Bender Library was ranked 12th on the Princeton Review's "This is a Library?" list, which named the 20 worst libraries among national colleges and universities based on students' assessments of library facilities.
"I think the ranking is inaccurate," said Pat Wand, University Librarian. "There are so many good things about our library, and we really meet the needs of students - for instance, last year the library won a national award for its marketing efforts."
According to Wand, the library has millions of volumes available to students and tremendous amounts of electronic resources.
"I just have a hard time believing that our library is that bad," said Vicky Argueta, a junior in the School of International Service. "On the other hand sometimes I feel that some of the volumes are a little outdated and it's really sad that we don't have much of a fiction section where we can find [authors such as] Dickens or Austen."
One aspect of the library that does need improvement is its lack of space, Wand said. Many students prefer to study in small groups, and the library does not have enough facilities to accommodate many study groups, according to Wand.
Hillary Hippert, a freshman in SIS, visited Bender Library earlier in the week.
"It had a lot of good reference books, but not a lot of outside reading," Hippert said. "Besides, if you can't find a book you need here, there is always the consortium or facilities such as the Library of Congress, which has everything you could possibly need."
AU is part of a consortium of area libraries that includes Gallaudet, George Mason, George Washington, Georgetown and Marymount Universities, in addition to the University of the District of Columbia. Catholic University ranked number 11 on Princeton Review's worst libraries list.
"I believe that the consortium is one of the best things that AU's library has to offer," Wand said. "We also have an excellent staff of librarians who are always eager to help."
Upcoming library events include the opening of the Mud Box, the library's new coffee facility that sells fair trade Starbucks coffee, and a town hall meeting open to students with acting President Neil Kerwin on September 13.
