August 16, 2007
Library Affairs staff to offer students maps, water
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Staff from Library Affairs will help new Southern Illinois University Carbondale students navigate their way around the campus as the fall semester begins.
On the first two days of classes, Monday, Aug. 20, and Tuesday, Aug. 21, staff members will be in a tent located outside Faner Hall dispensing maps and ice-cold bottled water between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The maps, designed by Kevin Davie of Morris Library's Geographic Information Systems unit, show popular campus destinations. In addition, staff will happily provide customized directions to any University locale a new student wants to find.
"Maps by Morris" is part of the SIUC effort to welcome new students and start their University experience off on a positive note. It has drawn very positive responses from new and returning students since the effort began two years ago.
"Our primary motive is we're always looking for ways to help students and the campus community and we thought we could provide a blend of the expertise we offer and a way to get faculty and staff out and interacting with students in a way they might not normally do," said David Carlson, dean of Library Affairs. "The University has a strong interest in student retention and the library is always looking for ways to help and to expand our services. We feel we can do that by providing customized maps to help students find their way and be more comfortable the first couple of days on campus. Helping them find their way academically is what we do and Maps by Morris helps them find their way geographically too."