New library at JCC offers space and technology

SMITHFIELD -- Johnston Community College, which has seen rising enrollment amid tight budgets in the recession, has a new crown jewel: an $8.2 million library.

The campus's newest addition is a far cry from the old library space, where study tables and computer stations were cramped next to dim rows of books. The new building is full of light - and space.

"You're not over top of someone," said Tamika Elie, 37, who is studying bio-processing technology at JCC. "More room to study. (It's) quiet."

The college had outgrown its former library, which had about 7,000 square feet of space. The new library is more than 11,500 square feet.

Community colleges typically see enrollment surge during tough economic times. JCC has nearly 4,300 students this fall, up from about 3,000 in the fall of 2007.

Along with the student population, technology also outgrew the old space, which was more than two decades old, said JCC President David Johnson.

"We've gone light years in technology in 20 years," he said.

The second floor of the new library is home to distance-learning classrooms, where students can learn from instructors thousands of miles away.

The former library also had another drawback: It had a low profile, tucked into a corner of the Tart Building on campus.

Now, visitors can't miss the new library, with its tall windows and big presence.

"It is the focus point visually for the campus now," Johnson said.

With the library now open to students and the community, college leaders are setting their sights on another project. They envision a $4 million renovation to turn the old library space into a virtual hospital where health-sciences students can get real-life nursing experience with robots.

A floor plan calls for construction of a lobby, patient-care rooms and an observation area where students can monitor mannequins that are smart enough to let people know when they're in pain.

"It's as real as it can be," Johnson said.

JCC needs a virtual hospital partly so it can enroll more nursing students, Johnson said. Nursing is one of the school's most popular programs. About 400 people typically apply for 105 spots each year.

The college has to limit the number of nursing students because not enough hospitals and medical practices are nearby for students to perform the clinical portion of their training.

With a virtual hospital in place, Johnson said, the hospital could accept 20 more nursing students.

The college hasn't set aside money for the project, but Johnson said he would like for it to be finished in three years.

As the economy improves, Johnson said, he hopes Johnston County can help financially. County bond money provided the funds for the new library.

And Johnson said the college could launch a fundraising campaign next year. That would leave two years for design and renovations.

"It's a little bit of a pull and tug," Johnson said. "We need the facility, but we don't have the money to implement it."