Marginalia Fall 2022

More than two millennia after its founding, the Great Library of Alexandria remains a powerful symbol of knowledge and scholarship. While most people think about its massive collections of papyri and the disaster of their loss through fire, the Alexandria library was also known as a place for scholars to gather in gardens, shared dining spaces, meeting rooms, and lecture halls.

Similarly, while a university library fills an important role providing access to research materials necessary for completing degrees or conducting world class research, the contemporary library is also a critical campus resource supporting engagement, conversation, and collaboration—the foundations for student success.

Getting students in the door and making them aware of our collections and services can be our biggest challenge—but if we can do that, we know they will be back. Connecting with colleagues in local secondary schools, we hope to introduce students to the importance of libraries before even setting foot on campus. And as students arrived in Logan this fall, the Merrill-Cazier Library invited the first-year class into our building for a festive party complete with pizza, dirty soda, and all kinds of fun activities. We have recently hired a new librarian whose role it is to provide ongoing outreach and programing to students.

This month, Marginalia highlights the excellent work our librarians are doing to engage students from simply drawing them into our building to providing them with high-impact internships. It is well established that the more students interact with the people and resources on their campuses, the more likely they will be to persist in their education and succeed academically.

The USU Libraries is committed to working with students in a variety of ways to support their success at all academic levels. I hope you enjoy reading about some of these impressive initiatives.

Jennifer Duncan, Dean of Libraries