Florida Polytechnic University Will Open This Fall With a Nearly Virtual Academic Library

From The Legend (Lakeland, Florida):

When the university [Florida Polytechnic] opens its doors to students this fall, the library will be almost completely online, although certain hardcover books will be available on an as-needed basis.
Kathryn Miller, director of library services for the school, said the challenge of setting up and planning library services for the polytechnic is a very different and exciting one for her profession, and she is enjoying it. Hired in late January at an annual salary of $95,000, she said it’s not every day a librarian has the opportunity to be in on a start-up system like this one.
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“We will be different in that our resources will be available primarily online,” Miller said. “Our library space on campus will be a contemplative space, as well as a collaborative laboratory for learning. Our library space has been designed so that the space itself can learn and evolve as technology advances.”
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“Digital information also allows students to create customized repositories. The library will teach our students how to effectively work with and interpret digital information so that they are digitally literate.
“It is very important that our students understand how to successfully work with digital information and how to use the information they learn to inform real-world situations.

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FPU plans to open in August 2014 with two colleges offering bachelors and masters degrees. The focus will be STEM and more specifically, technology and engineering.
See Also: Florida Polytechnic University Mission and Vision Statements
See Also: Scott Signs Bill to Establish Florida Poly as State’s 12th University (The Ledger; April 20, 2012)

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