Studio Librarian Sarah Kantor came to UTC in 2019, where she provides instruction and reference support for creative technology. Photo by Angela Foster.
On the third floor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Library is a creative space many students pass without realizing what it offers. The UTC Library Studio provides all students with digital software, creative outlets and hands-on assistance.
“We’re sort of a library within the library,” said Sarah Kantor, the studio librarian. “We have all the things the rest of the library has in one close-knit space, but with a focus on digital media.”
The UTC Library Studio officially opened in 2015, the same year the UTC Library was launched. Today, the studio assists with a wide range of projects, including photography, video production, editing, audio recording, graphic design, 3D modeling and animation.
Whether students are completing coursework, building a portfolio or pursuing a hobby, the Library Studio aims to remove barriers and make digital media approachable and accessible.
Students do not need to make an appointment in order to visit the studio, Kantor said, although staff are available if a student wants more structured help.
“We’re open to everybody,” Kantor said. “You don’t have to be in a specific class or a specific major to come in and use the space.”
The UTC Library Studio houses one of the largest audiovisual equipment collections among academic libraries, offering a variety of equipment. “We’re not just unique on campus,” Kantor explained. “We’re actually unique on all college campuses.”
She said that the studio has standard cameras, 360-degree cameras, microphones, zoom recorders, lighting kits, GoPros, and presentation equipment such as speakers and projectors.
Unlike other creative or academic spaces at UTC that might be available only to certain majors or programs, students can use the Library Studio for academic, professional or personal purposes. Kantor explained that everything in the studio is carefully maintained to ensure students have access to functional and effective equipment.
“We provide all the pieces you’ll need to use the equipment,” she said. “You don’t have to track down extra parts or bring your own supplies.”
The Library Studio is open every day and is staffed by trained professionals and student assistants who are knowledgeable in helping users with varying experience levels.
“Not everybody comes in knowing how to use this technology,” Kantor said. “We’re able to adjust to everyone’s needs, whether they want us to walk them through everything or just help when they get stuck.”
Studio manager Bails Tunnell said that the most rewarding part of working in the studio is seeing the creativity and interest from the students.
“You’ll see nursing students making videos, communication students producing podcasts and art students designing projects,” Tunnell said. “It’s cool to see what students are creating across all academic departments, whether it’s for class or for personal projects.”
Tunnell added that she believes it is important for more students to find out about the UTC Library Studio and its resources.
“I wish more students knew that they had it accessible to them,” she said.
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“We’re sort of a library within the library,” Sarah Kantor said about the UTC Library Studio.
