Family Room is convenient for students and their children
Patrick Riley
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: News
When the family room on the third floor of Reese Library was first opened to the public in the fall 2006, there was a young couple with a newborn child who could not afford child care.
Due to their situation, one of them was going to have to drop out of school so they could take care of their child. However, when they heard about the family room, they were able to look after their child and work on their homework as well, and neither dropped out of school.
To this day, the family room is still serving student parents. Michelle Lazenby, an early childhood education major, said that the room is convenient for study time.
"I have used it 2-3 times this semester," she said. "It is definitely a good thing."
The room was created three years ago when President William Bloodworth Jr. asked all units of Augusta State University to brainstorm ways of keeping students successful. The idea for the family room was suggested by Jamie Basset, a nursing major.
Jamie had three children of his own, and wanted a place for his kids to stay because they would make noise every time they were in the library.
The family room is broken up into two segments. One is a play area for the kids, which features a TV, as well as children's films to watch, games to play and books to read.
The other area is a place for the parents to study, which also features a couple of computers where students can type their papers.
Even more convenient for parents is the fact that if their children tried leaving the playroom, there is an alarm attached to the locked door in the playroom that will sound, alerting only the parent in the other room.
"It isn't like a fire alarm or anything," said Camilla Reid, associate director of Reese Library. "It's loud enough to alert the parents in the other room."
To gain access into the room, students will need to have an Augusta State student ID and sign a release form at the circulation desk in order to gain access to the code that will allow them into the room. There is a phone in the family room that, once picked up, will go straight to the reference desk downstairs.
There are a couple of guidelines for parents bringing their child into the family room. Children under 14 are not to leave the family room and are not be left unattended, as unattended children may wander off or become disruptive to others in the library
Older children are allowed to sit in the main area of the library to do homework or read, but they need either a guardian's permission or a pass from their high school before being allowed to do so.
There are a couple of ideas for the future of the family room, one being installing an internet-free computer in the playroom so that kids can play games. According to Reid, there is no printer in the room, so anyone using the computers in the family room that needs to print any assignments have to go into the main area.
"We hope that soon we can have a printer in the family room," Reid said, "so that parents won't have to leave the room."
Due to their situation, one of them was going to have to drop out of school so they could take care of their child. However, when they heard about the family room, they were able to look after their child and work on their homework as well, and neither dropped out of school.
To this day, the family room is still serving student parents. Michelle Lazenby, an early childhood education major, said that the room is convenient for study time.
"I have used it 2-3 times this semester," she said. "It is definitely a good thing."
The room was created three years ago when President William Bloodworth Jr. asked all units of Augusta State University to brainstorm ways of keeping students successful. The idea for the family room was suggested by Jamie Basset, a nursing major.
Jamie had three children of his own, and wanted a place for his kids to stay because they would make noise every time they were in the library.
The family room is broken up into two segments. One is a play area for the kids, which features a TV, as well as children's films to watch, games to play and books to read.
The other area is a place for the parents to study, which also features a couple of computers where students can type their papers.
Even more convenient for parents is the fact that if their children tried leaving the playroom, there is an alarm attached to the locked door in the playroom that will sound, alerting only the parent in the other room.
"It isn't like a fire alarm or anything," said Camilla Reid, associate director of Reese Library. "It's loud enough to alert the parents in the other room."
To gain access into the room, students will need to have an Augusta State student ID and sign a release form at the circulation desk in order to gain access to the code that will allow them into the room. There is a phone in the family room that, once picked up, will go straight to the reference desk downstairs.
There are a couple of guidelines for parents bringing their child into the family room. Children under 14 are not to leave the family room and are not be left unattended, as unattended children may wander off or become disruptive to others in the library
Older children are allowed to sit in the main area of the library to do homework or read, but they need either a guardian's permission or a pass from their high school before being allowed to do so.
There are a couple of ideas for the future of the family room, one being installing an internet-free computer in the playroom so that kids can play games. According to Reid, there is no printer in the room, so anyone using the computers in the family room that needs to print any assignments have to go into the main area.
"We hope that soon we can have a printer in the family room," Reid said, "so that parents won't have to leave the room."
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