Library promotes popular reading with campus collections

The library is a place where students go to study and bury themselves in textbooks, academic journals and articles, but a new collection has transformed it into a place to "unwind." Last week the DePaul University libraries launched a new reading collection called ‘Unwind the Mind' at both campuses to contrast the academic materials that fill its shelves.

This brand-new collection features a variety of bestsellers, popular fiction and non-fiction. According to Jessica Guthrie, assistant coordinator for Library Instruction and Online Learning, the collection is intended to supplement the scholarly materials in the library.

Specific works in the current collection include, "The Marriage Plot," "The Leftover," "Outliers," "The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" and others.

In picking titles for the initial collection, Guthrie collaborated with another staff member and consulted bestseller lists and common student requests.

The university utilizes a rental or leasing service for this program, meaning the books will not be part of the library's permanent collection. By utilizing the rental service, DePaul will keep costs low and save space, while providing a current collection.

"We can actually exchange an old book with a newer book," Guthrie said. "It's a way to really keep our collection agile and up-to-date without putting a big load of work on our catalogers."

In this trial phase of the program, the rental service also provides adaptability based on popularity and demand.

"It's really just a test to see what goes out and what doesn't," Guthrie said. "That is the nice thing about the leasing collection because it is very flexible."

They are also working to tailor the collection to varying interests and include a variety of genres.

"We did try to provide a balance of material and think of our different audiences at the libraries," Guthrie said.

For example, at the Loop library both a cookbook and crafting book are available. Because they are two separate libraries, the Lincoln Park and Loop collections will not be identical.

"The selection will vary slightly from campus to campus," Circulation Supervisor ath Evan Finneke said.

"There is some overlap between collections, and there are some books that are unique to each one," Guthrie said. "As we build the collection up and demand warrants it, we might have multiple copies of a book if it's really popular."

Books from the collection are available to view in the catalog system and may be reserved and transferred from one campus to another. Guthrie explained that these books will not be available on I-Share and are only accessible to DePaul students, faculty and staff.

Guthrie said that similar collections at other universities and academic libraries are a growing trend. Different from other schools, she wanted to avoid a generic title for the collection and instead use something alluding to relaxation and enjoyment.

Library staff member Jennifer Rodriguez came up with the ‘Unwind the Mind' name, which Guthrie feels is unique and exciting.

In addition to the library staff's excitement, students are showing an interest, too. Before the collection went public, two books were already requested and within 24 hours of the Loop collection being on display, four books were checked out.

"It's already showing popularity. We've already ordered more books to expand the selection," Finneke said.

Freshmen Haley Loutfy said she sees the collection as a beneficial resource.

"When you're doing academic reading it gets tedious and boring and so (the collection) seems like a good way to get away from academics and school," Loutfy said.

The collections can be found at each library near the circulation desks. Books can be checked out for four weeks, no renewals are allowed, and there is a two-book-per-person limit.

Looking to the future, Guthrie expressed excitement for the collection.

"We hope that the demand will increase and that the collection will continue to grow."