Bakersfield College Library

Wednesday February 28th...

I am on the road and will visit libraries as I head to Sacramento for the Deans and Directors meeting on Friday. I left on Wednesday morning and planned to get through the grapevine and on to Bakersfield College. Yeeks! There was a sign at Magic Mountain that the Grapevine was closed...then I had forgotten to fill up my tank so I was sweating it as I pulled into Gorman. And then...snowflakes! I quickly filled up, jumped in the car and headed for the Grapevine. The roads were so empty but the freeway was open. Apparantly it had just reopened an hour before I arrived. How convenient!

I had called ahead to Anna Agenjo and told her I would drop by to see their library. Mapquest took me a little astray but there it was... Bakersfield College...right across from the Panorama Bluffs and the Kern River oil fields. Now, those of you who know me well, know that I am a country girl at heart...and to see a flock of sheep under the Bakersfield College sign warmed my heart!

I always like to circle the campus to get the "lay of the land" and I was so surprised to see the word "LIBRARY" -- the first sign after the College sign...and it was so visible. The debate about what we call the Library (aka the Learning Resources Center, Information Center, etc.) still rangles me...students never get it anyway but LIBRARY stands on its own, in its glory...and is never misunderstood. Again, it is the first building sign you see as you enter the campus. I found easy, short term parking and found my way to the Grace Van Dyke Bird Library...

The computer commons is on the bottom floor and as I entered the building, it was clear that this place was a hub of activity. Two librarians on their feet, engaged in the instructional process that is so important. Students were also responsive and obviously appreciative of all the things the librarians do...It was a spirit about this place...you know it when you enter, you feel it immediately....alive, engaged, open, collaborative...all the things a library should be...

Anna was in a library orientation so I approached the reference desk and met
Marci Lingo, Nancy Guidry, and Patti Brommelsiek. Marci was kind to give me a great tour of the library including Tech Services where I met Kirk Russell and .....

We then met Anna Agenjo (Dept. Chair) after her orientation and went to lunch. It is amazing that one can walk into a library, introduce yourself, and feel so at home with librarian colleagues. There is always so much to talk about and share....
Wonderful place, wonderful people...