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This afternoon 18+ folks gathered in LIB204 for a webcast from ACRL on Information Commons. The sections was led by Joan Lippencott. Here are the notes from the session – it will be available online from ACRL and I will post the link here when available.
She began by discussing the concepts of Information Commons and Learning Common.
- Not just computer labs – need to incorporate the role of content and levels of service that computer labs don’t.
- Many also make room for other campus services (writing center and Teaching and Learning Center)
- Info Commons emphasize areas for groups, collaborations, food, art, etc. as opposed to quiet individual study
- Need to provide an environment that engage learners
- Most are in libraries, but some are in academic buildings or student centers
Vision and Goals
- Who will conceptualize the vision and goals for your commons? Who other than library staff need to be involved? Encourages direct representation on committees by students.
- How does your library serve the community?
- Link your goals to the goals of the University as a whole.
For What Purpose
- Convenience
- Increase ability of students to work in groups
- Make more technology available
- Provide services efficiently and effectively
- Provide new services
- Promote a sense of community
- Enhance learning — should be your primary focus
Linking the Info Commons to Learning
- Deeper Learning
- Social
- Active
- Contextual
- Engaging
- Student-Owned
Physical Space Slides showing examples of spaces from Info Commons
Collaborations and Partnership
Issue is do they become partners or just tenants? Not much leveraging of the physical proximity.
- Co-location – adjacenct service points and opportunities for informal crossover staff contact
- Cooperation
- Collaboration – developing shared mission and goals, joint planning, pool expertise to develop new services, each contributes resources.
- Dartmouth Center for Research, Writing and IT. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~rwit/
- GA Tech Information Commons
Staffing Issues:
- What will be the key uses of your commons?
- What types of services do you anticipate?
- Who will be your partner organizations?
- Will services with other units be co-located?
- What mix of professional, support, student staffing will be needed?
- What kind of training is needed and who will provide it?
Assessment
- Gate counts
- counts of use of workstations
- use surveys
- question counts
- satisfaction surveys
- quality perception surveys
- Frame assessments in the context of your institutiton’s learning priorities
- Partner with assessment experts on your campus
- Communicate to staff what type of information would be valuable to administrators and funders
- Assemble stakeholders to shape the assesment effort
- consider both quantitative and qualitative measures
5 Ideas You Can Do Now
- Form group spaces in open areas
- Add inexpensive equipment to promote student collaborative learning
- Improve promotion of content and services through signage and displays
- Begin pertnerships and joint training with other units
- Do needs assessments
Planning Issues
- Develop a vision related to learning
- Develop goals
- Determine partners
- define and gain resources
- determine location
- define what you want users to be able to do
- define services
- determine staff needs
- Later you can work on the specifics
1 Comment on ‘Information Commons 2.0 Webcast’
Wow, Roz. Good summary. Even though I was there, I think I’d feel like I was there, if I wasn’t.