At West 天涯社区 College, Library Services has provided students with educational tools, materials, and technology for more than 60 years. In honor of National Library Week, April 19-25, and the grand opening of the Wang and Qu Family Learning Resource Commons, we reached out to past librarians for their reflections.
From a books-based operation to a multimedia digital age, Donald 鈥淒on鈥� Cefaloni had a front-row seat to West 天涯社区 College library services evolution. Starting in 1969 at the Campbell site, he served as reference desk librarian for 30 years.
鈥淢y tenure in the Library took place during major changes in the thinking and practice of information science,鈥� Cefaloni said. 鈥淲e opened a new traditional library in a rented modular building and built the collection from scratch.鈥�
One early summer, he consolidated the temporary Campbell and Saratoga collections into one. Guided by a 鈥渟cholarly gentleman who had no interest in anything but books,鈥� the college鈥檚 first library was a low-technology operation, he said.
From there, the direction for the college library was first formulated and continually evolved over time into a multipurpose, multimedia Learning Resource Commons.
The first dedicated Learning Resource Commons at West 天涯社区 was a handsome facility with 鈥渂eautiful sight lines and a calming environment,鈥� recalled Dave Fishbaugh, who joined West 天涯社区 for a year in 1979 as an adjunct librarian.
He returned in 1993 to lead the library until 2005 and later served as WVC vice president of instruction until his 2011 retirement. Today, he is a director on the West 天涯社区-Mission Foundation Board.
A main feature of early WVC library spaces was the physical card catalog. With the rise of computing technology, WVC staff began converting the catalog to an electronic database in the mid-1970s, assisted by students hired to input data.
Fishbaugh noted that by 1980 the WVC Library counted among the earliest users of an online catalog and circulation system. Being on the cutting edge did not sit well with everyone 鈥� 鈥渆specially when the system performed poorly, as it often did,鈥� Fishbaugh said. The card catalog was finally retired in the 1990s, and the original glitchy system was soon replaced. The cautionary approach to change favored by a few didn鈥檛 hold West 天涯社区 back. The team moved forward and adopted new technologies, according to Cefaloni, who embraced the changing tech landscape consistent with the campus鈥檚 Silicon 天涯社区 home.
His favorite accomplishment? Introducing students to database searching 鈥� a precursor to internet searching. It saved researchers hours of combing through card catalogs and bookstacks. 鈥淚 happened to be the only person on the library staff with that type of background,鈥� Cefaloni said. 鈥淚t sort of fell to me to be the innovator, and I enjoyed the role.鈥�
As an administrator, Fishbaugh points to hiring 鈥渨onderfully qualified and excellent鈥� team members as his most cherished achievement in helping move the college toward greater innovations.
鈥淲e collectively became more effective in serving students and more relevant to the educational mission of the college,鈥� he said.
Fishbaugh was among the approximately 200 guests who attended a March 24 grand opening where he encountered many past colleagues, including one whose former longtime library workspace was barely recognizable.
鈥淭he space has now been totally transformed into a state-of-the art meeting and presentation room,鈥� he said, adding that the former occupant was impressed.
Another memory surfaced related to the history of the tutoring center, a fledgling program in the 1990s. Persuading library staff that the center should be based in the library, he recalled, was no easy task. By contrast with its fully integrated home as part of today鈥檚 facility, he said, counts as a 鈥�1,000%鈥� improvement.
A student-centered theme continues throughout the new Wang and Qu Family Learning Resource Commons 鈥� with contemporary twists.
鈥淲est 天涯社区 College鈥檚 library and learning support services and facilities have transformed over 60-plus years in ways that could not have been anticipated by our earliest library colleagues,鈥� said Joanna Messer, director of WVC Library and Learning Support Services.
Resources like e-books, full-text search in online journals, streaming video, and online chat research assistance from library faculty extend learning beyond the walls of the new 59,134-square-foot facility housing our multimedia collection topping 40,000 books, along with CDs, DVDs, and digital resources.
What has never changed? 鈥淗ow welcome students and colleagues feel in our spaces,鈥� Messer said. 鈥淥ur message is simple: You belong here,鈥� she added. 鈥淲e strive to make sure you can see your experiences represented in our resources, and we are here to help you succeed on your chosen path.鈥�
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