I took this picture on the second floor of East Campus Library near the bathrooms. It is a picture of multiple bookcases that are all lined up in this spot in the library. All the times I have been in ECL I have never seen a JMU student or anyone else pick up one of these books. Countless students walk pass them regularly without any interest. Most of these books are journals written about topics relating to various fields in science. I chose this picture because I liked the angle, which I think gives it a more abstract look. I enjoy seeing bookcases that are filled with books, especially when I walk into one of JMU’s libraries. It is a reminder that I am part of this community, one that has a long history and also thousands of different resources at my finger tips. Although I don’t use these books and I haven’t seen others use them either, I know that they are used to educate the JMU community. I don’t think that the space can be improved in any ways. The architects who designed the interior of the library, I imagine wanted to have all these scholarly journals out in the open so that student are able to see how many resources are available to them.
Alyssa Wolf Dr. H
ReplyDeleteI think that this picture not only says a lot about physical space, but also a lot about virtual space. These books are hardly used anymore, while I’m sure at one point they were used a lot. Before the internet, books were the only way to get information. Now everything is at everyone’s fingertips. I find it very interesting that that we all pass these encyclopedias at the library and really never take a look at them. It says a lot about our society today.
I was immediately drawn to this image because I have gone past these books in ECL before and noticed them. I wanted to take a photograph with my nice camera, if only I had it at the time, but the color and repetition caught my eye when I went by. I think the angle and repetition really make this an interesting composition. Like she said, this space was meant for students in the health and sciences to get information, like for an upcoming paper. I think they are probably still used because this library was built recently, though, even though I haven’t been there enough to see them used. I, however, don’t go to this library for books, just to study.
ReplyDelete-Melissa Carter
I have to agree with your observation that you’ve never actually seen anyone pick up one of these books to use. It has become rare for students to use actual print sources with the Internet at our fingertips. I sometimes see students looking for books and journals in Carrier to use for a research project, but it is definitely even more rare at ECL. Because of all the new technology, I think a lot of people see the books in the library as simply separating between study spaces. When it gets really crowded during exam week, students don’t often use the rows of books to read and study from, but instead to sit next to and do other work. I like the angle of your photograph because it shows many rows of these books that look too perfect to have ever been used.
ReplyDelete-Kate Martin