William T. Young Library

Blog Post #3

Topic: William T. Young Library

    After being at UK for a few weeks, I have realized that I have begun to spend a fair amount of my time at the William T. Young Library. To find out more about it I went to the University of Kentucky's online library database to find out more about all that the library has to offer.
-http://libraries.uky.edu/WTYL--

    While there are a few smaller satellite libraries on campus, William T. Young "Willy T" has become the central library on campus. It is also the largest by far at 350,000 square feet. Besides being a source where books can be checked out, Willy T has been designed to appeal to all students with the variety of spaces and equipment they have. One example is The Hub; The Hub is located in the basement of Willy T and is a space where students can go for any kind of computer needs or help.  According to the online database, there are over 200 Windows computers available for usage along with a full iMac lab. Throughout the six story building there is everything from powered bookcases to study rooms to open tables for general studying.  Finally, for when students get hungry, the Ovids cafe is located immediately outside the library. One of the biggest draws of Ovids besides the quality of food is that they take a UK Meal Swipe, which is a big deal for UK students.

    One question that immediately comes to mind about the library is whether or not all the computers are really necessary or not.  In an age where nearly all students come to college with their own personal computer, are library computers really worth keeping around?  Another question is why the library was given so much extra landscaping space. Does this help students by seeing some green space? Or is it wasted space that could be used for more education buildings, food options, etc.

    I would be hard to convince that I'm the only one making use of Willy T.  Especially since all the times I have been there, at all hours of the day and night, it is comfortably full. William T. Young's location is central on campus and central to many students' lives, therefore it would be worth it to further investigate.

--Stephen Ritchie