Services for Students: Physical Space

The Learning Commons on the first floor of the Franco Library offers both individual and collaborative learning spaces in a technology rich environment with available research and technology support services. The library’s Learning Commons is the busiest computer-access point on campus.  Key features include:

• Librarians available for research assistance
• Six group study rooms
• Over 50 computer stations
• Alvernia-authenticated or guest wifi service so that personal laptops and other mobile devices may be used
• A variety of seating to accommodate various learning styles and comfort needs; includes lounge furniture, cafe style seating, and more!

The Learning Commons has six group study rooms available for reservation.  These include:

• Aristotle, Socrates, & Plato which feature iMACs
• Hypatia & de Beauvoir which includes swivel chair seating & a computer
• Confucius Connect with media:scape technology which makes it easy for groups to collaborate on group projects. Up to six users can display their laptop screen on one of two monitors. 

To use a group study room, begin by checking the room out at the Circulation Desk.

Rooms are available for two-hour checkout periods with the option of renewing if there is no other group waiting. Group Study Rooms may be reserved day-of.

The library’s second floor is designated as the quiet study area. Study carrels and tables provide seating options for quiet work. When not in use for classes, students may also use the classroom for quiet study.

A 32 seat studio style classroom with video conferencing capability is used for library information literacy instruction sessions.

This classroom, LIB 213, is located on the west end of the second floor.

The computers are available for student use when no classes are scheduled.  A weekly schedule of classes is posted by each door. 

The library holdings consist of several collections:

• Popular periodicals, newspapers, leisure DVD, and the bestseller collections are located in the browsing area on the first floor
• The reference collection is housed in the Bonaventure Reading Room on the first floor
• Books from the General Collection that circulate and educational DVDs are located on the second floor of the library
• Curriculum Materials supporting the education program are housed on the west end of the second floor by the library computer classroom
• Two special collections rooms are located upstairs in the Polish American Cultural Center and the Italian American Cultural Center.