Hello! I'm Richard Cochran,

Dean of Library and Instructional Services at Ferris State University. On behalf of all employees of the Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education (FLITE), welcome to FSU!

It is often said that knowledge is power.  As one enters a library there is an inescapable sensation of being surrounded by big ideas and important thoughts.  In grand old libraries one feels that sense of awe when ushered into the panorama of range upon range of book shelves and large quiet reading rooms.

Visitors to FLITE have reported a similar kind of awe as they see the building for the first time.  But there is a difference. The size of the building is daunting, but after a short while, it becomes manageable. Once a destination is determined – a section of the book collection, a help desk, the government documents area, a study room, a computer – the  short walk there becomes something of a journey of exploration.  Visitors are suddenly made aware of details of a library with which they were previously unaware.  Suddenly the place isn’t so much strange and foreboding, but new and exciting.

We who guide and program FLITE for what it is and will be, take great pride in knowing that discoveries are being made all around us.  You can hear the quest for knowledge in the excited conversations among students clustered around tables in the Informal Study Court.  You can see the concentration of eyes playing across the text of books, magazines and computer screens. 

In FLITE the agility and command isn’t the raw power one sees displayed in a gymnasium.  It’s a different kind of power that’s being channeled here.  But just as surely as a workout produces body mass and muscle tone, an exposure to FLITE nourishes the mind and is liable to change your life, if not your course grade!  Consider the people who work here to be your personal trainers.  We’re here to help you every step of the way.

More power (and knowledge) to you!

Richard M. Cochran, Ph.D.

P.S. I welcome your comments or questions in any form, but if you are on campus, please feel free to call my secretary, Laurie Wernette, (231) 591-3727 to set up an appointment. Otherwise, drop me an e-mail: cochranr@ferris.edu.