We Never Close
Thu, 05/19/2011 - 13:56
The honor system works for one college library
A chemistry class uses Rice-Aron Library's Research Bar to search for sources for a final paper. Photo by Rice-Aron Library; more Research Bar photos available at www.flickr.com/photos/ricearonlibrary/sets/72157625739349786/.
Imagine that your library building is open 24/7 with no overnight staff or security gates. What if trusting patrons to abide by the honor system actually worked? That’s the reality at Marlboro (Vt.) College's Rice-Aron Library, where an open-door policy has been in effect for decades.
To understand this library, you must consider the campus it serves. At Marlboro College, a private liberal arts institution founded in 1946 on two farms in rural southern Vermont, students develop a personalized Plan of Concentration. With 300 students and 40 faculty members, the educational culture is very intimate.
Emily Alling, who describes herself as a practitioner-administrator, is the library’s director. She is involved with day-to-day tasks, such as teaching, processing requests, and cleaning up messes, but also oversees the larger strategic vision. One of the most pivotal places she spends her time is the monthly Town Meetings where campus decisions are discussed and voted upon by students, faculty, and staff.
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