Zaha Hadid Designs a Library

Currently under construction in Vienna, Zaha Hadid's first academic library building will be the centerpiece of the new campus at Wirtschafts Universitat Wien (Vienna University of Economics and Business).

Known as the Library and Learning Center, it includes services and facilities that might be called an academic commons: "workplaces, lounges and cloakrooms, library, a language laboratory, training classrooms, administration offices, study services and central supporting services, copy shop, book shop, data center, cafeteria, event area, clubroom and auditorium."

Light Show - Hunt Library, Carnegie Mellon

This has nothing to do with the usual business of this blog, but CMU has made the Hunt Library a real eye-catcher. Read the article in the July, 2011 issue of C&RLNews.

U. California - Berkeley Launches Major Campaign for Renovation of Moffitt Library

It's been a long haul since August, 2006 when U. Cal - Berkeley Library Administration began discussing a capital campaign for the University Libraries.  (See the 10-page timeline tracking the project to a completion date of September, 2015).  EHDD Architecture (San Francisco) has completed the design phase of the $50 million project and fund-raising has begun.

Moffitt is a five-story undergraduate library in the center of the Berkeley campus.  When completed the "revitalization" will be most evident in the distinctive character of each level.

At the top or 5th floor is the Quiet Commons - "individual and group seating zoned for quiet study, focus and reflection."

The 4th floor is the Collaboration Commons - "technology-enhanced areas for discussion and team-based learning."

3rd floor is Community Crossing - "exhibits, cafe, new books lounge and portal to Gardner Library stacks.

2nd floor is Computing and Media Commons - "computing, media and guided learning labs."

Ground floor will house classrooms and staff work areas.

As you can imagine, the project has involved an army of participants who have produced a ton of documents and posted a trove of web sites.  Here are links to a few:

Project wiki: overview, planning history, leadership and design team

Interactive floor plans

fiat lux, Fall 2009  Library newsletter outlines the major themes of the project: active and social learning; peace and quiet; technology-rich, going green.

Library Teaching and Learning Spaces Task Force - Final Report, 2007.

"Proof of Concept" Used for Academic Commons at Emory U.'s Oxford College

Emory University's original campus was in the village of Oxford, Georgia, east of Atlanta. It is now home to Emory's Oxford College, a two-year, liberal arts program with an emphasis on collaborative learning and team projects. As the college developed plans to expand and renovate a 40 year-old library, Kitty McNeill, College Librarian, and Stephen Bowen, Dean of the College, used "proof of concept" or prototyping to introduce stakeholders and potential donors to what the new Library Academic Commons would become. By renovating a portion of the existing building as a learning commons, the college community now has "a working model of the learning environment that will be at the heart of the new Library Academic Commons."

More details in the Emory Report.

On the Horizon - EDUCAUSE Session on the Research Commons

EDUCAUSE Annual Conference will be October 18 - 21 in Philadelphia. Lauren Ray, Research Commons and Educational Outreach Services Librarian at U. of Washington, will present "Creating the Research Commons: The New York University and University of Washington Experience" on Wednesday, October 19. Here's the description from the conference program:
"The NYU and University of Washington libraries simultaneously created research commons, transforming physical and virtual spaces and integrating content and technology specialists to serve 21st-century researchers. They will describe their redesign values, goals and process, user assessments, and the resulting services and spaces. Lessons learned and future interinstitutional collaborations will be discussed."

NYU Research Commons

U. Washington Research Commons

You can get an idea of what Lauren will be presenting if you visit her blog. She has been posting since the Research Commons was in design phase in Summer 2010. Includes photos and a report on the ongoing assessment of the Commons.

Or you can see Betsy Wilson's ppt from the ALA/ALCTS Midwinter 2011 talk: "Parallel Library Universes: A Case for Feverish Pink Paint and Virtual Vortexes." Betsy is Dean of University Libraries at the University of Washington.