More than books

By

News

August 22, 2014 - 12:00 AM

It didn’t take long for Sandy Moore to create a vision for the Allen Community College library.
When Moore arrived in January as the new library director she took notes on how to boost students’ interest in the library.
First off, Moore started a small DVD collection that has engendered a positive response.
“We now have around 250 DVDs,” she said. “A lot of them were donated by faculty and they are popular titles.”
Moore said a lot of the library’s fiction had become outdated. Earlier this year she held a book sale to weed out the old. Sales helped purchase new items. Fiction geared to young adults is a growing market, she said.
To help fuel students in their study endeavors Moore purchased a Keurig coffee machine and created a mini coffee cart. Moore said students can purchase Keurig cups for 50 cents.
“We are opening 15 minutes earlier so students can get their cups filled up and head to class,” she said.
This semester students don’t even have to be in the library to ask a question. The library’s website now has a chat system where students can ask a librarian or library employee about research or a technical question.
“We did have an e-mail system but that took longer for us to reply,” Moore said. “This is more instant and is available during library hours.”
“I love knowing what’s helping the students and see them get excited about the tools available to them,” she said.

MOORE received her master’s degree in library science from Emporia State University in 2013. In 2008 she received her master’s in religious studies from the University of Kansas and in 2005 she received her bachelor of arts in religious studies and philosophy from Rutgers University in New Jersey.
She was an intern at Baker University in their archives department before coming to Allen. She and her husband, Jared, reside in Lawrence.
“We like to travel a lot and go to concerts,” she said. “I also like the color pink and Hello Kitty.”
Moore said her next focus is to share her love of culture with ACC students. She is working on starting a cultural series, which would involve music, area artists and guest speakers in the library.

EVENTUALLY the college writing center will call the library its home. Moore said she has done a lot of “housecleaning” to get the library ready for the transition.
“We’ve moved a lot of books and shelving out so the  center can hopefully move in next semester,” she said.
The writing center helps students who are working on school papers. Currently math tutors meet in the library with students.
“We want it to be an academic support center,” Moore said. “It would be a one-stop shop where students can get research done and writing help.”
The library is part of the Southeast Kansas Library System. Beginning Sept. 2, library hours will be Sunday 5 to 9 p.m.; Monday through Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Related
May 9, 2019
November 11, 2016
June 10, 2016
December 16, 2014