Community College Library Services: Meeting Students Where They Are.

This article examines the evolving role of academic libraries, with a focus on community college libraries, as contested spaces adapting to shifting educational priorities, technological changes, and diverse student needs. It highlights how community college libraries are expanding beyond traditional print collections to provide holistic, whole-person services that support students’ academic success, basic needs, and sense of belonging, especially in response to challenges intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Queensborough Community College’s library as a case study, the article illustrates innovations such as flexible study spaces, recreational and multilingual collections, and food insecurity support integrated into library services despite budget and staffing cuts. The discussion underscores the ongoing uncertainty about the future relevance of community college libraries amid changing curricula and enrollment trends, while emphasizing their potential to meet vocational and psychosocial needs through creative, student-centered approaches.