Dean of University Libraries Kathy Ray, ASUN President Hannah Jackson, and Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Carman discuss library sucess on Tuesday, Sept. 18. The Knowledge Center is linked to students’ academic success on campus.

The Mathewson – IGT Knowledge Center celebrated ten years on campus on Tuesday, Sept. 18. The library staff hosted a party where students could complete a scavenger hunt, take a selfie and eat cake.

The KC not only serves as a library for University of Nevada, Reno, students, but also as a hub of information, providing academic support and technological resources. According to the university’s website the Knowledge Center was designed for collaboration. The KC is one of the most technologically advanced libraries in the country and cost $75.3 million to construct.  

The KC has roughly 16 librarians dedicated to helping students with research, book finding and guiding students in academic work.  

Dean of University Libraries and Teaching and Learning Technologies, Kathy Ray said the KC was built to help the next generation of learners.

“Because this has been such a transformative building on campus,” Ray said. “ It was built specifically, to sort of engage this next generation of students who work in a digital culture.”

The library has a commuter lab, @One, which allows students access to computer software, multimedia equipment and staff to help in academic assignments. The KC is equipped with more than one million books and 600,000 ebooks that is used to help, on average, the 1,294,491 visitors.

Marketing and Communications Specialist for University Libraries Jill Stockton said the KC has allowed students and faculty to succeed.

“First year students who utilize library services tend to have higher overall GPAs through the course of their college career,” Stockton said. “When students partner with their librarian good things happen, and I would even say the same for faculty. We provide a lot of service and outreach support to university faculty as well.”   

The KC is always changing and allowing for new opportunities to take place in the library to benefit students, according to Ray.

“This building is always busy and always full of student,” Ray said. “Students feel an ownership of the building. They (students) really love it, embrace it, love all of the spaces and they will give us suggestions. We try to give them what they want and need.”

Ray encourages students to use the library and take advantages of the resources and help provided at the KC. She explained that student that utilize the library are more likely to graduate and have higher GPAs.

“The Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center and the DeLaMare Science and Engineering Library wholeheartedly embrace digital and information technologies while serving as the primary centers for information resources that support teaching, learning, and research at the University of Nevada, Reno,” the university said in a statement. “These libraries are dynamic learning spaces for students and faculty — places where resources, tools, and expert assistance are available to support the creation of new knowledge.”

Andrew Mendez can be reached at oali@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.