Not Your Mother’s Library

Florida Tech students have access to a variety of unique experiences, resources and opportunities, from researching the Indian River Lagoon to participating in the Student Design Showcase to learning the ins and outs of a jet dragster.

But there is one place on virtually every college campus where students turn when they need a little help studying, creating a new project or decompressing: the library.

At Florida Tech, Evans Library aims to help students, faculty, staff and alumni in their pursuit of greatness. Serving as a pillar for learning, innovation and digital scholarship, the library staff are committed to developing forward-thinking services, programs, spaces, strategies and systems that promote discovery, dialogue, learning and nourishment of the human spirit.

But it’s just a library, right? Not at Florida Tech. Let’s count down and take a deeper look at what makes Evans Library unique.

5 Nontraditional Checkouts:

1. Hammocks
   • Courtesy of Florida Tech’s Student Government Association, Evans Library offers hammocks on loan. Available to check out for up to 72 hours, the hammock kits come with instructions and everything necessary to set up the relaxing cocoons. The only things missing are two sturdy trees for hanging, which aren’t hard to find in the neighboring Patterson Botanical Garden’s 15 acres.
2. Oculus Virtual Reality Headsets
   • Virtual reality (VR) headsets and development stations are available for student use in the Digital Scholarship Lab (DSL) upon request. Oculus units are available to view projects being worked on, along with Windows PCs with programs commonly used for VR/metaverse creation.
3. GoPros/360 Cameras
   • Capture any moment by checking out a GoPro or 360 camera. Don’t forget to also borrow a hand-steadying gimbal to keep your videos shake-free.
4. Calculators
   • Ever needed a high-tech calculator for class but didn’t want to spend the money on one? The library has you covered. In fact, you can check out many useful everyday items, such as USB chargers, adapters and dongles.
5. Art Supplies
   • You can fulfill your dreams of being the next Picasso by checking out some of the library’s various art supplies, which include brush markers and Prismacolor colored pencils.

4 Unique Spaces:

1. Transformable Space
   • The second floor of the library acts as a transformable space for pop-up presentations, group projects and collaborative work. All modular furniture on this floor can be moved to fit any set-up, and various mounted Clear Touch boards maximize creative teamwork.
2. Resting Stations
   • On the fourth floor, also known as the silent floor, lives a space where weary students can take a break. Offering antigravity chairs, hammocks, pillows and blankets, it is a perfect spot to relax.
3. Ruth Funk Reading Room
   • Also on the fourth floor, this cozy space houses the textile and art books that supported the former Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts on campus. All decorations were created in the CraftLab (see below).
4. University Archives Room
   • Visit the Archives Room on the first floor to look back on the university’s history since its inception in 1958—particularly relevant this year, as we celebrate Florida Tech’s 65th anniversary.

3 Ways to Get Creative:

1. Digital Scholarship Lab
   • The DSL supports research, teaching and learning across all disciplines using digital tools and resources. Some of the DSL’s offerings include a podcast and video studio, a video display wall, 3D printing, geographic information systems (GIS) and VR creation.
2. CraftLab
   • Located on the first floor, the CraftLab is a place for students, faculty and staff to make unique creations for free. A vinyl cutter and sublimation printers can be used to create unique T-shirts, mugs, stickers, keychains and more.
3. Play the Piano
   • Also on the first floor is the library’s piano. All are welcome to play a tune, often ending in student ovations.

2 Books—Yes, the library still has books!

1. 1730s Bible
   • Check out the library’s oldest book, a Bible from the 1730s. The only catch? It’s written in German.
2. Florida Tech Yearbooks (1968-2001)
   • Check out a yearbook to discover the history of Florida Tech’s student organizations and delight in ’70s fashions and ’80s hair styles.

1 Evans Library

1. With resources to aid in all aspects of a student’s life, there is truly only one Evans Library. Schedule a visit to see it, along with many other awesome buildings on Florida Tech’s campus, for yourself.

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Ask a Librarian

We talked to each librarian to learn what their favorite part of Evans Library is. Check out what they have to say, and learn more about the resources available to current students and alumni!

• Monika Parker, iDesk Supervisor, Banned Books Shelf: I’ve always found it a very intriguing addition simply because, while I was aware of book banning, I was not quite aware of the scope and the variety of books that get banned.
• Suzy Kozaitis, Collection Development & Analysis Librarian, Question-of-the-Week White Board: At the bottom of the stairs on the first floor sits the Question-of-the-Week white board, which is extremely popular with students.
• Rob Sippel, Geospatial & Numeric Data Librarian, Fourth Floor: The fourth floor is an amazing place to watch thunderstorms while staying out of the rain.
• Suzanne Odom, Head of Reference, Ask a Librarian Service: I recommend our Ask a Librarian chat, text and email service. You can get your questions answered by a real librarian, or better yet, schedule an in-person or online appointment with your librarian of choice!
• Chelsea Carroll, Head of Instruction, Bloom’s Literature Database: In addition to authoritative information on authors, playwrights and works of literature, the Bloom’s Literature database includes a library of hundreds of videos. You can watch things like full-length, dramatic performances of famous works of literature (including Shakespearean plays); lectures and recorded interviews; and documentary and educational films.
• Kaylee Erdos, User Experience and Instruction Librarian, TurnItIn Course: The TurnItIn course is a library-created Canvas course to assess your similarity score before submitting a paper. This course does NOT submit your paper to the TurnItIn database.
• Kristin Heifner, User Experience Librarian, Subject Librarians: Make sure to make an appointment with your subject librarian! So many undergraduate and graduate students don’t make use of the librarian assigned to their subject area and miss out on learning about some of the great tools that could help them with their research and studies.
• Nancy Garmer, Interim Dean of Libraries, University Archivist Anna Kephart Norris: Meet with university archivist Anna Kephart Norris to discover fascinating nuggets of university history on almost any topic you can imagine.

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