NCSU Libraries Focus Online

Volume 26 number 1 - Fall 2005

Students Pave the Way to Success

By Anna Dahlstein, External Relations

Civil engineering major Michael Cropper was “spending practically twenty-four hours a day in the library” when Student Government issued a call for volunteers to represent the undergraduate student body on the University Library Committee (ULC). Cropper signed up right away. “I wanted to make sure that the Libraries got enough seating for students and the right type of seating. In engineering, we do a lot of team projects. We need library spaces that can accommodate group work,” he explained. Cropper served on the ULC for two years before graduating, and he returned for another term as a graduate student in 2004.

Composed of faculty, staff, and students, the ULC advises NC State’s provost and its director of libraries on the formulation of policy related to the general program of library service, the development of resources for instruction and research, and the allocation of book funds and library space.

Anuj Dhawan, a doctoral candidate in textile and apparel technology and management, was already serving as an officer for the University Graduate Student Association when he got involved in the ULC. Although volunteering for the committee represented an active commitment, Dhawan viewed his decision to serve as a no-brainer.

“It wasn’t an obligation, but rather an opportunity to express our views. We [graduate students] are the prime users of the library. Many of us work full-time and can’t get to the library until late in the evening. That’s why we reacted so strongly when budget cuts threatened to reduce the hours in 2002.”

All three found that their efforts paid off. “[Vice Provost and Director of Libraries] Susan Nutter makes sure that student voices are heard and that our opinions are valued. Whatever the issue--journal subscriptions, security, the Hill of Beans coffee bar--we really got stuff done,” assured Rider. Graduate student Erich Fabricius found his involvement in the ULC so worthwhile that he has entered his sixth year on the committee. Together with fellow graduate student Chad V. Jordan, Fabricius has reviewed the floor plans and renovation goals for the East Wing of the D. H. Hill Library.

Nutter is so impressed by the dedication shown by these students and their peers that she felt their names should literally be set in stone. “Through all their hard work, these students have left a permanent mark on the Libraries. They deserve to be remembered with a permanent token of appreciation.”

Nutter joins a growing group of Friends of the Library, faculty members, alumni, librarians, and students who have ordered engraved bricks to pave the walkway into the D. H. Hill Library. For instance, NC State alumna Linda Stone reserved a white brick in memory of the late Roy A. Larson, an internationally known poinsettia breeder who served thirty-five years on the faculty of NCSU’s Department of Horticultural Science. Meanwhile, Doris and J. Rush Thompson Jr. selected an inscription recognizing several generations of proud Wolfpack alumni in their family: Joe, who attended the college in the late 1930s, Rush (Class of 1969), Doris (Class of 1970), and their son Truett (B.S. 1997, M.S. 1999). For NC State insiders, the popularity of the bricks requires no explanation. The Brickyard outside the library is the heart of the campus. Proceeds from the brick campaign are going toward the D. H. Hill Library’s renovation project. Private support of this nature is essential for enhancing the quality and function of public spaces; bond funding provided by the taxpayers of North Carolina will enable basic upgrades to the infrastructure.

As part of the university Achieve! Campaign for NC State, the Libraries is seeking $10 million for initiatives that will support students and faculty not only through new and renovated library facilities, but also by expanding the collections strategically, pioneering digital library services, and recruiting the best academic librarians in the nation. While an array of attractive naming opportunities is available, the brick campaign allows donors at all levels to participate in supporting the NCSU Libraries.

Jivan Moaddeb, who just graduated from NC State, is delighted that she and her sister Negela, another former ULC member, will be remembered on campus, right outside the library where they spent countless hours studying for exams, honing their research skills, and shaping the library into what they needed it to be.