Library Center Analysis #4: Academic Library, Research Institution

The next library that I visited was the Tampa Campus of the University of South Florida Library.  This library is located on Fowler Avenue in Tampa, with on line access at http://www.lib.usf.edu/.  The University library is larger in scope and function, and is larger than all of the other libraries I visited combined, with a staff that would exceed that of the combined libraries as well. 
According to their website, the Tampa Library offers access to over 1.3 million books, as well as electronic resources, audio/visual materials and journals. (Exact statistics for the 2009-2010 school year, including staff numbers are available here).  The library is open to students 24 hours a day during the week, with shortened hours on weekends, and is a gathering place, study facility and computer lab for students.  The library has undergone many changes since my Undergraduate days at USF, including the addition of a Starbuck's Cafe on the first floor and expanded seating and workstation areas.  Also on the first floor is the Writing Center, the IT help desk, and the reference desk.  Also unique to the University Library is the extensive access to Special Collections including manuscripts, rare books, and artifacts.

At the reference desk, I spoke to librarian Merilyn Burke about her job.  Burke decided to become a librarian after being influenced by her admiration of own high school librarian, and received her degree from Syracuse University.  She has worked as a Medical Librarian (doing serials and reference), as an Area Studies librarian (reference, technology, and collection development), as an Itinerant librarian (while home with her children) and as an Academic Librarian (in circulation, access, and reference).  Burke says that she has enjoyed all of these positions, because the service is the same even when the patrons are different.  She no longer is a member of any professional organizations, although she has been a member in the past.

Her favorite part of working as a reference librarian at USF is the one on one with the students.  Burke enjoys the research consultations, helping students to learn the databases and to become more information literate.  She also teaches classes in several disciplines such as anthropology and religious studies to guide students to finding appropriate resources in these areas.

One of the main differences between the University Library and the other libraries that I visited (besides the vast number of sources) is the size of the staff.  At many of the libraries, the librarian that I spoke to was the only librarian or one of a small number of librarians accompanied by support staff and volunteers.  While USF also has a large number of support staff and graduate student employees, there is a network of peers that the other locations did not have available.  I think that this would make a big difference in the working environment.  The staff was very friendly and professional, and willing to help students with any number of different questions.  The University Library provides opportunities for many different specialties of library science, allowing a new librarian to experience many different facets of the profession.