All about Seminole State's Library

With so many features to help students, faculty and staff, it is no wonder that the library is such a busy hub at Seminole State College of Florida. 

When thinking about our library it can be helpful to observe it in three categories: services, resources and spaces (in a virtual sense as well).

Services

The library has 24 hours a day, seven days a week live chat. During regular, and some extended hours, you can talk in real-time with a Seminole State librarian. Subsequently after the extended hours librarians   are online to help students connect with national certified librarians that can help with all their general needs. When it comes to using the library as a research resource, or looking for specific books, or any other services that may fall under the library, the 24/7 online service is here to help. Going to the library’s home page is a great place to start. There, anyone could find hours across all the satellite campuses as well as great resources for assistance. Many might be surprised to find out that they have Sunday hours. 

Students can be happy to find out that the library is completely accessible both in-person and virtually. With each of our campuses having their own personal identities that still are part of Seminole State’s cohesive culture, their very own specialties can both educate and bring relaxation to students. Morgan Tracy, the Library Director loves the ambiance of the Oviedo campus, he told us, “The Oviedo Library truly reflects the peaceful and friendly atmosphere of the campus.  Study spaces in a variety of styles look out over a serene natural landscape, and library faculty and staff are always available and ready to help students find the resources they need for their class assignments.”

A great service that students can utilize is research appointments. What this entails is to schedule a one-on-one session with our librarians, during operating hours where a librarian can help with their research paper or project. Librarians are well versed and certified in citation styles and helping students refine their search terms to achieve the optimum results. 

Resources

One of the most beneficial resources students can use is the Laptop Loaner Program. Our CTS department and library partnered together to have over 1,000 laptops available for loaning. The loan can be short term while students are in class, for a couple of hours, or for the full semester. There are also loan services for a shorter time for graphic and scientific calculators and common textbooks for courses here at the College, we highly recommend speaking directly with staff for availability and length of loan. 

As the world turns more and more digital the library does not stay behind on the times especially post COVID-19. With features like Flipster, students, faculty and staff can read all their favorite magazines digitally. Launching later in the fall is Comics Plus. The big boom of comics and graphic novels in all its diverse array and variety will be accessible to all Seminole State students, faculty and staff coming Fall Term 2022.

Spaces

The wonderful resources of study rooms at the library are a key feature to on-campus students. Whether students need to team up for a study group session, or just have the need for a room to study solo, the ability to book a study room is easy and done online. If students wish for a smaller and cozier study space, Brody WorkLounges are the answer. Each campus has several sets and they offer privacy as well as charging capabilities. Checking in with a librarian before or reserving a room to study is essential. Claire Miller from the Altamonte Springs library said, “The Altamonte campus library is a hub of focused study for both groups and individuals. The health science and nursing focus of our collection makes it a little different from other campuses; we focus on materials to support those programs as well as all our general education courses. Our three study rooms are the busiest of any library at Seminole State: students can book online in advance, and we often are booked from open to close with groups studying together.” 

Our library events are expansive, with lots of rooms for in-person activities and even broadcasting activities for online students. Most recently, Nightbrary events have been a big hit with engagement. Nightbrary is the product of the library partnering with fellow departments and student-lead organizations leading to SeminoleSound appearances, art showcasing and even board game nights in partnership with Seminole State recreational sports. Jason Anfinsen from the Sanford/Lake Mary campus library raves all about the events, “One of the coolest student engagement programs that the Sanford/Lake Mary library offers is Nightbrary, a diverse assortment of events revolving around music, art, games, research and experiential learning opportunities in the physical library or online. With Nightbrary, the arts are intentionally fused into library research and instruction to excite, engage and educate. At Nightbrary, students are invited to actively participate and play, tinker, wonder, and think critically with faculty librarians and library staff, to co-create a vibrant learning community at Seminole State.”

We highly encourage you to head over to your Seminole State library at your campus of choice. The countless and varied options for both learning and entertainment is readily available for you to use.