Top Five Family-Friendly Services at CMU Libraries
CMU students, faculty, and staff are welcome to bring their children with them when they visit the Park Library. Our goal is to provide a welcoming environment for all members of our community and hope that these spaces and services will support your learning, research, and work activities.
Top 5 family-friendly services at CMU Libraries:
Current CMU students, faculty, and staff are invited to use the family study room when you visit the Park Library accompanied by your minor children. Located in Park 118 within the first floor Quiet Study area near Student Disability Services, this room was designed specifically for CMU members who wish to bring their children with them when they are studying or working on projects. This comfortable and safe room can accommodate more than one family at a time, up to 8 people. Users will have access to a library computer or can bring their personal laptop and connect to the Wi-Fi. Adult-sized and child-sized furniture are available as well as children’s toys and books. The room is available on a first come, first served basis. Learn more about the room’s amenities and policies and register online to add access to your Central ID.
The Quality of Life Room is available to all current CMU students, faculty, and staff for personal reflection, prayer, mindfulness practice, and lactation. This comfortable and safe space is intended for individual use except for nursing mothers and their children. Amenities include a lounge chair, standing lamp, worktable, sink, and paper towels. You may access the locked room using your Central ID; no registration is required. This room is available on a first come, first served basis. The Quality of Life Room is not intended for studying, meetings, sleeping, or eating.
The Contactless Book Pickup service was implemented at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and has become a regular part of our offerings. If you are a parent, guardian, or caregiver, this convenient service can save you time and energy in accessing the library’s physical collections. Locate the item you wish to borrow in the library catalog and place a hold. When the item is ready to pick up, you will receive an email with a link to schedule the pickup date and time. Your item(s) will be waiting for you in the Park Library lobby near the Information Desk.
We will scan book chapters and journal articles for current CMU students, faculty, and staff from our physical collections and deliver them to your desktop. Search the library catalog for the item you want scanned, then select Scan a Chapter. Doing so will open your Documents on Demand Account where you can complete the request and take advantage of this time-saving service.
5. Betty A. McDonald Children’s Literature Collection https://libguides.cmich.edu/childrensliterature
We invite you to browse the Betty A. McDonald children’s literature collection which is located on the north end of the Park Library’s 4th floor. Current CMU students, faculty, and staff, as well as alumni and community members, may borrow these materials. The collection contains over 31,000 books, including picture books, easy readers, chapter books, young adult books, and more. Many of the titles have won prestigious children’s literature prizes such as the Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King awards. This collection is supported by a generous endowment established by CMU alumna, Betty A. McDonald (1941).
We encourage parents, guardians, and caregivers to read our policies related to children in the library for more information. We do ask that persons under the age of 14 be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or adult caregiver. Please let us know how we can support you when you visit the Park Library accompanied by your children.