Charles V. Park Library

Charles V. Park Library
Location	Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
Campus	Central Michigan University
Website	http://library.cmich.edu/

Charles V. Park Library is the main library of Central Michigan University, named after librarian Charles V. Park. It is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The Clarke Historical Library is located within the library as well.

History

The library was built in 1968 and opened to students in 1969. The 173,500-square-foot (16,120 m²) structure was about three times as large as the former library located in Ronan Hall and cost $4.2 million to erect. As the building of the library was helped by a federal grant, the original cornerstone of the library contained Richard Nixon's inaugural address and a report on the war in Vietnam written by Secretary of State Dean Rusk.

The library was expanded and renovated at a cost of $50 million dollars in the early 21st century. It was reopened to the public in 2002. The architects for the expansion were URS, Inc. and Woollen, Molzan and Partners.

Off-Campus Library Services

The Off-Campus Library Services (OCLS) department at Central Michigan University is one of the oldest, continuously running programs of its kind in the United States. Established in 1976 in collaboration with the Central Michigan University Libraries, OCLS delivers a full range of library materials and services to students and instructors associated with the university's off-campus programs. OCLS acts as a link between the resources of the Park Library and more than 7,000 CMU students and faculty engaged at 13 remote campuses across the state of Michigan and more than 40 instructional sites across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A growing number of online courses are also served by the department. Services offered include Reference assistance via telephone, web form, email, and chat software as well as online and face-to-face instructional presentations by OCLS librarians, electronic document delivery of requested materials from CMU's collections and beyond, and assistance obtaining coursepack copyright clearance for faculty teaching in off-campus programs.

OCLS provides leadership in the field of off-campus library services by organizing and hosting a biennial conference devoted to the topic of distance library services. Since 1982, the Off-Campus Library Services Conference has been held as a way promote communication and learning among librarians, educators, and administrators who are committed to providing library services for academic programs offered and students enrolled beyond their campuses. Participants discuss, study, demonstrate, and champion the technology, techniques, and theories of distance librarianship. Through published proceedings this information is made available to all who have an interest in this field. The most recent conference was held in Salt Lake City, Utah in April 2008 and attracted 206 participants from educational institutions in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Pakistan. Previous conferences have been held in Cleveland, Ohio (2010), Salt Lake City, Utah (2008), Savannah, Georgia (2006), Carefree, Arizona (2004); Cincinnati, Ohio (2002); Portland, Oregon (2000); Providence, Rhode Island (1998); San Diego, California (1995); Kansas City, Missouri (1993); Albuquerque, New Mexico (1991); Charleston, South Carolina (1988); Reno, Nevada (1986); Knoxville, Tennessee (1985); and St. Louis, Missouri (1982).

Figures

• 306,988 total gross square feet
• 1.3 million volume storage capacity
• 300 computers with internet access for patron use
• 33 miles (53 km) of compact shelving
• 2,655 patron seating capacity
• 144 seat multimedia auditorium

Sources

• The Libraries of Central Michigan University: Over a Century of Service

External links

• Central Michigan University Libraries
• CONDOR - CMU Digital Object Respository.
• Clarke Historical Library