Heather Morgan is in the know, when it comes to learning about CCS’s Library Partnership with the Spokane Public Library system.

The best way for students to consider this partnership is that CCS cam- pus Library’s resources now expand to SPL libraries as well. “Students have access to even more information that can help them both academically –with their schoolwork, but also personally– with recreational interests. It just provides them access to
a lot more information, both in print format and digital format,” she said.

Whether or not students already have an SPL card, they can make a new digital card, a process completed entirely online which assigns an ID number used to check out books, and access the streaming service – Kanopy – which offers several documentaries and other streaming content.

Morgan helps give an introduction into the streaming service, Kanopy, “What’s nice is that the public library also has a lot of streaming services, which is very expensive and that this is just another way that we can have our students access further external content, including one streaming service, which I think.

SFCC library faculty member Heather Morgan offers her expertise for this new change to what the library system offers students, both in her office, and through interacting with students on campus, namely in the library.

is fantastic for academic purposes, Kanopy,” she said. ”And it has a lot
of documentaries and things like that that are applicable for classroom use. And now both our faculty and our staff and our students will all have access to a lot more streaming content with this partnership.”

An important piece to remember is that with streaming services, like Kanopy, professors are better able
to outfit in-class time with different learning styles and give updated resources for video led lectures. As an example, through use of Kanopy professors can provide the latest learning videos for students.

“Besides having a streaming service, you also have some of your audio books or your e-books, not necessarily always as focused on the nonfiction or academic research side. But once again, as a nice way to try and address different learning styles or preferences, because some people just prefer to listen to their book, while they’re commuting, or perform- ing other manual tasks.”

Morgan explains that to a cam- pus as technology inclined as SFCC, this partnership can be extremely helpful.

“CCS has a lot of online students, students that don’t physically live in Spokane, they may live in some of the surrounding rural areas or even anywhere around the world, and having access to additional digital content through SPL is nice be- cause it’s not just for residents of the city anymore,” Morgan said. “We’re reaching all of our students that way, so it’s very inclusive in that nature.”

Morgan assured students that although physical changes are taking place in March, due to the downtown location remodel, the lack of certain resources will only be for a limited time.

“One thing that perhaps will impact some of our students here
is access to the Northwest Room, through the downtown branch, because they’re gonna be closing the downtown branch in March.’’

Although this museum akin room acts as a great resource it will not be relocated.“My understanding is the Northwest Room for the most part will be closed during the renova- tion, as in they’re not relocating it. So students that are working on anything to do with regional histories, would be impacted by that because it won’t be open.”

Better access to more education- al tools such as this partnership provides will mean more social mobility for low-income students.Morgan says the information agrees. “One nice thing is that this is available to every- one enrolled in the schools which, like I said, is really nice at providing more equitable access to people,” Morgan said.

SPL will also be seeing changes due to this partnership, Morgan imagines these circumstances will be the outcome of those changes. “For SPL, I believe, part of their mission statement is that they want to meet community needs, which is very similar to the community college’s mission statement,” she said. “And so this just seems like a natural partner- ship, so that we’re better capable of reaching more people.

Morgan wants to remind students: “The biggest thing, with the public library partnership, is that you not only have your college librarians, but you also have librarians at the public library that are willing to help you,” she said. “Not just willing, they’re eager to help you.”