An OWU ICEcube?
Ohio Wesleyan’s ‘ICEcube’ is a glass-walled, soundproofed study and presentation room in Beeghly Library. ‘ICE’ stands for innovate, connect, and explore. (Photo by Raychel Gress ’17)
Ohio Wesleyan University’s L.A. Beeghly Library is more student-friendly than ever thanks to new additions this fall including an “ICEcube” presentation room, moveable dry erase boards, and convenient device-charging stations.
The ICEcube, which resembles its name, is actually a glass-walled, soundproofed study and presentation room on the first floor of Beeghly Library. “ICE” stands for innovate, connect, and explore, says Catherine Cardwell, director of OWU Libraries.
“We wanted to promote group study and presentations,” Cardwell says. “The ICEcube has a student priority [for scheduling].”
The ICEcube is equipped with a flat-panel monitor, with HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) and VGA (video graphics array) cables, and with a meeting table that includes built-in electrical outlets. For traditionalists, the ICEcube also has a large whiteboard.
The room may be reserved for up to three hours at a time and already has become quite popular. Cardwell hopes to see it used for Theory-to-Practice Grant presentations and other collaborative projects. Not only does it provide a convenient and well-equipped place for group presentations, but the ICEcube also is notable for its device-friendly set up.
“Bring your own device” could be the new motto of the entire library. Study tables on the first and second floors have been moved and modified for easy access to outlets. Students are able to study virtually anywhere in the library using their own laptops. Wireless printing aids in the convenience and productivity.
Cardwell says the library also has more than 100 study carrels from the 1960s, which include built-in outlets and study lights. The outlets were discovered during the work to rearrange and update the feel of the facility.
“We wanted to arrange everything to be student-friendly,” Cardwell says. “But it was also important that we preserve the same ‘look and feel’ of the library.”
The balance seems to have worked perfectly, as evidenced by the increase in students studying in the updated library this fall.