Billington: Exploring The Heart of Johnson County Community College

Johnson County Community College has 24 buildings and within those is the Billington Library. It is the primary source of information, relaxation, and resources for students and faculty. It is the heart of JCCC.

So, what should students know about the Billington Library? First, the physical space itself. The first floor offers several resources that can make a student’s day a little easier. It includes the Academic Resource Center, where students can schedule one-on-one tutoring sessions, as well as study rooms that can be reserved online. There is also a cafe and a variety of study spaces, which gives students different options depending on how they prefer to work, study or take a break. The second floor offers books, periodicals, exhibits, and most importantly, the librarians themselves.

Second, the website, https://library.jccc.edu/, has an abundance of resources for students with any needs. If you’re looking for books, movies, audios, or any electronic resource, their website has you covered. If you’re looking for a librarian’s help but are too shy or simply do not have time to go there physically, librarians happy to help you find whatyou’re looking for via chat, email and other means of distance communication.

– Rowell Yniguez

Need a Jolt? Your Guide to Campus Coffee

Coffee, coffee, coffee. College students and Loreli Gilmore alike, we all could use some extra energy. Stop by the cafes around campus to fill that crave. 

There are four cafes on JCCC’s campus. Themost notable are the Stacks Cafe on the first floor of the library and Encore! Espresso in the Midwest Trust Center (MTC) on the first floor, and The Market on the first floor of the Student Center (SC). The hidden gem is the Cafe Tempo inside the Nerman Museum.

Stacks Cafe has a wide variety of food and drink options. You can enjoy a sandwich, salads, coffee, and tea. Their hours are Monday-Thursday, opening at 7:30am for your 8 a.m. class and closing at 6 p.m. just in time for those night classes. On Fridays, the hours are 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Encore! Espresso has more limited hours and options. Everyday during the week, the hours are 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. The food options are simplified to pastries and pre-packaged snacks but also have soda options for those who do not like coffee or tea. 

The Market not only has coffee options, but also smoothies, pre-packaged snacks, pastries, donuts, and specialty breakfast items from 7:30-10:30 a.m.. It also has a small convenience store area with a selection of chips, nuts, gum, mints and cold beverages. The hours are 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday.

The last option is Cafe Tempo. This hidden relic may not have coffee but will have your mouth watering for their soup of the days. The hours are the most limited with only being open Tuesday-Friday 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. This is the best option for a lunch meal and a quick refresh with an infused tea. 

Check these cafes out when you need a boost of energy or if you want to know more about a possible job position.

– Arabella Gipp