Student 24/7 Feb 2014 | Page 7

CAMPUS NEWS Campus welcomes lucky number 13 Annette Willemse Albert Einstein once said that the only thing a person needs to know to succeed in life is where the library is situated. For the Vaal Triangle campus community, the answer to this question is Building 13! In the weeks leading up to the completion of the R60 million facility, the library manager – Hendra Pretorius, is of the opinion that the new facility - to be referred to as the Information Commons, represents much more than just another infrastructure expansion on the campus. “The new facility serves as a symbol of the campus’s commitment to lifelong learning and future readiness,” says Hendra. Computers; 178 (previously 38) Building 13 also boasts the following new add-ons: • Honours Room • Masters and PhD Commons • Group discussion rooms • Individual study cubicles • Training rooms • Lecture rooms In terms of the number of books housed in the new facility, a total of 84 377 titles will be available, as well as 6 475 e-books. In addition to this the library subscribes to 1 104 emagazines. The Information Commons will host several units such as Academic Development and Support (ADS), Student Counselling and Development (SCD), the writing laboratory, as well as the South African Water History Archival Repository (SAWHAR). Other additions include a 24 hour study and computer laboratory, a copy shop and a coffee shop. Compared to the former library infrastructure, the new facility represents not only a state-of-the-art facility, but also a modern hub suitable for knowledge sharing and creation. In relation to the previous library facility (Building 3), the new facility compares as follows: Seats: 687 (previously 246) Campus bridges mathematical gap Annette Willemse The Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology on the Vaal Triangle Campus of the NorthWest University (NWU Vaal) has successfully introduced an initiative to not only be