CREJ - Journal

MARCH 2015 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \

menting the new browsing and book retrieval system long

before the renovated academic commons was complete. Mak-

ing changes incrementally ensured that the most drastic of

changes were tested and refined prior to project completion,

ensuring transition to the new space was met with anticipa-

tion and excitement.

Benefits.

This project was for the students. Surveys indicat-

ed that students most desired a library that would support

their classroom learning with multiple ways to engage, re-

search and collaborate within an enriched technological en-

vironment that provided ample opportunity to plug in and

connect. Within the first year of completion, the re-imagined

academic commons reached its record traffic count in one

day – over 5,000 people – beating the old record by almost 15

percent. The number of people in the building at one time

is also dramatically increased. Of 1,864 seats, almost half have

been filled at one time and, in peak use periods, hundreds are

in the building after midnight.

Evaluation.

A lot of pride comes from the fact that this proj-

ect has become an outstanding example of a successful par-

adigm shift for other universities. People from all over the

country continually come to tour the project researching how

they might implement such a reinvention on their own cam-

puses. Further, demand for the 32 group study rooms (previ-

ously there were only seven such rooms) is outstripping sup-

ply, with competition for these spaces leading to heavy use of

the room reservation system.

Conclusion.

Higher education institutions are learning that

they cannot depend on drawing students to their libraries in

the quest for information alone. Today’s students are search-

ing for more than data; they are searching for engagement,

collaboration and social interaction in a technology-rich

environment. By transforming themselves to suit students’

needs, they are capable of staying a relevant knowledge man-

agement resource now and in the future.

TRENDS

in Higher Education

Building addition on the south

A cantilevered space with walls of windows hovers above the floor below.