Successful First Year for the J. D. McKean Library

To celebrate the completion of our inaugural academic year in the J. D. McKean Library, we gave away 2 prizes on April 22, 2024!

Having close to a thousand patrons walk through the library almost every day, we were pleased to find we had a couple hundred entries for the giveaway. Students, faculty, and staff of the university wrote down their name, email to contact them should they win, and a comment about their favorite part of the library.

It was an exciting moment for the faculty and staff to give the basket of goodies and the headphones to the winners. It was equally fun sorting through the comments about the library.

So many people said they loved all the windows and natural lighting! It can be so hard sitting in classes or offices with little opportunity to enjoy the warm sun of Tulsa, Oklahoma. We're pleased to be able to provide that space for students, faculty, and staff to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee while they work in a welcoming, warm environment.

Perhaps the second most popular comment to the windows were the favorable comments on the various study spots. Students love the digital nests that provide white boards for mapping notes and screens for practicing presentations; the reading room for a quieter space that allows for total concentration; the Presentation Studio to record videos for various project; the Innovation Station for engaging learning experiences with the use of VR, digital printing, and flight simulation; the LIBBI labs with computers for individual or group study; and not least of all, the tables that extend between the rows of shelves of books, making a great place to collaborate and hang with friends in a space that feels off campus.

Another favorite aspect of the library is the amount of different seating spaces! People love the chairs we have angled near the windows, the private, cushioned pods, and the sofas located around the library.

We here at the J. D. McKean Library have loved serving ORU by providing these spaces with ample charging outlets, having mints readily available at the front desk, and rejoicing over successful book finds in the library and on the third floor in the Holy Spirit Resource Center. It was a successful first academic year, and we are so happy to celebrate with our guests!

We hope our giveaway winners enjoy their gifts, and we hope everyone enjoys their summer. We'll be here in the fall for an even better academic year!