Underwhelming is the best adjective I can
think of to describe my study visit to the library at the University of Malaya
(UM). If I were one of the students at UM, I would zip into the library, find
what I needed, and then be out the door as fast as possible. Both the interior
and exterior of the library are tired. The décor is dull and unattractive and
there was a lack of atmosphere. No comfortable seating is provided for the
students, giving the impression that visits to the library are for studying in
a traditional sense. Areas specially designed for, or allocated to,
collaborative work were not evident.
I found the library to be old-fashioned,
boring and totally uninspiring. This surprised me as UM is a huge university with
a student population of approximately 27,000 Malaysian and international students.
On a positive note, the library uses a substantial portion of its budget to
subscribe to a large number of online databases and journals, so students have
the flexibility of being able to access material as needed. The visit made me
appreciate the organisation I work in as it is very learner-centred,
encouraging teachers to be forward-thinking about the needs of current and
future learners.
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