Pardall Center is hosting library services for SBCC students

SBCC Library Director Elizabeth Bowman explaining the services offered by SBCC librarians. Stephen Manga / Daily Nexus

SBCC Library Director Elizabeth Bowman explaining the services offered by SBCC librarians. Stephen Manga / Daily Nexus

The Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) Library is sponsoring a librarian outreach service at the Isla Vista (I.V.) Pardall Center to help SBCC students and I.V. community members receive library services close to home.

The outreach program is designed to provide SBCC students who live in I.V. with easier access to the campus library’s resources. SBCC Mobile Librarian Kristen LaBonte will be available Wednesday nights in the Pardall Center from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to provide locals with services such as research and homework assistance.

LaBonte said she will be available to help students with a wide range of assistance services.

“I help out with technology questions, research relating to term papers, personal research that people are doing, general questions and technical things like people’s personal devices,” LaBonte said.

Although the program’s main objective is to provide resources for local SBCC students, LaBonte said she is happy to help anyone who stops by.

“I help everyone. I don’t ask for anyone’s affiliation. That’s actually common practice with libraries,” LaBonte said. “We don’t discriminate; we are open to everybody.”

SBCC Library Director Elizabeth Bowman explained the reasoning behind the new service.

“So many of our students live in Isla Vista and struggle with bus availability or don’t have a car or, for whatever reason, want to stay here in I.V.,” Bowman said. “We do have online resources, which are great, but to have someone here for an extended time who can offer extensive help is invaluable. Students have told us that they like our library and our hours, but they like to stay here [in Isla Vista].”

Ethan Bertrand, SBCC Associated Students Isla Vista community representative (IVCR), said the project is the result of collaboration with the Pardall Center and UCSB Associated Students leadership.

“Within our student government last year, we saw a need for services in Isla Vista, so we created the IVCR position,” Bertrand said. “This is one of my roles with that, to work to support City College interests in the community and support students.”

Bertrand said the news of the project’s launch has been well received.

“So far we’ve heard a lot of great things. This originated due to feedback from students. This event is us saying we’re here and to please come use our services,” Bertrand said. “I think the greatest part about it is it’s not just for City College students, it’s also for the whole community, whether it’s UCSB students, longtime community members or families.”

Jonathan Abboud, SBCC trustee, said he helped coordinate the project by using the knowledge and connections he made as a former Associated Students (A.S.) President at UCSB.

“I coordinated this space. I was A.S. President, so I had connections and knowledge of Associated Students. So I brought both together, both my involvement with SBCC and my past involvement in A.S.,” Abboud said.

Abboud said he thinks the new service will serve I.V.’s SBCC population well and hopes it will expand to include more services for SBCC students in the future.

“I think it’s great that we’re providing services for SBCC students. There are about 3,000 [SBCC] students living in I.V., and they do need services. SBCC is far and it’s not feasible for students to make it over there all the time,” Abboud said. “I hope that this, in the future, expands to include more than library services like transfer services and financial aid services.”

A version of this story appeared on pages 1,7 in the Thursday, Friday 18, 2016 print edition of the Daily Nexus.

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