B.D. Owens Library relocating services, resources to enhance collaboration

As Northwest Missouri State University students return to the campus for the fall semester, the B.D. Owens Library has shifted some of its services and resources to enhance student collaboration.

“There are many student activities held in the B.D. Owens Library that share common spaces,” Dr. Ed Walton, the director of library services and operations at Northwest, said. “Balancing space utilization that enhanced students’ ability to find both silent and collaborative study spaces while not detracting from the shared spaces was the motivation for these changes.”

The Owens Library serves as a hub for student activity with a variety of resources and services to support learning, research and collaboration. (Photo by Chandu Ravi Krishna/Northwest Missouri State University)

Individual study rooms, now labeled Small Study Rooms, will allow up to two occupants working collaboratively. In turn, Owens Library expects the change to increase the availability of group study rooms, now labeled Large Study Rooms, for groups of three to four occupants.

“These changes will increase the options for collaborative work while still providing silent study spaces away from the small and large study rooms that have been hard to effectively soundproof,” Assistant Library Director Brandy Brady said.

Reservations for study rooms can be made in three-hour blocks by visiting the Owens Library webpage or by contacting the library services desk at olcirc@nwmissouri.edu.

Additionally, the Writing Center, which provides writing assistance to Northwest students, relocated to the southwest corner of the library’s first floor. Its former location on the building’s second floor is transitioning to a silent space while the library intends to create more collaborative spaces on its third floor.

The Owens Library, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last spring, serves as a hub for student activity at Northwest. In addition to the Writing Center, it houses the Student Success Center, Learning and Teaching Center, International Involvement Center and a Starbucks as well as being a valuable resource center for learning and research.