Arizona State University is set to resume on-campus, in-person classes on August 20, 2020. In preparation, the ASU Library has begun a phased re-opening of its eight libraries:

August 6: Music Library

August 10: Fletcher Library and Noble Library

August 13: Downtown Phoenix campus Library and Polytechnic campus Library

August 17: Hayden Library

August 20: Design and the Arts Library

In coordination with the university's COVID-19 precautions, a Sun Card will be required to enter all libraries, as access will be limited to ASU students, faculty and staff. Non-ASU visitors are welcome by appointment only.

Those in the ASU community are encouraged to check library hours before making their visit, as ASU Library operational hours will differ from previous academic years.

In addition to the university’s face covering requirement, the ASU Library has put into place a number of safety precautions around the use of shared space. (Read: What to expect when visiting the library this fall)

Questions? Visit Ask A Librarian to get all your library questions answered.

Tuesday, February 25
5-8 p.m. 
Labriola National American Indian Data Center

All are welcome at the Labriola National American Indian Data Center’s Open House / Open Mic event at Fletcher Library on the West campus.

In collaboration with the student group IndiGenius, the event will be an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and community members to visit the space and learn more about the Labriola Center, how it has grown and where it plans to go.

With the goal of transforming the Labriola Center at Fletcher into an event space for the Native community, the center has transformed into a collaborative, student-driven space for Native students and community users on the West campus with the addition of new furniture, designed for both individual and collaborative study, and portable whiteboards.

The event aims to showcase new Labriola services and library resources for academic success, such as the soon-to-come Labriola Center Open Stacks collection. Students are encouraged to share their creative expressions during the open mic and to display their visual art during the event.

Food will be provided at 5:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

When Hayden Library, Arizona State University’s largest library, re-opens in 2020, its open-stack print collections will have a whole new look. 

The future display, curation and delivery of books at ASU, and how those books interact with the heavily digital-dwelling community in which they are present, is the focus of the Future of Print initiative, an exploration into the behaviors, needs and expectations of 21st-century academic library users.

Led by ASU Library, the initiative addresses specific needs of today’s public universities, and has resulted in a widely shared white paper and a three-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Lorrie McAllister, Associate University Librarian for Collections Services and Analysis, and Shari Laster, Head of Open Stack Collections, is now leading the Future of Print into its next phase: experimentation.

Here, Laster discusses these experiments and how they aim to inspire new thinking around the design of inclusive, high quality and user-focused print collections for research and learning. 

Question: This fall, the library is experimenting with a series of collection experiments. Can you tell us more about them?

Laster: ASU Library has a lot of ideas about how people and books get connected together. We came up with a list we are calling “10 Compelling Ideas” and we’re trying out some of these ideas in different library locations and in other spots on campus. This fall, we have several mini-projects, or experiments, in motion.

Surprise Me! is a collection of poetry and drama at Fletcher Library on the West campus. The books in this collection are being shelved spine-backward in order to invite students to explore an unexpected collection. 

Another project, Vamos Argentina! Books, Tango and Meteors, is an exciting series of talks and events that is drawing attention to the collection of Argentine literature currently housed at Noble Library on the Tempe campus. 

At the Downtown Phoenix campus, we are featuring Health Humanities Horizons, a collection curated in collaboration with faculty whose research and teaching intersects with the CLAS certificate program in interdisciplinary health humanities.

We’re also cooperating with Barrett, the Honors College to assemble a mini-library in a student-friendly environment, in addition to planning a mini-collection for Hayden Library that’s all about the act of collecting, what we collect and why we collect. 

Q: With digital interfacing consuming more of our time and attention, what are some unique strengths of the print medium?

Laster: Books mean different things to different people. While digital content certainly has many advantages, accessing and using a book in print format is a specific experience that can bring about a different form of interaction with the content. We all have different ways of learning and absorbing information. We hope that allowing for the possibility of a book to “catch the eye” of a passerby will enrich the experience of our spaces.

Books also have a physical presence in library spaces. Print books are often considered an essential component to creating a thriving learning environment. For example, they can make a room more conducive to study and focus. This project takes into consideration which books we are presenting in and around spaces where students study and learn. By making parts of our collections more visible, we add another layer of learning where users can physically be immersed in the collections.

Q: University libraries have always been a source of academic support for students. How does this initiative, focusing on print materials, connect to the success of ASU students?

Laster: When Hayden Library re-opens in 2020, it will be a destination on the Tempe campus for studying, research and classroom learning. It will also be a place for the campus community to relax, take a break and explore new ideas. We want to create collections that make library spaces more welcoming and inviting. We also want to use print books to present new perspectives on academic disciplines and research, and to inspire innovation and discovery. By helping everyone who enters the library to see our collections in a new light, we also give them a new way to explore ideas that matter to their success at ASU.

Q: How can people participate in these experiments/mini-projects?

Laster: Visit the collections and leave us feedback! Visitors can expect to see emoji stickers for a quick shortcut to speaking your mind. Anyone can borrow the books on display, so pick up and check out what looks interesting to you. 

We also want to hear from the ASU community about the library collections that make you feel welcome in our spaces. Anyone is welcome to send me a note at shari.laster@asu.edu.

Come speak out on behalf of the books, ideas and works of art that have been banned, censored or challenged throughout human history.

In recognition of Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of books and our right to read them, ASU Library is hosting a Read Out, a public reading of books, newspapers, plays and other texts that have been banned, challenged or restricted in some way, or that speak to the issue of freedom of speech. 

The Read Out will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 25, on the north side of the Memorial Union on the Tempe campus.

The theme for this year’s Banned Books Week, sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), is “Speak Out.” 

Events related to Banned Books Week are set to take place at all ASU libraries on all campuses during Banned Books Week, which is September 23-30, 2018.

It’s no secret that college is demanding of your time and energy – but with the right supports, the journey can be incredible and well worth the investment.

Here are 7 ways to get help from ASU Library:

1/ Check out materials. Information resources can be delivered right to your device or preferred library location. If we don’t have what you’re looking for, we will find a way to get it (often within 24 hours) through Interlibrary Loan.

Also, did you know the library has more than just books and articles? You can check out games, movies, calculators and culture passes.

2/ Connect with a librarian. ASU Library has more than 30 liaison librarians who are all experts in their fields. They are available for in-person meetings and research consultations in addition to quick questions via email. Have a quick question? You can also connect via instant chat!

3/ Get help with your research. When it comes to research, ASU Library provides comprehensive support – everything from primary sources and citations to data management and copyright assistance.  

4/ Be creative. ASU Library is home to a suite of makerspaces and audio/video production studios, where access to high-tech tools and opportunities for creativity collide. Learn some new skills, make some new friends and take advantage of our free 3-D printing. 

5/ Find your space. Sometimes you just need some space. Across four ASU campus locations, ASU Library is home to a variety of outstanding spaces for quiet study, group study, collaboration, research, training and teaching, art installation, exhibits and even meditation/prayer.

6/ Think outside the box. Explore all the possibilities through two interdisciplinary research centers: the Map and Geospatial Hub and the Unit for Data Science and Analytics. Connect with a growing and diverse community of students, researchers, faculty and practitioners in the pursuit of innovative research and novel discovery methods.

7/ Explore the archives. ASU Library is home to several world-class collections, including the Greater Arizona Collection and the Child Drama Collection, the largest theatre for youth repository in the world. Access to collections can deepen learning, spur new thinking and bring your studies to life.

Don’t forget our hours and locations and your Sun Card for late-night library access.

And check out our ASU Digital Repository for full access to our online archives, including image downloads, documents and other historic materials.