“Library as space: rethinking roles, rethinking space

Helen Durndell, University of GlasgowSheila Cannell, University of Edinburgh

(……borrowing from a report dated February 2005 by the Council on Library and Information Resources, Washington, D.C.)

Changes in

• Collections

• Technology

• Learning/ Research patterns

• Use of services

• Student/staff needs and expectations

People come to libraries because

• They offer security, comfort and quiet

• Provide a place to be with other people in a learning/cultural environment

• Offer opportunities to learn, research, and enquire

• Offer opportunities for choice and serendipity

Students today are

Multi-taskers – they come to the library to do many different things, all of which support in some way sustained engagement with academic work

Good study space encourages study and fosters learning by:

• Supporting a distinction between studying and socialising that does not deny the social dimension of study

• Providing choices of place, ranging from personal seclusion to group study, that variously reinforce the discipline needed for study

• Favouring learning functions in the space’s mix of academic and social functions

• Permitting territorial claims for study that enable students to control the social dimension of their study space

• Fostering a sense of community among students, allowing them to be seen as members of that community while they take strength from seeing other community members

‘One of the powerful attractions of libraries is the unique pleasure of being alone, in a quiet place, while being in a public place associated with scholarship.’

Developments in UoE

• Main Library Redevelopment

• KB Learning Resource Centre

• Easter Bush Study Landscape

• Law Library

• etc

Getting it right

• Visits

• Talking to experts

• Understanding the teaching, learning and research in this University

• Focus groups

Focus Group themes 1

• Library as place for multiple activities“You come to the Library to work, to find books, to use computers,

to work with groups, to meet your friends, and have a cup of coffee”

• Library as place to work“When you go to the Library you get yourself in the frame of mind to

concentrate”

“The environment helps you think”

“There is a work ethic there”

Focus Groups themes 2

• Library zoning of space for choice“You want desks and comfy seating”“The Library is the only place that I go to work with other people”“When you’ve got one table and one chair that’s good”“We need study space around computers for books”“I’ll travel further to find quiet space”“How about sofas for reading in?”

• Library café“I tend to think that you should go to the café and just switch off”“While doing something unproductive like having coffee, you should also

be able to do something else unproductive like checking your emails”“it’s really important to be able to learn in the café—we do already”

Focus Groups themes 3

• The space has to be flexible for user control“At exam time you want it to be quieter”

“It would be good to be able to pull chairs and tables about”

• Group space requirements“Whiteboards, computers sometimes, wireless, tea-making”

• Individual study“The space at individual tables is good”

“Most try not to cross over into other people’s space”

Focus Group themes 4

• Books“Collections are everything—need balanced collection”

“It’s good to have light to help you focus on the page”

“Room to sit and browse books”

• Technology“More computers with space around them for studying are needed”

“Every desk should have a network plug”

“Increased wifi access needed”

“Future readiness is really important…accept that laptop usage will be going up”

More focus groups planned on learning spaces for Main Library

Next set of focus groups will focus on:– Group learning spaces– Different types of desks– Café space

Some photos of other libraries