Wright State University is surrounded by libraries that offer resources to help students succeed. With the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library and the Greene County Public Libraries so close to WSU, students can be sure they get the knowledge that they need.
WSU's Paul Laurence Dunbar Library
Located right on campus, the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library is the number one place for WSU students to go to find information on any topic. With over 640,000 books, 4,500 reference titles and 100 different databases with electronic academic journals, the Paul Laurence Dunbar library is one of the best places for students to find what they are looking for.
The namesake, Paul Laurence Dunbar, was born in Dayton, Ohio. Dunbar is best known for being the first African American literary figure to get national acclaim. The library was officially named in his honor on May 2, 1992.
The library hosts more than just books, offering several other resources to students.
The Paul Laurence Dunbar Library hosts events to get students' creative juices flowing. In addition to their book clubs, the library also hosts Crafternoon. Held monthly, these Crafternoon events allow students to make and take crafts.
Students like Natalie Courter, a Middle Childhood Education major, enjoy these events.
“I love the Crafternoon events. I try to go to almost every one. They’re such a fun way to relax and spend time with friends. I’m especially excited for the cupcake one,” Courter said.
Students can sign up using Engage, as RSVP is required due to limited space. Additionally, the library is home to a ton of board games and hobby kits that are available to check out for recreational use. For more information, check out the services and spaces section of the library website.
The Paul Laurence Dunbar Library also has multiple resource centers to help WSU students succeed academically. One of these is the Student Technology Assistance Center (STAC). Students can make appointments with professionals to get help on projects from PowerPoints to videos. In the STAC, they have two multimedia rooms that students can reserve to work on any type of multimedia project they might have.
Additionally, the library has the Education Resource Center (ERC). The ERC is the place to go for any educational resource students might need, including puppets, picture books, crickets, textbooks and more. This is a resource commonly used by education majors. Additionally, the ERC holds the Dayton Holocaust Resource Center, a donated resource that contains materials on the Holocaust, racism and bullying for K-12 teachers to educate their students with.
Lastly, the library is a part of the interlibrary loan system, OhioLINK, which links WSU to thousands of other Ohio colleges and universities. If a student can’t find what they are looking for on campus, they are able to use the OhioLINK system to get what they need.
“I think [WSU] does a great job making sure we have everything we need to succeed. Honestly, Dunbar is really underrated,” Courter said.
The Paul Laurence Dunbar Library isn't the only public resource WSU students have.
The Greene County Public Library
The Greene County Public Library (GCPL) is a network of libraries hosted in Greene County. With the closest branch to WSU being in Fairborn, this network of libraries is a great resource for students.
The GCPL is committed to literacy and providing for the community. While the majority of their resources are aimed to children, they do have resources for college students as well. For instance, they are committed to providing internet access to those in need. Each library has unlimited Wi-Fi, printing, scanning, photocopying and faxing resources available for a small charge.
Additionally, the GCPL has laptops that can be checked out for the day and used within the library to complete work. They must be checked back in by the end of the day, but they are a resource for students on the go who may not have the time to access the internet on campus. This also makes online classes more feasible to students. According to GCPL Board of Trustees member Kevin Stokes, the internet is one of the most important resources for students to have.
“Now more than ever, being able to connect online can be as important as any home utility- gas, electric and internet access,” Stokes said.
The GCLP also offers outreach programs to those who are unable to get to a library. According to Ron Folkerth, a GCLP Board of Trustees member who works at the Bellbrook location, over 2,000 people are served through the outreach program in Greene County.
“For me, it’s one of the many ways we make sure we are serving the Greene County community,” Folkerth said.
Both the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library and the Greene County Public Library offer a wide variety of resources and events that WSU students can take advantage of.
