College is challenging. For many first-year college students, the learning curve of the college experience is huge. Some struggle to know what resources are available to them and how to best utilize them. Our Library has the resources students need to find success in their first year at the college. How can a library help a student succeed? Here is a closer look at nine reasons why the library is vital to student success.

Why Libraries Are Important for Students

When you head off to college, you will likely be armed with a computer that can access the internet and a world of information. So why should you spend time in the library? Why are libraries important for students? Here are some reasons why libraries are important to you when you head off to college for the first time.

1. Helps Students Establish Themselves in the University Community

To be known in the university community, you need to be where the people are. That is often the library. At MNUC, diligent students are often found in the library, digging into the resources to create papers and projects. Being a regular in the library can help you become known within the university community, and it can create opportunities for new friendships.

2. Helps Spark Creativity

When you go to the library, you change your setting. This can get your creative juices flowing. In addition, the resources at the library can spur creativity as you delve into the works of others, flip through magazines, or peruse collections of artworks. Creativity is necessary for many college projects, so tap the resources available at the library.

3. Teach the Power of Research

No school project is complete without research, and the library teaches students how to research well. Librarians can help students find resources to fit their project, and they can even walk students through citing those sources once they find them. At MNUC, library services include individual and group instruction in basic and advanced library research techniques. The library provides a safe space to learn this powerful skill.

4. Provides a Digital Detox

The modern college student has too much digital tech at their disposal. This can create digital fatigue. Many students even use eBooks for their textbooks, so they are rarely away from a screen. Stepping into the library can allow for a digital detox.

How Libraries Support Student Success

Not only is the library important for students as they learn the ropes of college, but they also provide important support for student success. By learning to use the library well, students will be able to create successful projects and complete their coursework with greater effectiveness. Here are some ways that works:

5. Provides a Productive Workspace

Doing work in the hostels can be challenging. When your roommate wants to chat or your friend drops by with some interesting gossip, you are going to lose focus. The library is a productive workplace with quiet corners and study rooms that allow you to get a lot done, thus freeing you to have some fun when you return to the hostel. Studying in library settings is often more effective.

6. Allows Privacy + Creates a Sense of Calm

By their very nature, libraries are quiet spaces. They have a calmness about them that helps you focus and study, so you are set up for success. They also give you some privacy while you are working on big projects.

7. Unique Resources

The library offers so much more than what you can find on the Internet. MNUC offers over 1,000 books and 8 dedicated online database platforms. We have internet-enabled computers you can use. Cultural programs and art exhibitions are also common throughout the year. These unique resources set you up for success. We even have a virtual library that helps you when you cannot make it to the campus to visit the library in person.

8. Study Groups

The library becomes a meeting place for study groups for classes and projects. If you are looking for some peers to study with, you will find many that meet up at the library. This can provide a social connection while also helping you get your studying needs met. These may be impromptu groups, or they may be planned, but the library is where you will find them.

9. Cultural Programs

Learning about culture and art is helpful in the college experience. This is a time of life when you can reach outside yourself and learn a little more about the world around you, and the library’s cultural programs do just that. You can visit the library to see a cultural demonstration or explore a cultural exhibit and learn about another group of people.