Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Cal Poly Stretches the Concept
California Polytechnic has a brief description of the planned renovation to the Robert E. Kennedy Library. Current plans call for a design phase to begin in 2013, with a two-year construction phase projected to begin in 2015 or earlier. The expanded facility will be called the Academic Center and Library. Partners include the Academic Skills Center, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Honors Program, printing services, ITS, the Peace Corps, and Research Scholars in Residence.
Friday, May 8, 2009
How Are We Doing? Assessment of the IC
Everyone says their Commons is a good thing. Students love it. Gate counts are way up. We can point to all the good things we do and provide. But what good comes of all the changes? Are we improving learning? Are students doing better, producing higher quality work? Have faculty seen a marked difference since the Commons was introduced? Georgia Tech has posted a mix of user studies, focus group reports, questionnaires, and a first year report card.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Redesigning Library Services: A Manifesto
Michael Buckland's brief but seminal book, Redesigning Library Services: A Manifesto, is available at the Berkeley Digital Library. This 1992 publication is often cited for its elegantly simple construct:
Paper Library > Automated Library > Electronic Library
As I noted in my earlier post today, we seem to be stuck in the transitional Automated Library, part paper, part electronic. One of Buckland's more practical insights is that local storage is optional.
"Just as the change from the Paper Library to the Automated Library, in conjunction with the rise of on-line bibliographies, changes our perspective on the catalog, so also the rise of the Electronic Library changes our perspective on collecting and local collections. Instead of our thinking being dominated by local collections, as is unavoidable with the Paper Library and the Automated Library, the effect of having electronic documents is to make local storage optional rather than necessary."
At some point, the cost of storing and maintaining paper and microform collections has to outweigh the "just in case" argument. Especially as more of the contents of those materials are available electronically. It may not be a book you can hold in your hand, but if the content can be read or viewed anytime by simultaneous users, isn't that a trade-off that cannot be denied?
Paper Library > Automated Library > Electronic Library
As I noted in my earlier post today, we seem to be stuck in the transitional Automated Library, part paper, part electronic. One of Buckland's more practical insights is that local storage is optional.
"Just as the change from the Paper Library to the Automated Library, in conjunction with the rise of on-line bibliographies, changes our perspective on the catalog, so also the rise of the Electronic Library changes our perspective on collecting and local collections. Instead of our thinking being dominated by local collections, as is unavoidable with the Paper Library and the Automated Library, the effect of having electronic documents is to make local storage optional rather than necessary."
At some point, the cost of storing and maintaining paper and microform collections has to outweigh the "just in case" argument. Especially as more of the contents of those materials are available electronically. It may not be a book you can hold in your hand, but if the content can be read or viewed anytime by simultaneous users, isn't that a trade-off that cannot be denied?
ASU's Tech Officer's scorched earth view of library
Adrian Sannier's keynote speech at last December's Campus Technology '08 conference lit fires under several academic sacred cows. Sannier is chief technology officer at Arizona State. He was responsible for moving ASU's student email to Google's GMail and saving $400,000/year.
His keynote ended with this not-so modest proposal:
"Finally, I suggest you burn down the library. All the books in the world are already digitized! Burn the thing down. Change it into a gathering place; a digital commons. Stop air conditioning the books! None of us has the Alexandria Library; Michigan, Oxford [UK], and Stanford [CA] have digitized their collections. What do you have that they don't? Why are you buying new books? Buy digital and let's spend some more time making those things level, flat, and transparent so a single search turns up everything we have. This has to change, because it's clear that people want to find information digitally. They want to search for it, find it, have it, and then amalgamate search results into a précis."
So he's for the idea of a commons-like gathering place. That's good. And he's right about the need to shrink our collections for the sake of efficiency. But we are still a ways from digitizing "all the books in the world." My experience with Google Book Search is that the "full view" items, i.e., those completely clear of copyright, are not what my students are looking for.
The title of his speech "From Context to Core" is a worthwhile concept. We have to work hard on defining the core for the institution and for the library that serves the institution. The Information/Learning Commons is a response to a newly defined core, a transformation in the definition of service and resources. But for a while we are going to have to support a transitional kind of organization, one that slowly but inevitably moves toward Sannier's vision. Just not yet.
His keynote ended with this not-so modest proposal:
"Finally, I suggest you burn down the library. All the books in the world are already digitized! Burn the thing down. Change it into a gathering place; a digital commons. Stop air conditioning the books! None of us has the Alexandria Library; Michigan, Oxford [UK], and Stanford [CA] have digitized their collections. What do you have that they don't? Why are you buying new books? Buy digital and let's spend some more time making those things level, flat, and transparent so a single search turns up everything we have. This has to change, because it's clear that people want to find information digitally. They want to search for it, find it, have it, and then amalgamate search results into a précis."
So he's for the idea of a commons-like gathering place. That's good. And he's right about the need to shrink our collections for the sake of efficiency. But we are still a ways from digitizing "all the books in the world." My experience with Google Book Search is that the "full view" items, i.e., those completely clear of copyright, are not what my students are looking for.
The title of his speech "From Context to Core" is a worthwhile concept. We have to work hard on defining the core for the institution and for the library that serves the institution. The Information/Learning Commons is a response to a newly defined core, a transformation in the definition of service and resources. But for a while we are going to have to support a transitional kind of organization, one that slowly but inevitably moves toward Sannier's vision. Just not yet.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Design Elements - Signage
An Information Commons can be confusing and hard to navigate. Multiple service desks make it even more complicated. UNC-Charlotte considered the question of signage using Apple Store's Genius Bar as inspiration and posted a possible solution on YouTube.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Mobile library interfaces - what effect on the IC?
IC's primary tool has been the desktop PC or MAC. Most ICs are wireless and many loan laptops. What about the shrinking interface? Netbooks? iPhone or other touchscreen devices? Follow the latest developments in library interfaces on userslib.com.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
...and Beyond. A look at the future
It's still in the development stage, but the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity at Eastern Kentucky U. takes the information commons concept another step up the evolutionary ladder.
"The learning experience of Eastern Kentucky University students will be radically transformed by the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity. The Studio embodies the standard EKU has set internally in its Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), a focused university-wide initiative to develop informed, critical and creative thinkers who communicate effectively. "
One of the more interesting elements is the organizational structure. A "Research Coordinator" will join coordinators for written and oral communication, along with tutors, to provide services in the studio. The coordinators report to the Studio Director, who reports to both the Dean of Libraries and the Dean of University of Programs.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Videos - fun and otherwise
Good place to start: Sheffield Univ. "IC Girls" It's entertaining but it also understands the functional design of the building and its variety of learning environments.
North Carolina State U. Ribbon-cutting at remodeled Learning Commons. Good commentary and student reactions. Shows old and new design.
U. Penn Weigle Information Commons. To the tune of "Downtown"
Listserv Infocommons-l
The list is for the discussion of issues relating to the planning, implementation, assessment, and support of information commons facilities that integrate the resources and services of libraries with enhanced information technology. List subscribers are also welcome to explore corollary topics when discussed in the specific context of IC management, such as information literacy, learning communities, faculty development, and facility design. |
Conference May 7
Information Commons 2.0 -- Lessons Learned and Moving Forward
On May 7, 2009, the Southeastern NY Library Resources Council is sponsoring a one-day conference at the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home in Hyde Park, New York.
Go to the conference site:
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
University of Southern California's Leavey Library, one of the earliest ICs, celebrated its tenth anniversary in September, 2004 with "a weeklong slate of activities, with opportunities for friends and donors, faculty and students, and the general public to participate in the festivities." The last two days were devoted to a "an advanced discussion among information commons professionals exchanging lessons learned, best practices, and models of operation." Information Commons: Learning Space Beyond the Classroom has links to all the presenters' .ppt or .pdf files.
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