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The Daily Tar Heel

Library employees are excited about Davis Library's new main desk

While Judy Panitch, director of library communications, and Joe Williams, director of public services for UNC libraries, were delighted to see the old Davis Library desk go, many students haven’t seemed to notice. 

Renovations to replace the Davis Library main desk began in December. Panitch said the old wooden desk dated back to 1984 when the library was built. The new desk lights up Carolina Blue and is located at the entrance of the library to improve visibility and accessibility.

Joe Williams oversees the departments that use the desk to provide services. He said Davis Library previously had two service desks. Now, this one desk provides both references and circulation services. 

“If you have a research question, and then you also have some books to renew, then you can just refer to the person standing right next to you to help with everything you need,” Williams said.

Williams said students say they really enjoy the new desk.

"We’ve gotten lots of comments from students already saying that they love the new desk and from faculty, too, for that matter," he said. "They love the new desk and think it’s a huge improvement.”

But first-year Erin Hoover said she didn’t really notice the new desk. Graduate history student Joe Block said it doesn't affect him. 

“It looks better, but I don’t care,” Block said.

Ian Moore, an information and library science graduate student and a Davis Library employee who works behind the desk, said he hasn’t noticed a significant difference in how students viewed the new desk.

“I think people are excited, but I don’t know. It’s still the library,” he said.

Even though not everyone is excited about the new desk, Williams and Panitch are. 

“I can’t think of any reason to miss the old desk. We hated it,” Panitch laughed. 

Williams shared her enthusiasm about the new desk.

“It’s an easier place for us to work together, share a space, collaborate and refer people to extra help,” he said.

university@dailytarheel.com

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