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Demonstration: The Learning Commons: Creating and Sustaining a Student-Focused Learning Space (Joe Williams, Janelle Joseph)
- Background
- Learning Commons: social, friendly, inviting, support learning
- Access to resources, images, ideas, inspiration, research support, productivity support (applications, etc), as well as social components
- Renovation of East Wing
- Involved students, faculty, staff
- Floor plan
- You can see the PowerPoint here
- Have in “information” desk, which is a little bit confusing… students ask “is this reference?”
- Presentation room for practicing presentations
- Different stations for different purposes
- Group study spaces
- Same feedback we’re getting: power, spaces, great wireless, etc.
- Comfortable space
- Circulation & reserve at one desk in another area (about 40 feet away)
- This space has taken over the reference area
- Services
- Research & computing, device lending, social space & collaborative spaces
- Even have a few game consoles set up permanently as a break from studying, no complains about noise/distractions
- Website has real-time PC availability that students can check before coming over
- Can see some of the devices they loan out on their FAQ sheet (Word doc)
- Accessible staff (even low, clear information tables (rather than tall, fort-like desks)
- Signage focuses on words (like “law” or “dictionaries”) rather than call numbers
- Research & computing, device lending, social space & collaborative spaces
- Outreach
- Week of celebration for opening of new learning commons
- Student group involvement (multicultural students affairs office, union activities board, international scholars, student services, student organization resource center), went to their meetings to tell them about it
- Campus partnerships (IT, center for teaching & learning, campus media, campus activities, eBoards)
- Future events: with groups, maybe gaming, faculty lecture series (sound familiar)
- Assessment
- Observations, counts, usage statistics
- Including hits on website
- Focus groups, surveys
- Standing committees
- University library committee, subgroup of this is specifically for commons (just students), director has student advisory board
- Web-based options
- Text box, fill in comments, hit send (right on front page)
- Discussion board on main commons page
- Requires university login to create new posts
- Observations, counts, usage statistics
- Interesting side effect
- Business faculty bring students in to study how people use space, etc.
- Some people teach in the space (not registering for spaces, though)
- People LOVE roaming dry erase boards
- Sound dampening furniture, more social space, louder than in previous space, some students shush other students, do query students when it seems like it might be too noisy
- Staff didn’t need to be sold on this, but there was a need to do some retraining (printing options changed, etc)
- Can rely on some grad assistants to help with advanced issues
- Some good photos and student comments in the powerpoint (link above)
- Funding
- Bond, donations, Friends of the Library fundraising, library-specific campaign, education & technology fee allocation for computer equipment
- 9 millions dollars, covered whole floor, includes learning commons, exhibits room, special collections reading room, etc.
- 3 year refresh cycle for computing equipment
- Last page of powerpoint shows other resources that are useful
- Interested in knowing more? Listserv on that page, too
- Looks similar to Emory, from what folks were saying; will see if I can get over there on the weekend and take some pictures
- Maybe they’ll put together a bibliography on these topics