From a collection of approximately three million printed volumes available at the River Campus libraries, UR students should be able to find something to read in their spare time.
But in case they can?t, library officials have teamed up to make sure that a lack of interesting material isn?t the problem.
Rush Rhees and Carlson Libraries have accumulated a new collection of popular literature, which they termed the ?browsing collection.?
The collection is a collaborative effort between Computer Science and Mathematics Librarian Diane Cass and Reference Librarian Fadi Dagher. It seeks to offer a refreshing alternative to academic literature.
One of the primary goals of the project is to provide ?a selection that people can just dip into,? Cass said.
Dean of River Campus Libraries Ron Dow allocated funding to this project. The money was part of a gift from the Goergen Fund.
UR libraries have always maintained a small collection of popular literature.
However, these titles were scattered throughout the entire library. Unless students had a specific selection in mind, it was difficult to locate a popular book simply by genre.
In Rush Rhees, the collection is located next to the circulation desk.
In Carlson, the browsing collection is on the main level, near the computers and photocopiers. Consistent with the holdings of the library, Carlson?s collection consists primarily of mathematical and scientific materials.
Selections include a lighthearted ?How to Lie With Statistics? by Darrell Huff and ?Lessons from an Optical Illusion,? a work by Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry Edward Hundert.
Students? response to the collection has been positive.
?Our library has space for many different kinds of books,? Take Five Scholar Patrick Ripton said. ?Their importance is predicated not on academic focus, but cultural relevance.?
?The purpose of a library is to serve as a multidimensional resource for its patrons,? senior Loren Waage said.
?The addition of popular literature really helps to achieve this aim.?
The browsing collection circulates these books under the standard 28-day borrowing period.
