New Spaces, New Faces at Shields Library This Fall

We’ve been busy here at the library this summer, and we’re excited to invite our students—new and returning Aggies alike—to stop by and check out the new support services and renovated study spaces available at Shields Library.

Wellness Info Desk

The UC Davis Library is teaming up with Aggie Mental Health to pilot a new Wellness Info Desk in the lobby of Shields Library this year. The Wellness Info Desk will be staffed a few days each week by Aggie Mental Health Ambassadors who can help you connect with campus resources to support wellness and well-being.

To start out, the Wellness Info Desk will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 2pm, with more hours likely to be added later this quarter. Aggie Mental Health Ambassadors are available via Zoom through the Ask an Aggie virtual platform at other times.

The Wellness Info Desk in the library lobby will also periodically offer de-stress activities. This week, Egghead coloring sheets are out and available during library open hours (yes, the Year of the Eggheads continues!) so feel free to take one next time you pass through the library. There will be more activities to come as the year goes on, so watch this space!

Sunny Spaces to Study

If you like sunny study spaces, the first thing you may notice is that the Courtyard in the heart of Shields Library got a facelift over the summer. With the addition of a new piece of public art and revitalized landscaping, the Courtyard is lovelier than ever. Whether you need a quiet place to work or a peaceful and relaxing study break, the Courtyard is a perennial favorite.

Continue through the first floor all the way to the farthest end of the library (that’d be the East wing, for those of you who like to use the compass app on your phone) and you’ll find a light and airy study zone with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides. We’ve moved the shelves of books that used to line the center of this space up to the second floor, allowing for a substantial expansion of this popular study area.

And More to Come!

• Returning Aggies will also notice some significant changes as soon as you enter the lobby. We’ve removed the old Welcome Desk that restricted the flow of traffic through the main doors and set up a new Welcome Desk facing the entrance. You’ll find members of our library student team ready to answer any questions you may have at the new Welcome Desk, just to the right of the grand staircase.
• Meanwhile, we’re still putting the finishing touches on the entryway itself. We appreciate your patience with the last bit of construction commotion on Wednesday and Thursday of this week—and we promise, it’ll be worth the wait!
• Last but not least, we are wrapping up a major renovation of the Academic Assistance and Tutoring Center, located on the Lower Level, in partnership with Student Affairs. AATC Drop-in Tutoring will reopen the week of October 6 in the area just downstairs (or down the elevator) from the main lobby. We’ll share more info in the coming weeks.

So, welcome to our new Aggies—and to everyone else, welcome back. See you at the library!

“To our new Aggies, welcome—and to everyone else, welcome back! We’ve worked hard this summer to make some very important parts of the library more open and welcoming. We’re proud of the results and can’t wait to share it with you. If you have ideas for how the library can better support you, please reach out to me anytime.

I also want to thank the teams at the Academic Assistance and Tutoring Centers and Aggie Mental Health for helping us support student success and well-being. We’re honored to partner with you.”

—William Garrity, University Librarian and Vice Provost of Digital Scholarship