美国大学图书馆走进数字时代

AS IT IS 2016-08-26 US College Libraries in a Digital Age 美国大学图书馆走进数字时代

Many U-S colleges and universities are making big changes to their libraries.

The schools are finding ways to serve students and to succeed in an increasingly digital world.

The days of musty books on shelves, bound journals, card catalogs, long tables and rules governing behavior are gone. Now many campus libraries have cafes, group study areas, where talking is permitted, and sofas designed for taking a short nap. Some are even open 24-hours a day.

Julie Garrison¹ is dean of libraries at Western Michigan University. She says the welcoming additions reflect the latest thinking about the millennial² generation's learning habits.

"We used to think about library design always in terms of the books. We were about first collections, then readers,'' Garrison said. "There is less of a need to protect a print collection in the way we did when it was the only way to get information, and we realized that if we let people bring in food and drink, they would stay longer.''

In place of books, students use laptops and connect to the internet with Wi-Fi. Students can study anywhere.

To keep up with the digital age, college libraries are now being equipped with media production labs. They also have high-technology "maker³ spaces'' where students can use 3-D printers and laser cutters, and data visualization⁴ walls where they can present projects.

On many campuses, information technology professionals work next to librarians.

Katherine Bergeron is president of Connecticut College in New London. She says there really has been a complete shift in the idea of what a library is doing on a campus. She says the shift is from having a place where knowledge is preserved to a space for creation and collaboration⁵.

However, Christopher Stewart says new technologies expand rather than replace traditional libraries.

The assistant professor at Dominican University in Illinois says technology continues to change the way the world works and libraries are no exception. But, he adds that students still need quiet space to just sit and think. The library has been and will continue to be that place.

Words in This Story

musty – adj. having a bad smell because of old age or lack of fresh air

cafe – n. a small restaurant where you can get simple meals and drinks (such as coffee)

millennial generation – n. term used to refer to the generation born from 1980 onward⁶, brought up using digital technology and mass media

habit – n. something that a person does often in a regular way

3-D printers –n. a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file

laser cutters –n. a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and is typically used for industrial manufacturing applications, but is also starting to be used by schools, small businesses, and hobbyists

1 garrison   

n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防

参考例句：

• The troops came to the relief of the besieged garrison.军队来援救被围的守备军。
• The German was moving to stiffen up the garrison in Sicily.德军正在加强西西里守军之力量。

2 millennial   

一千年的，千福年的

参考例句：

• Both Russia and America looked to the future to fulfill their millennial expectations. 俄国和美国都把实现他们黄金时代的希望寄托于未来。
• The millennial generation is celebrating the global commons every day, apparently unmindful of Hardin's warning. 千禧一代显然对哈丁的警告不以为然，每天都在颂扬全球“公地”。

3 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

4 visualization   

n.想像，设想

参考例句：

• In 2D visualization and drawing applications, vertical and horizontal scrolling are common. 在二维的可视化及绘图应用中，垂直和水平滚动非常普遍。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Ophthalmoscopy affords the only opportunity for direct visualization of blood vessels. 检眼镜检查法提供直接观察血管的唯一机会。

5 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

6 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。