The 24-hour library mall, aimed at providing all-day access and deepening students’ learning and research, will soon be opened at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
The facility is equipped with Wi-Fi for studies and also has washrooms and showers to allow students who stay late into the night to freshen up the next morning and attend lectures.
Professor Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, who announced this, said the aim was to help reduce the risk of students getting robbed and injured during ungodly hours after studying on campus and returning to their hostels off campus.
Interacting with a cross-section of the media in Kumasi, she indicated that more than 78 percent of the students lived in accommodations off-campus, which was a challenge.
“When they are tired after learning they want to go back to their hostels to go and prepare for the next morning’s lecture, and there are always so many risks that come with this.
With the 24-hour library mall, students do not have to necessarily go back to their hostels late at night.
They can stay and use the shower facilities to freshen up and get the next day’s lecture done before they go back to the hostels,” she explained.
Prof. Mrs. Dickson said although there were other main libraries in the colleges, faculties and some departments, the 24-hour library mall was a step further to boost academic work.
She said KNUST recognized the importance of supporting students’ well-being in the model of education the University was running.
This was very crucial and critical for their overall success and academic achievements towards enhancing their KNUST Exposure.
These support programmes, according to Prof. Mrs. Dickson, could greatly enhance the University’s experience for all students and foster a positive and inclusive learning environment.
One such way, she said, was by ensuring that the campus infrastructure was inclusive and accessible to students with physical challenges, while paying attention to those with specialized needs.
The KNUST, through its “Support One Needy Student with One Laptop (SONSOL) Project, has donated 1,854 laptops to needy but brilliant students.
The VC said the media interaction was part of efforts to strengthen the relationship between the KNUST and the media.
She commended the media for the pivotal role played in the institution’s endeavours and development, as it strived to mould the hearts and minds of students in a bid to train transformational leaders for Ghana and beyond.
“The media’s invaluable contribution, in reshaping the perception of KNUST and disseminating positive information about the University, through diverse media channels has been instrumental in our progress so far, and we salute you for this great partnership.”
Prof. Mrs. Dickson gave the assurance that the KNUST would commit to an open-door policy for media engagement, as this would project the University’s activities in a positive way.
