By Cole Strzelecki
One of the greatest resources available to students at Western New England University is D’Amour Library. It offers a wide variety of materials for all sorts of academic needs, such as study rooms, printers, computers, and a vast collection of books. While students often utilize these supplies, some may not realize the full extent the library goes to ensure every student is satisfied with their visit.
“At D’Amour Library, we want to give those who utilize our resources a sense of home,” Library Director Priscilla Perkins explained, “that goes for both our students and our University’s faculty.” Their methods of achieving this extend farther than the beautiful and timely decorations hung throughout the library, though. The primary way they provide this is through how the librarians support students’ learning processes with factual information.
After talking to multiple members of the D’Amour Library staff, the general opinion was that the Librarians themselves were the best resources available to students. “The librarians do not get utilized enough, which is a shame since they can offer students so much,” stated Evening Circulation Supervisor Elizabeth Mascaro. There is usually a librarian available to speak with at the reference desk on the first floor from opening until 9 p.m. If they are not at the library in person, the Ask a Librarian section of the D’Amour Library website is always a viable option, as it links you directly to a librarian through an online messaging system.
Speaking of the website, D’Amour Library offers helpful and factual information online. Its website contains many ways to find and utilize resources available to the library. These methods include D’Amour’s large assortment of databases, research guides, the university archives, and, of course, FIND IT! @ D’AMOUR LIBRARY.
FIND IT! @ D’AMOUR LIBRARY is a helpful resource available on the D’Amour Library website. This aspect of the website allows people to search for articles, books, and other media available at the library. With its advanced search system, anything the library has access to is also accessible through this database. But in a case where D’Amour does not have the resource you are looking for, there is still a way they can get it to you.
The interlibrary loan system allows D’Amour Library to find a resource you are looking for that happens to be unavailable at our University. This process occurs by having D’Amour Library borrow materials from another college’s library. The process to request an interlibrary loan is quite simple, to the point where all you need to do is fill out a form available on the library’s website. After that, your request should get processed by the next day, and you will receive your requested material in one to two weeks.
Not every resource is strictly education-based at the library, though. D’Amour Library offers materials that students can use for leisurely purposes as well, such as DVDs and, of course, books. The library holds a wide variety of options for these forms of media, so you can always find something new and absorbing to watch or read from there.
There is something for everyone at D’Amour Library, whether it’s for your academic needs or your leisure. “Our biggest effort at D’Amour Library is taking care of the members of our University,” informed Circulation Associate Gina Finnegan. “We could not do what we do for Western New England University if it wasn’t for our patrons,” Perkins added. In the end, D’Amour Library is grateful for the members at our University that utilize their resources and will continue to provide an abundance of materials and information for years to come.
