"Date Night with Tommy G" is the student shorthand for studying late into the night at the Thomas G. Carpenter Library. The library is open 119.5 hours weekly and 24 /7 during the two weeks of exam time each semester.
The Library Commons renovation transformed the first and second floors that now offer many different types of spaces for collaborative learning, group study, writing on the walls, tutoring, and taking advantage of technology. Signage is supplemented by the "River of Knowledge" wayfinding pattern in the carpet that is made from recycled fishing nets.
The installation of turnstiles promotes safety and gathers data on use.
During the Fall Term 2016, the turnstiles recorded that over 81% of all students had come to the library with a visit count of almost 400,000. The library's new sound dampening system helps everyone concentrate even with the high traffic.
Tommy G's offers students, faculty and the community over 300,000 ebooks, 38,000 electronic journals and 66,000 streaming videos. There are over 500 computers available in the library and our 78 laptops were checked out over 33,000 times. Most importantly, Tommy G's staff and faculty strive to be proactive, collaborative and user-centered.
Our partnerships and service philosophy have resulted in Tommy G's becoming truly the academic hub of the campus.