The library in Building 6. Photo by Bailey Perkins
As the new school year starts, it is blatantly obvious that there are new sights and services all around campus here at DMACC-Ankeny. One of the most noticeable of these improvements is the library expansion project which included setting the library close to where it was prior to the bookstore moving to Building 6 while its home in Building 5 was being torn down and rebuilt.
Part of this project, which took place between May and early July of 2017, was to remove the dividing wall that stood between the bookstore and the library, along with an update to the old bookshelves and reducing the height of two shelves to open the space and make a sitting and charging area just around the corner from the computers.
During the tour of the new updates, Rebecca Funke, Director of Library Resources, showed off the new “round tables” which are attached to some pillars in the main study area. These tables come equipped outlets and USB ports to charge devices such as phones and laptops.
Funke said that the new round tables and the tables in the newest sitting area are especially important to students due to the fact that many times it’s hard to find an outlet around campus to charge up. New carpet was also installed in the library, something that had not been replaced since the early 90’s and that needed to be done due to the old bookstore having different carpet than the library did.
A new electronic feature in the library is mobile wi-fi hotspots from Verizon which students can check out for one week. These new devices serve as a solution to students battling internet issues at home or during transition periods, to connect students to online classes or other vital studying tools only found on the internet. When asked how the library in particular is combating a more paperless world with new advancements in technology everyday Funke replied with, “Students like to engage with academic books, they like the paper version.”
Not only are there new improvements to the library but all around campus, as well: improved holes in the pavement on DMACC Blvd, repainted parts of Building 23, and added speed tables on pedestrian crossing along DMACC Blvd. Part of the sidewalks projects around campus were actually done by students in building trades.
Ned Miller, executive director of the Physical Plant, is responsible for over 2 million square feet, 55 buildings at twelve separate locations. The Physical Plant has a budget of over $1,000,000 for upgrade projects that need to be spread all over DMACC campuses. Miller oversees the Physical Plant which includes several departments, such as the grounds crew which is made up of five full time workers and 35 temporary workers who work to replace the annuals and clean out the flower beds scattered around campus, as part of their duties.
The grounds crew is working to plant trees around campus as they are removed, some due to ongoing construction and maintenance around campus. “It is our goal to replace trees as we take them out, sometimes our ratio isn’t 1:1, but we do try our best,” said Miller when asked about other planting projects to beautify campus.
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