Exploring the Library

By Jeremy Thomas

You’re probably thinking, big deal….the library, but bear with me!  This 5 level structure has so much to offer.

One of the plantation bays on level 2.

For starters, both its initial construction and design were based heavily upon environmental sustainability. A lot of the material used to construct the library came from post-consumer recycled content, while 80% of the construction waste was recycled. Keeping on with the green theme, most of the roofing of the library has plantation. Yeah it looks good, but that isn’t the main reason.  The water that’s collected in the plantation is stored in a massive water tank underground.  This tank is then used for garden irrigation as well as the library toilets. Next time you’re doing your business in the toilet, check out the water colour! (It’s brown). Continuing on, there’s two plantation bays found on both levels 1 and 2.  Covered by glass panels, they provide a vast amount of natural light, reducing energy usage on artificial lighting.

Let’s roll on to other things.  The library contains over 200 computers which of course have the handy use of printing. Can’t find a free computer? That’s ok, you can also hire netbooks for a short amount of time from the service desk. In addition to this, you can also hire out laptop lockers. Charge your laptop while you’re out and about doing other things.

Books? Yeah it has books, lots of books, in fact the library contains over 1.8 million print and electronic items. They are retrieved both online and in the library on levels 1 and 2. More interestingly, a lot of the libraries books are stored underground and are selected for use via computer. This is known as ARC (Automated Retrieval Collection) a computerized machine that retrieves your selection, pretty fancy stuff. The Library also contains restricted access collections of particular books, journals, newspapers etc. They can be accessed but under firm supervision.

More? Yes!  There’s lots more. Every level has some assortment of study areas. Comfortable lounges, desks with laptop chargers and of course group presentation areas, commonly known as practice pods. These pods contain whiteboards, LCD screens and interactive whiteboards, so grab your group together and go nuts! On the odd occasion you get a bit peckish or possibly tired from the strenuous study, check out the library café right near the entrance, great to place to have a coffee and relax. Last thing on the agenda is the exciting exhibitions the library holds. Although I’ve yet to see one myself, they do seem pretty interesting. Have a look at past collections here: http://library.mq.edu.au/exhibitions/archive.html

MQU Library entrance

I highly encourage everyone to explore the library and trust me when I say, ask staff for help, they know everything. Overall, who knew a library had so much depth.