The Writing Center celebrates its new location in the UI Library

The Writing Center, a place and tool created for students to have extra aid in their linguistic endeavors, opened its additional location for undergraduate students on the second floor of the library on Aug. 26.  

Representatives from the Writing Center, Library and College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences as well as staff and students involved in the relocation, gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate their hard work and initiative. The Dean of Libraries, Ben Hunter and the Dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, Sean Quinlan, spoke at the event, expressing their gratitude and excitement for this accomplishment.  

Emma Perry, the Writing Center’s interim director, was bestowed the honor of cutting the symbolic ribbon, looking forward to the opportunity to “provide really high quality and loving support for our students, for writing, and for writers.” A clear sense of pride circulated the room, paired with free coffee and snacks to solidify the unity between the University of Idaho Library and the Writing Center. 

Perry herself admitted, “There’s this myth that a writer has to work alone, but it’s simply not true!” All writers need and deserve a safe place to obtain constructive criticism. Now, post-doctorate, graduate, and faculty writers can seek this in the original Writing Center in the ISUB, while undergraduate students may receive their assistance in the library. The division of the Writing Center between two buildings allows for a more specialized “network of academic support and care.” Students and alumni will be able to acquire tutoring, one-on-one assistance, and collaboration opportunities. 

By simply making an appointment, anyone can use this space and receive its benefits. The hours available to meet with the tutors range from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Each appointment lasts 45 minutes and is available in person or online. Events take place here as well, such as a creative writing circle hosted from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Fridays. 

The center includes an office as well as an intimate seating area surrounded by shelves of useful texts. The expansion “into the library space [helps] make the writing center more visible and importantly more accessible for our students,” Perry said. In addition to having an easier area to locate, being within reach of the assets provided by the library allows for a smoother scholarly experience. Useful books, computers and hands-on tutoring are convenient. 

This innovative change has been in the works for some time now in the hopes of bringing any writer the necessary tools for their success. So, by way of a pair of abnormally large scissors, the Writing Center entered its new era advocating for the idea that “learning happens most meaningfully most powerfully in community,” assured Perry. 

Macy Gilbert can be reached at [email protected]