Serving the Commuter College Student in Urban Academic Libraries

Abstract

Cities often host many colleges and universities; while the commuter student in suburban or rural areas may drive or be driven to school, students at colleges and universities in dense, urban settings rely predominantly on mass transit for their commute to class. The act of commuting to campus has been found by a number of researchers to define and shape the experiences of commuter students in college, though the literature on college students who commute is not extensive. A qualitative study of the academic culture and scholarly habits of undergraduate students at the City University of New York (CUNY) revealed much about the experiences of urban commuter students, and the impact of the commute on each student’s ability to accomplish her academic work. In this article we will share the results of our study, and suggest strategies to help urban academic libraries direct resources, services, and policies to best serve their commuter students.