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Lehman Library Turns the Page into a New Era
Three years ago, Lehman Library was described by one writer in the Communiqué student newspaper as “frozen in its early ‘70s glory” without “enough open space to study or chat.” Those students might be surprised to visit Lehman Social Sciences Library today. Since 2007, the library has undertaken a dramatic renovation, replacing 20th-century practices with 21st-century technology and learning tools.
Foremost among the changes is the new Digital Social Science Center, situated in a large corner of the library that once housed dark and dusty stacks of government documents. Funded partially by SIPA, the Digital Social Science Center (DSSC) contains 22 high-end computer work stations. Each work station is specially configured to help students work with large amounts of numeric and geo-spatial data, the primary tools of their research. Most of the terminals are at kiosks intended to seat at least two students, allowing for greater collaboration.
There’s also a new consultation room. “The consultation room is a very visible space where students can work together with library staff,” says Jane Weintrop, Lehman’s Data Services Librarian.” It adds another resource to the DSSC: the expertise of subject specialists and staff trained in the use of numeric and spatial data.”
The DSSC also offers students the opportunity to hone their presentation skills, with the help of digital video. The presentation practice room features a wall-mounted camera which records their presentation, so groups can review and critique their performances. The DSSC also contains a Bloomberg terminal, where students can monitor and analyze real-time financial market data.
Around the corner, former students might be surprised to see that the old card catalogue is gone, displaced by bright and airy group study rooms. Since most reference materials can be found at the click of the mouse, SIPA and library staff worked together to refurnish the room, making it into a space where groups of students can work together on projects. The group study room consists of 19 tables, some behind opaque glass partitions. All tables have electrical outlets, most have Ethernet connections and wireless internet is available throughout the library. And for students who think better with a little chalk dust in the air, there are five old-fashioned blackboards on the walls.
If all of this sounds a bit noisy, venture across the library to the quiet study space. It was renovated in 2007, with new carpet, lighting, chairs, and refinished tabletops. Each workspace features electric and internet connections. But remaining in the middle of the room is a nod to the past – a gigantic conference table donated some years ago by General Electric.
“It’s been a great partnership between Lehman Library and SIPA,” says Mary Giunta, Lehman Library’s Head of Access Services and Technical Support. “So much more curriculum is centered on group study. So there was a tremendous need for a campus workspace such as this – where students can talk amongst themselves and not be afraid of being shushed.”
Even after graduation, alumni can take advantage of Lehman Library, and other Columbia University libraries. There are many online databases available to any alumnus with a computer: business information, scholarly journals, and newspaper and magazine articles. Alumni can also access CLIO, the online catalog for the Columbia and Barnard libraries. CLIO includes more than 4 million records for over 92 percent of the Libraries' collections. There are also the digital library collections, such as the Papers of John Jay and Digital Scriptorium. All you need to access these services is your University Network ID (UNI).
Learn more about the Digital Social Science Center.
Learn more about E-resources for alumni.