple iBook G4s available for 3-hour use within the library, and more.
The center also features a sound studio, where a keyboard is available for checkout. The sound studio includes movie-scoring equiptment, turntables, and a voice recorder.
For those interested in learning languages, the Freedman Center offers Pimsleur chips for in-center use. The chips display graphics on computer screens and allow students to listen to and pronounce the language.
A wide variety of languages are offered on the chips, from basic Spanish and French to German, Greek, Hindu, Cantonese, and others.
CPL@KSL is a brand-new collaboration between the Cleveland Public Library and KSL.
Students will be able to check out leisure books from the Cleveland Public Library which will be available at KSL. In order to use this new service, students must have a library card from the Cleveland Public Library. KSL will be able to issue cards to students who don't already have them.
According to Karen Oye, head of customer service at KSL, the CPL@KSL is "very convenient and helps foster the fact that there are libraries after Case."
Although KSL was dubbed "The Library of the Future" before it was even built, many changes have occurred recently, and more significant changes are anticipated have occurred recently, and more significant changes are anticipated in the next few years.
Some of the more recent changes at the library include the implementation of 24/7 access to KSL, the current installation of vending machines in the lower level, the installation of energy-saving light fixtures, and charging for printing.
University librarian Joanne Eustis says the changes to occur in the next few years will include "a meta-search engine" that will allow students and faculty to search KSL's online catalog, electronic resources, and Digital Case, the university's digital library, with the same ease with which they now search Google.
"Also we intend to implement a master space plan completed last spring involving a comprehensive revision of Kelvin Smith Library space, and with faculty partners we are planning the second phase of campus-wide action on open access, authors' rights, and new publishing opportunities," said Eustis.
In addition to the recent and upcoming changes occurring, KSL has reached many milestones since its opening.
Online journals were not available when KSL opened; now there are close to 9000. The OhioLINK partnership has tripled since 1996. OhioLINK is a collaboration consisting of university and college libraries within Ohio which allows users to use books and services that Case may not have.
Kelvin Smith Library has developed well since its opening in 1996, and has lived up to its grand title.
While it might not be clear exactly what the next 10 years will hold, if they are anything like the past 10 years, the future looks promising for KSL.
