The Mary Couts Burnett Library has developed a variety of ways to reach out and connect with students. The goal is to show students (and faculty) that the MCB Library staff are approachable, resourceful and can help them flourish at TCU.
The TCU Library is my main place for focusing, in fact, it's the only place I can focus. Love Club Lib…it's always bumpin.
—TCU student
Brooke Winter
An academic library can be intimidating, especially for first-year students, so we try to reach out with campus-wide special events to help ease stress and build meaningful relationships. Such events like, Welcome Back is an opportunity for library staff to answer student questions and help them navigate campus. Once again library staff spent the first few days of fall taking it to the people, distributing cold bottles of water along with assistance and assurance to students as they entered a new year—or phase of life—at TCU. Contests during the year have become a hit with students. The I Love the TCU Library contest encourages students to tell us what they love about the library and the My Five Favorite Books contest is a great way for students to share their passion for reading. Finals Break Time always scores big with students. During fall and spring semester finals MCB staff handed out snacks to students, which were donated from local restaurants, bakeries and drink distributors such as Coke. It is definitely a win/win event.
The TCU community has come to rely on our research librarians to enrich and enhance their academic experience. The research librarians provide instructional expertise by demonstrating how to utilize our resources and provide support to help students achieve educational and academic goals.
The Library has become the one-stop shop for research and social networking. Students can collaborate on group projects using the ever-popular "Frog Pods" (open-air spaces with tables, white boards, computers and computer screens) and group study rooms or they can study quietly in the newly updated Gearhart Reading Room. The Bistro has also become a gathering and meeting place, in addition to a coffee shop, where students come to connect. The updated area has been furnished with inviting seating space drawing students to sit and eat, study or simply socialize. The Library has the largest computer lab on campus where students can do research, work on projects and check e-mails. Students come early to find an open computer.
To welcome new and first-year students and assist with making their transition to TCU a positive and enriching experience, library staff participate in several activities. Frog Camp is an off-campus experiential orientation that helps integrate and connect new students with the TCU community. Orientation helps students (and families) successfully begin their academic careers at TCU by providing essential information.
The Library enjoys its students and takes the right steps to ensure an effective happy, happy, happy!