IU Northwest Library Director Gretchen Rings brings new direction for campus library
Traditional media portrayals of a library aren’t always kind. They include images of a bespectacled librarian sharply telling patrons to shush and keep to themselves. While this image tends to stick in people’s brains, it’s far from what the modern library is like.
In fact, Indiana University Northwest Executive Director of Library Services Gretchen Rings wants the opposite in the Anderson Library — she wants to get people talking. Since she began her post last fall, Rings has established a new vision for the library on campus.
The daughter of a public librarian, Rings comes to the campus from Chicago’s iconic Field Museum, where she served as head of the research library. With nearly 20 years of library experience, Rings was ready to hit the ground running at IU Northwest. She is already looking for ways to elevate the library and make it more accessible for students.
“I want to make open education resources a hallmark of the library and have a lot more of those available,” Rings said. “People are expecting now that they don’t have to go into the library to get their book or database — it’s going to be available to them online.”
While online libraries have existed for years, the pandemic forced many of these changes to happen much quicker. Rings sees no sign of digitization trends slowing down. Instead of fighting them, she’s hoping to embrace them.
“The field is constantly changing, evolving and responding. I think that’s what makes it exciting to work in,” she said.
Providing resources to students is one thing, but what if nobody knows about them? The next part of Rings’ vision is finding ways to keep students engaged.
“I feel passionately that we need to beautify the space,” she said. “I envision a library with art on the walls — having an attractive and inviting space is really important.”
But perhaps the most exciting aspect in the works to engage students is the Human Library Experience. This event, set to take place April 25, allows students to have one-on-one conversations with people who have an interesting story or experience to share. Readers check out these “books” — or other people — for 30 minutes at a time to learn more about perspectives that might differ from their own.
“Inclusivity and empathy are the two main goals of the Human Library day,” Rings said. “This event really fosters a sense of belonging and understanding.”
Usually, the Human Library’s “books” are connected to a stigmatized or often stereotyped community. Participating students will have the chance to ask questions and gain perspectives from a new point of view.
“It’s just interesting to hear about people’s life experiences,” Rings said. “It could turn out to be something the reader didn’t know and become an experience of self-discovery.”
In the meantime, Rings is working to find more ways to spark interest in the library. She hopes to hire a Student Success Librarian to help with programming and plans to continue hosting student-curated displays within the building.
“There are little galleries within the library that are always changing,” she said. “Lots of little things to see and do in the library that might not be readily apparent.”
Most of all, Rings strives to create an environment where students feel comfortable using the library’s resources. In addition to academic books, the shelves also contain zines and novels. The librarians are resources, too, and can help students navigate databases and perform research.
“Taking advantage of these resources now is a great opportunity,” Rings said. “It’ll broaden your horizons and your scholarship. That’s what we’re here for — to help you.”
The next time you’re in the library, get talking. Chat with a librarian, bring a study group or simply participate in the Human Library later this semester. Don’t worry, you won’t get shushed here.
