New Mexico State University’s Zuhl and Branson Libraries hosted an open house on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, to deliver more support to its community. The open house introduced new features that provide a space for comfort and opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
From 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., community members joined the event for refreshments and to learn more about the new resources.
“The library has made a lot of investments in technology, a variety of different resources that help students study and be comfortable in the library and access technology that they need,” said Kevin Comerford, dean of the NMSU Library. “We wanted to show off the new resources.”
The event’s focal point was Branson Library’s state-of-the-art Emerging Technology Learning Lab, a collaborative space with advanced software to enhance academic creativity.
There are 12 high-performance Alienware computers with 38-inch curved ultrawide monitors, a 3D printer, a Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset, a 360-degree camera, and Arduino kits. These amenities are open to all NMSU faculty, staff and students.
“We have a lot of different labs around campus, but they are really focused on certain majors and a specific discipline, so the Emerging Technology Learning Lab is for anyone on campus,” Comerford said.
While the new computers can be used for students’ coursework and research, the hardware and software are designed around gaming. Nathan Camp, librarian of the new lab, said the goal was to make the lab accessible and offer a space for academic gain and personal creativity.
“The primary purpose of the lab is to give people access to technology that they wouldn’t have otherwise,” Camp said.
The lab is located on the first floor of Branson in Room 127. It is currently open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but they hope to expand the lab’s hours. Camp, along with other employees, is available to give users assistance with the equipment during hours or by appointment.
“One of my big hopes is that people use this nearly as much for creative purposes as for schoolwork,” Camp said. “One of the fun things about this is you can do things in here that you may not be able to [do] at home. I think there are a lot of opportunities for people to kind of stretch their creative muscles. I really hope that we can have more students come so they can help let us know what they want because it is still a new program, and we are open to feedback.”
Although the new lab was the centerpiece of the open house, Zuhl Library also introduced a new workspace for students. This new family workstation, located on the third floor, has a desk space that is connected to a playpen.
“The idea is that any student that has children is able to come to the library. Their children are welcome, and they can use that workstation to keep an eye on their children while still being able to study,” Comerford said.
Comerford hopes the new resources deliver support and encouragement to the NMSU community.
“The library is a welcoming and open space and provides students with resources they need to be academically successful, and we want to make sure we provide a level of comfort and attend to all students’ needs,” he said. “We want them to feel safe and welcome, and to have everything they need at their fingertips.”
Visit the Emerging Technology Learning Lab’s website for more details.
