The Library and Learning Commons is at the heart of a vibrant, engaging, and exciting experience at Langara. Students continue to visit the physical space and interact with staff in record numbers. The Library strives to keep improving its physical and virtual spaces to best meet the academic needs and habits of library users.
Just the Numbers
| 2017/2018 | 2018/2019 | 2019/20 | ||||
| Gate Count | 773,262 | 788,209 | 738,722 | |||
| Days Open | 300 | 305 | 287 | |||
| Average Visitors / Day | 2,578 | 2,584 | 2,573 | |||
| Average Open Hours/ Week (Sep - Apr) | 76 | 76 | 76 | |||
| Seating Capacity | 914 | 941 | 941 | |||
| Average Open Hours / Week (Sep - Apr) | 141 | 141 | 141 | |||
While the overall number of visitors to the Library decreased for the first time in five years, the drop is almost completely attributed to the shutdown of public access to the Library space in March 2020. The average number of daily visitors to the Library is in line with the last two years, and the number of visitors to the Library in the Summer semester saw an increase from previous years.
Despite the March 2020 closure, the Library's group study spaces broke records this year with close to 20,000 hours booked. The increase in bookings can be attributed to the rise in Smart Table usage. The Library's four Smart Tables were booked for 2,096 hours this year, a 40% increase from 2018/19,
This year the College marked its 49-year history on 49th Avenue with year-long “Beyond 49” celebrations. On June 15, the College hosted Community Day, a campus-wide party for students, staff, alumni, and members of the community. As part of the festivities, the Library hosted an open house, where community members signed up for free community borrower cards, checked out books, and participated in a Human Library event.
The Library continues to connect with students within our library space and across campus. This summer, the Library once again hosted Library on the Lawn, during which staff take a selection of popular titles from the library collection, as well as icy treats, outside for students to enjoy on a nice sunny day. The “blind date with a book” display was particularly popular during this year’s event.
Langara has a large international student population. To help these students get acquainted to post-secondary life in Canada, the College hosts International Student Orientation before the start of the fall semester. As part of the orientation, students visit various stations in the library to learn more about library services, spaces, and resources that can help them succeed at Langara.
The first week of classes is always a busy time at the library, with students tracking down their course readings, getting initial research and writing help, and getting IT issues sorted out at the IT service desk. This year we had a roving team of librarians and staff members to proactively check in with students to see if they needed any direction.
The ghoulishly good times continue at the Library, with our annual Halloween celebration. As is tradition, this year staff let their creativity shine with Halloween costumes and decorations throughout the library space.
De-Stress Fest is as popular as ever. The exam-time event that originated in the Library has become a campus-wide initiative featuring diverse activities such as a smudging ceremony and cedar brushing at the Gathering Space; stress management, test anxiety, yoga, and meditation workshops; therapy dogs; and much more. The Library contributed to this year’s festivities by hosting Langara’s Registered Massage Therapy program in the library lobby for relaxation massages, maintaining a colouring lounge in the library space, and setting up a Library Living Room with video games, board games, puzzles, and snacks in the Library classroom.
Throughout 2018/19, the Library transferred its assignment, research, and citation guides to the LibGuides platform. The revamped website launched in May 2019. In 2019/20, the Learning Commons website was re-designed in consultation with tutoring partners and Communications & Marketing to provide streamlined access to tutoring schedules and information. In addition, online forms were developed as part of the project to facilitate quicker turnaround time for publishing tutoring schedules and changes.
The website refresh coincided with the development of a plan to redesign the Writing & Tutoring Centre on the 1st Floor of the Library. With a significant rise in the number of visitors to the Library, noise and other disruptions have become increasingly common in the Writing & Tutoring Centre. The new configuration of the space allows for clearer delineation between tutoring spaces and spaces designated for general student use.