When you ask students what they love about Swem, you receive a variety of answers. Some say the group study rooms, while others praise the quiet study areas. Some come here for tutoring; others for help on a class assignment. Swem Library has become a hub of activity on campus, thanks to the wide variety of services offered here. And for W&M senior Nathan Vassey, that is exactly what he loves most about the library.
Nathan is a familiar face at Swem Library. Staff members greet him when he comes in the door, and you can regularly find him studying in a corner of the library. In fact, he likes to brag about his devotion to Swem, which he says has earned him “TWAMP” status or what students call a “Typical William & Mary Person.”
“I’m here about six days a week – after all, everyone needs a break once in a while,” Nathan said with a laugh. “It’s my home base/office during the day. I have a locker here where I store my textbooks, my lunch and a set of running clothes. I try to treat the school day like a work day.”
For Nathan, a kinesiology and psychology major from Atlanta, Georgia, the most valuable part of Swem is that it brings a variety of academic services together in one place.
“I am glad that Academic Advising moved to Swem because they are much more accessible now,” he said. “I have stopped by their office multiple times this year to check all my graduation requirements.”
He also credits the combination of research and writing assistance found at Swem Library as helping him produce stronger research papers.
“The research librarians are an immense help when you are trying to find sources and are sorting through a large number of databases, and the tutors at the Writing Resource Center are the perfect sounding board to help you organize your ideas,” he said.
Over the years Swem has welcomed a number of partners into its facility. In addition to Academic Advising and the Writing Center, the library shares its space with the Tribe Tutor Zone, W&M Print Shop, Center for Geospatial Analysis and Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture. By incorporating these campus partners into the library, Swem has become a dynamic place where diverse academic services intersect.
“At a time when discovery can happen anywhere, students are relying on the library to provide a place to connect,” said Dean of University Libraries Carrie Cooper.
Even as more interaction moves to the digital world, the library continues to attract students and faculty to its collaborative work spaces, high-tech classrooms, multi-media production studios and quiet study areas. In fact, the number of visits to Swem Library has more than doubled over the past decade; in 2014 our users visited Swem more than 800,000 times.
“Students and faculty need an inspiring place to connect – with peers, with world-class resources and with their own thoughts,” said Lisa Nickel, associate dean of research and public services.
The next exciting partner Swem Library will welcome into its space is the Center for the Liberal Arts (CLA). Swem is partnering with the CLA to create the Studio for Teaching and Research, a dedicated space for faculty, librarians, academic technologists and others who support teaching and research.
“This inclusive space will foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, curriculum innovation, experimental teaching and idea generation,” said Cooper. “Supporting our faculty and their efforts to develop and evolve courses to support the new curriculum is vital to the success of our students.”