ESS 114: Kresge Engineering Library

LAURA VOGT: Hi, my name is Laura Vogt and I’m the Communications and Events Manager for Engineering Student Services in the College of Engineering. Welcome back for this week’s episode of the (Not So) Secret Guide to Being a Berkeley Engineer. We’re going to explore a fantastic resource for you the library and I’m excited to have Lisa know from the engineering library. Lisa can you tell us about yourself?

LISA NGO: Sure. My name’s Lisa Ngo and I’m one of the two engineering librarians that we have down at the Kresge Engineering Library.

LAURA: Can you tell us give us an overall view of the libraries that are available on campus for students?

LISA: During your tour you might have seen the library in Moffitt and Doe libraries which are the two main libraries. But we also have about 20 actually more than 20 subjects specialty libraries that are spread all around campus. Each library has kind of their own atmosphere and their own personality. So we really encourage students to kind of check them out and see which ones they will like studying in and what are the library hours for it in general for the students. So engineering library actually has one of the longest hours. We are open until midnight on most days. Moffitt library is open 24/5 and during finals week at the main stacks and at library is open 24 hours a day so that you can study into the night.

LAURA: Do you have online resources also available or is it just that you have to walk in and check out books for engineering?

LISA: A lot of our collections are actually all online now and so you have 24/7 access to thousands and thousands of e-books and also online journals.

LAURA: How do students use the library services?

LISA: You just need to have your Cal 1 card and your student ID number and your account passphrase. You can access everything from in-person or online.

LAURA: I know that you have in the engineering library some excellent rooms that students can reserve. Can you tell me about what the rooms are and what they’re used for?

LISA: We have five study rooms that are heavily used. They’re really really popular with the students and you can reserve them online on the engineering library’s website. The rooms have whiteboards and they also have connections for laptops to display on a monitor so students use the rooms for anything from Group study to doing interviews and doing webcasting.

LAURA: Oh that’s nice. I didn’t realize that you couldn’t do what custom from there. That’s a nice thing to be able to do and when you’re making their reservations we’ll put a link to the site on our website welcomengineer.berkeley.edu. You can always quickly go there and find the links to the library as well. Can students check out other materials besides books?

LISA: Yeah the library is so much more than books these days. So we also do device check out so you can check out laptops from our library. You can check out phone chargers. You can check out presentation kits that have connections and also pointers and wireless mice. And you can also get scientific calculators.

LAURA: And how long do the when you check something out but how long does it last for?

LISA: It varies. And so you can ask about it. Or you can check out our website for more information about how long you can check things out.

LAURA: Often, each of the courses has a textbook. Typically do you have textbooks which students can check out?

LISA: Yes, so faculty will usually tell us at the beginning of the semester what textbooks are being used for their courses and then we obtain copies and check them out for students if they happen to not have their textbooks on on hand that day and they just need access, they can check it out at the library.

LAURA: One thing that we’re constantly telling students to do is make sure they get enough sleep. And so I hear that you have nap spaces, tell me more about those.

LISA: Yes they are super popular. The ASUC created a few nap zones around campus and the engineering library jumped on the chance to be one of them. So we have these really comfortable leather reclining chairs in this quiet area in the library and you can come in and take a nap.

LAURA: I can’t imagine how popular it is during finals and midterms.

LISA: It is very popular.

LAURA: What do you hear students say that they like best about the library?

LISA: What we hear the most is that the library is really a hub for the College of Engineering students who love coming and meeting up with other students, just running into classmates and just you know studying and being around other engineering students there.

LAURA: Do you have positions available where students can come in and work during the year?

LISA: Yeah. The library system is actually one of the largest employers of students on campus, so we always have student positions available. So if you’re looking for a job check out our website and see what’s available at any of the libraries.

LAURA: Do they have to be work study only?

LISA: We have a variety of positions, some work study, some not.

LAURA: Are the librarians readily available for students to ask questions if they are not able to find what they need?

LISA: Yes. So the other librarians name is Anna Sackman and we are both always available. You can feel free to come by the engineering library and talk to us or we’re available via email or phone.

LAURA: Is there anything else you want to add that you really want people to know what the library is and why they should use it?

LISA: Yeah. We are a super welcoming space on campus and we’re open to everybody so please come by. We’re on the first floor of the Bechtel Engineering Center, right downstairs from Engineering Student Services. So come by and you know have a seat, take a nap, get a laptop, get a textbook and just come visit.

LAURA: Thank you so much for stopping by today. I’m really excited that we got to share a little bit more about the resources available to the students. Thank you Lisa. LISA: You’re welcome. Thanks for having me.

LAURA: And thank you so much for tuning in, we’ll see you again next week. Thank you.