Welcome Message from the Dean

Welcome to Oakland University Libraries. It is wonderful to see so many of you in the Kresge Library building this year. We continue to renovate our space to respond to the evolving needs of our users--students, faculty, staff and community guests—and I hope you are enjoying the new furniture and study spaces on the 2nd and 4th floors.

Over the summer, we added another enhanced study room—the Ahern Family Room (KL218). With the addition of interactive hardware and software, this room now contains a monitor mounted at a height that accommodates users who are standing or sitting. Table-arm chairs on wheels may be easily moved for group work and free up space previously occupied by a stationary table and chairs so that the room is now wheelchair accessible. The Dell screen with 4K UHD resolution is optimized for reading text and displaying 4K content. No matter where you stand or sit, the image quality is consistent thanks to In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology and the touch technology feature allows users to annotate with their fingers or write with a fine- tip stylus. Written content can be erased with the palm of the hand or stylus tip. Multiple users may interact with the screen simultaneously.

The Ahern Family Room was inspired by the Miller Family Presentation Practice Room (KL207), which opened last year. The Presentation Practice Room offers our students hands-on opportunities to acquire and hone skills that will benefit them in college and in the workplace. This room is designed to support students preparing for class presentations, public speaking opportunities and interviews. The room includes soundproofing and video equipment with playback features so that students can immediately view their presentation recording for self- critique or save for review by peers or instructors. Both rooms are located on the north end of the main level of Kresge Library. These rooms are provided through the generosity of Charter Class alumnae, Beverly Miller and Mary Jo Ahern.

Our motto is "Knowledge Unbound" and it is especially relevant today. The University Libraries’ support for teaching, learning and research is not bound by place or space. In addition to our welcoming physical space, we offer thousands of online resources, including ebooks, journal articles and streaming videos.

I look forward to seeing you in the University Libraries!

Sincerely,

Polly D. Boruff-Jones
Dean of University Libraries
Oakland University

"In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." -- Eric Hoffer, American moral and social philosopher