College receives funding to bring innovative technology to campus

Curry Library currently offers approximately 1,000 electronic books for student use, and while they are not available for download on eReader devices, students can check them out on their personal computers through a system similar to checking out hard copy books in the library.

Stephanie DeClue, director of Curry Library, stated that the library is embracing the increasing popularity of gaining information electronically rather than through paper books, and that they are working to accommodate students and incorporate these new technologies into the library.

“To be honest, students have already stopped checking out as many books, but this doesn’t change our reality much. We are changing our focus from being book-oriented to information oriented. It doesn’t matter where the information lives; it’s our job to help students find iit regardless,” DeClue said.

The library has also considered purchasing eReaders for student use, but due to budget limitations, this is not currently feasible for the College. However, DeClue is not ruling out the possibility of this materializing in the future.

“It is not impossible, but is something that we have to sit down and think about,” DeClue said.

DeClue also said that the library may purchase an Apple iPad or eReader in the near future to experiment with the technology and weigh the pros and cons of using one in a college campus setting. Currently, the iPad is the front-runner in this experimentation due to its versatility. The library plans to explore various new technologies that can be incorporated in the future, both in Curry and in the newly-named Pryor Learning Commons.

More students are embracing the new forms of technology, with the prevalence of tablets and eReaders increasing. According to Dr. Anne Dema, provost of the College, approximately 150-60 electronic books were purchased from William Jewell’s bookstore last semester, with that number almost tripling this semester. Christen Jones, senior, owns a Barnes & Noble Nook eReader, and believes that the device’s efficiency and accessibility are what make it a good alternative to hard copy books.

“I love that I have access to multiple types of printed materials in one small, convenient device. My eReader also allows me to get on the internet, which is so handy when I am out of town and don’t want to lug my laptop with me,” Jones said.  “I also love that I can download Powerpoints that my professors send out and access them on my Nook.”

Jones believes that eReaders such as the Nook will soon become not only more prevalent in everyday society but will infiltrate more academic institutions in the near future as well.

“I think they will play a major role in the academic world eventually, probably even sooner than later. I understand the concern about the extinction of printed books, but I think eReaders will increase the amount of reading. I have read more since I’ve had my Nook. I’ve just discovered the world of checking out eBooks from the library, and I’m addicted,” Jones said.

William Jewell’s administration is also taking steps to embrace this new technology, and is starting with including faculty in the process. The College recently received a grant for $126,000 from the Hall Family Foundation to test new digital resources in the classroom, and will hold a workshop for interested faculty members in May, which will provide information from keynote speakers with expertise in these technologies, and techniques for integrated successfully these resources on campus.

All faculty members who attend and complete the workshop will receive an Apple iPad 2, which they will be trained on and encouraged to experiment with for various purposes in their classrooms. The workshop is entitled “Innovation and Teaching Symposium and Workshop: Integrating Digital Resources,” and will be held May 17-19. 

“What we want to do is to have and expose and give the faculty time to experience these technologies,” Dema said. “Coming out of that, we are also going to encourage faculty members to write project proposals for how they are going to integrate this into their classrooms during the 2011-2012 school year.”

Dema hopes that the incorporation of this new technology will enhance the learning experience of students at William Jewell and encourage innovation by faculty in the classroom.

“This is the future. It’s where the students are, and it’s where we need to be,” Dema said. “The faculty needs to bring to the table great pedagogy; matching facility with technology into the student’s course of study. This is a very important statement of the sort of place William Jewell College is going to be in the future.”

Tara Moreland can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.