By Brittney Payette
Managing Editor
Cameron University’s Eugene D. McMahon Library has undergone several changes in the past few years, with the University renovating, changing, and upgrading the library.
Junior Business Administration major D’nae Turner has worked at the CU library for about two years and said she does several different things as the circulation desk assistant.
“I check out items for students, help them find books, reshelve,” she said.
Turner also said that she wishes that more people knew about what the CU library offers.
“They [the students] have access to check out cameras and digital equipment,” she said. “I feel like they’ve made some pretty good additions, like the coffee shop. I feel like not enough people utilize the library’s resources.
Circulation Supervisor and Cameron alumnus Brandon Barnes said he has worked at the library for a couple of years.
“Sometimes I will cover the front desk and help students out with locating books or checking stuff out,” Barnes said. “I also help out with basic questions, or like help out with the printers.”
Barnes said that the library did not have a coffee shop when he initially went to Cameron.
“The glass cubicles upstairs, those are all new additions as well,” he said. “The rolling lounges, those are all new as well. The furniture was rearranged downstairs as well to be closer to that feel of the coffee shop and to open up the area for group work.”
Barnes said the second floor was designated as a quiet zone so people could have a place to work quietly and not be disturbed.
“People can gather and talk on the first floor or within enclosed study rooms,” he said.
Barnes said his job at the CU library is very different from his previous job in the airforce.
“There is a lot more, like, personal interaction instead of like through computers,” he said. “It’s much more face-to-face than the other jobs I’ve had.”
Additionally, Barnes said there are a few things he wished people realized about the CU library.
“We do have plenty of resources, not just the databases,” he said. “We did recently rearrange the stacks upstairs, but there is tens of thousands of books up there. So much material that people can still come by and browse.”
Barnes said the library even has additional software available for students to use on some of the computers, such as Adobe Suite. Books from the second floor can be checked out for a month and rechecked out.
Barnes also said there are even textbooks available for students to use.
“The textbooks are four hours in-library use only unless you’re taking an open book test,” he said. “Then, you just let us know and show us, then you can check it out from the library for two hours. There are similar restrictions on stuff like headphones and calculators and stuff.”
Barnes said the library is a great place to study and that he hopes more people will come and take advantage of the resources it offers for Cameron students.
“We often have a lot of people around mid-terms and finals,” he said. “Be sure to make some time to get what you need. It’s first come, first served for a lot of that stuff. But, we have a lot of places to study.”
Students can make reservations for rooms and study carrels in advance, but you are not supposed to reserve the same space day after day out of respect for other students. The CU library also has tutors who generally come in for a couple of hours around 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Students can go in and ask the tutors questions they have.
The library is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 to 12 a.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 10 p.m. For more information about the library and its resources, email the librarians at ask@cameron.libanswers.com or call the circulation desk at (580) 581-2956.
