Books coming to a residence hall near you

Cassandra Beck

Residence hall students may now order university or OhioLink books off of FlashLine to be picked up at their main residence hall desk.

The residence hall delivery service began at the beginning of the semester while departmental office delivery began in the middle of October last year.

Cindy Kristof, head of access services and associate professor, said residence hall delivery was added in response to the success of department and office deliveries.

“Users responded to it enthusiastically,” Kristof said about department office delivery.

According to Kristof, all deliveries have run smoothly so far. The university delivers about 20 items a day to departments and residence halls. The delivery service was an idea brought from James Bracken, dean of University Libraries. Bracken worked at Ohio State University and came to Kent State University in August 2010.

Department office book delivery is available to anyone who can receive a package at the office. Residence hall book delivery is available in all halls. When one wishes to check out a book through the university website, you have the option of clicking on a scroll down menu and clicking “Kent – departmental office/dorm” and then clicking the appropriate place you want your book delivered.

“People are excited about it,” said Kristof. “Kent is a hilly campus. It’s a cold campus. Delivery is a nice option.”

Kristof also said that other schools like Ohio State University have the book delivery program and Kent is excited to now utilize it.

Kimberly Macon, clerical coordinator of Twin Towers and Eastway Center, said there haven’t been too many residence hall deliveries yet.

“There has been one or two books,” Macon said. “It works the same way normal mail does in residence halls. You get a pink slip in your mail box, and you come pick it up.”

Books are usually delivered by golf cart once a day. To return the item, students and faculty need to drop the book back off at any of the book returns at the library. Students and faculty have the option to return the item via campus mail but do so at their own risk.

“I haven’t gotten anything yet, but I might use it,” said Neal Neuberger, freshman visual communication design major.

Neuberger said it’s a good idea, but he doesn’t usually check out books from the library.

“We hope this gets people reading,” Kristof said. “Ordering books is now as easy as ordering pizza.”

Contact Cassandra Beck at [email protected]