Library offers resources beyond books

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It’s a building all of us pass every day and most of us use sometime while attending Delta.

The Irving Goleman Library is a building that houses not only thousands of books, but also other valuable physical resources such as computers, printers, copy machines and free Wi-Fi.

“I print and copy and use the computers if I need to,” said student Aaron Kumar.

library2There are four full time and five part time librarians, as well as 10 library technicians available to help students navigate the shelves and get the most out of the books and new technologies.

“We get to know a lot of students,” said Amal Elayyan, senior library technician. “Library service is extremely important.”

She has worked at Delta for 20 years, and both of her children graduated from Delta, her daughter going on to law school and her son pursuing a master’s degree in economics.

The banks of computers upstairs have Internet connections and useful programs such as the Microsoft Office Suite to help students with assignments. These can be reserved on the spot, but can also be booked in advance on the library page.

library1The electronic library resources available at school and from anywhere in the world include access to 88 online databases providing articles that are proper sources for college level research.

GO-CAT, Goleman’s electronic catalog, grants access to more than 25 thousand e-books in addition to print books, and is available online or with an app that allows you to search from your phone or mobile device.

“I get a lot of really super positive feedback,” said Technical Services/Systems Librarian Steve Schermerhorn. “Our students are amazing people.”

Schermerhorn spends 2/3 of his time behind the scenes, making sure these technology initiatives are implemented and executed well.

He has worked here for 18 years and is involved in the local music community, playing pop and jazz music on the piano.

Principal Librarian and Professor of Library & Information Studies Dr. Jun Wang teaches three levels of Library Information Literacy classes that are a treasure for any student who will ever have to do any kind of research.

She also coordinates the library workshops throughout the semester that provides the same information in an a la carte format for students who need to learn, but cannot fit the class into their schedules.

Wang moved 21 years ago from a position at State University of New York to Stockton for the multicultural environment and the weather.

Her daughter attended classes at Delta while she was in high school and went on to attend UC Berkeley.

Downstairs almost feels like a whole different world with the quiet study areas, group study rooms and the free tutoring center covering business, computer science, electrical, foreign languages, history, humanities, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion and sociology.

Instructional Support Assistant Virginia Kirschenman also coordinates workshops of a practical nature such as how to use the Etudes platform, note taking skills, and time management skills.

She has worked at Delta for 27 years; the last eight in the library where she helps people find all the services available on campus.

Her two children graduated from Delta, her daughter transferred to Cal Poly and got her CPA license, while her son went to Berkeley for his master’s degree and now teaches computer sciences here.

“You get a love for the students, you really do,” said Kirschenman.