MSU-DCL Library Moves Forward with an Eye Toward Perfection BY NELIA VAN GOOR Staff members at the MSU-DCL Law Library are working to destroy some of the stereotypes applied to many library atmospheres. The services that the law library offers, in addition to the availability of resources, have made the library a place where students feel at home. The library’s top priority is students’ needs. Not only have improvements been made to the physical layout of the library for added comfort, but also the staff provides excellent resources, both human and textual, for students. “We want to communicate that we are trying to be all things to all people to the extent possible,” stresses Professor Charles Ten Brink, director of library and technology services. “People have different needs in their studies, in their careers and in their lives, and we want to cater to as many of those as possible in the library.” Part of the library’s success in assisting students results from its use of focus groups and from other student feedback. Recently the library organized a monthly coffee hour where students and faculty have the opportunity to interact in an informal, relaxed setting. “The excellent turnout is an indication that students are thinking of the library as a place to meet people,” Ten Brink points out. Library staff members gather on the library stairs. Left row, front to back, are Charles Ten Brink, Janet Hedin, Rita Stevenson, Hildur Hanna, Mary Ferguson and Scott Nagele. Right row, front to back, are Jim LaMacchia, Lance Werner, Sandi Baker, Kathy Prince, Mahbuba Fidda and Jane Edwards. Research also is a major focus of the librarians, and they want to make this clear to students. The librarians rely heavily on their own experience with research to help students become better advocates. “I think the librarians are interested in portraying research as a process and seeing to it that students learn this in an integrated fashion,” Ten Brink explains. “It’s part and parcel of the process of learning the law.” Library staff and users had an exciting technological breakthrough when the law library’s catalog merged with MSU’s catalog. Patrons, both undergraduates and law students, now have access to all of MSU’s libraries, providing vast resources for students to use. “It was a great experience working with MSU during this process,” Associate Director Hildur Hanna comments. “The MSU library was extremely accommodating, and it was a pleasure working with them.” This merger, along with the development of a database that allows faculty members to make online requests, has helped the library to perfect its support for curricular development and faculty research. Hanna also prepared a fall series of doughnut-and-coffee meetings with new faculty members to discuss their research. These discussions help the librarians gain a solid understanding of faculty member research. “The meetings have been extremely well received,” Ten Brink says. “The faculty members we’ve met with so far have been really happy to talk with us about their work with us because it enables us to be proactive and anticipate their information needs. It helps us focus on the high level of academic research faculty do here,” Ten Brink says. The library has recently embarked upon a journey to perfect its services. Several projects are under way. One—a historical archive—will help the law college retain some of the history it may have lost since the move to the MSU campus. “I think it’s an important historical reminder that this isn’t an institution that just sprang out of the ground five years ago,” Ten Brink says. “The college has a long, 111-year history.” Most important, however, is the library’s service and commitment to law students, faculty and other users. “The most important thing to remember is that we are a service,” Hanna adds. “Service is at the core of our duties.” Evident in the library’s continual efforts, this won’t easily be forgotten. Mary Ferguson, ’02, knows first hand about dedication to service. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she joined Americorps Vista, part of the National Americorps Program, and dedicated a year of volunteer work to national homelessness. During this time, she began to understand the political aspects of the many issues with which she dealt, and decided a year later to attend law school at MSU-DCL. “My dream was to go to law school so I could learn the law and become a politician who understands how the law operates in all of the different facets of the government,” says Ferguson. Ferguson, who became circulation desk manager the summer after her graduation, enjoys the research and flexible schedule the library offers. “I wanted my first job experience to be a part of a team such as the one here,” she explains. “I also really like being in an academic setting.” Although she has in mind several career paths, including teaching, Ferguson feels that her law background and library experience will always be of great value to her. Says Ferguson, “In the library, you are allowed to express and design your ideas that are accepted and molded into the needs of the library, which directly reflects the needs of the law school as a whole.” Janet Ann Hedin, ’83, who has worked for the law library since 1979, has been through the momentous changes taking place over the last decade at MSU-DCL. She worked full time for the state defender’s office in Detroit following graduation, but remained part time at the law library. After the decision to move the Detroit campus to Michigan State University, Janet had some decisions of her own to make. “My job at the defender’s office was at a stand-still, and MSU-DCL knew I was interested in working here,” she explains. “When a full-time reference position opened up, they asked if I wanted to take it. It took me less than 24 hours to say ‘Yes, I’d love the job.’” Although she still lives in Detroit, her commitment to her career at the law library is well worth the daily commute. “Besides the fact that I love doing reference work, I also really enjoy working with the students,” she says. She agreed to coordinate and direct the Council on Legal Education Opportunities (CLEO) institute that took place at MSU-DCL last summer. “I’m willing, and I like doing anything I can to promote the law school,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons I agreed to be the director for CLEO.” Hedin intends to earn her master’s degree in library science, and she plans to remain in the library for a while. “Being a DCL alumna, I’m really looking forward to all of the changes that will take place,” she explains. “I also think most of the patrons know that when I’m working on a problem, I tend to go to the ends of the earth to try and find an answer for them.” When the MSU-DCL library offered Lance Werner, ’01, a position as circulation manager during his final year of law school, he gladly accepted the job. “I decided I wanted to stay in the library,” Werner says. “I really liked the field and enjoyed what I was doing.” He was promoted to reference librarian this past summer. Earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Northern Colorado, he knew that his opportunities for finding a job were limited. After working for two years, Werner decided that a law degree was the best option. He has since found a passion working in the library atmosphere and with the MSU-DCL staff. “The experience I’m getting here is invaluable,” he explains. “I feel really privileged to work with such a wonderful staff. There are so many knowledgeable people here that have been mentors to me.” While Werner is working on his master’s degree, his career at the law library is helping him reach his ultimate goal to become a library director at a law school. With a new baby and a career path laid out, Werner is philosophical: “It’s an exciting time to work for MSU-DCL. I think with the changes that are taking place and the direction in which the school is going, working at MSU-DCL is a great opportunity. I look forward to the future here.”