Two rooms – and a concept Elizabeth Tilley

AIM of PROJECT Provide a collaborative learning space with appropriate services and resources for our undergraduate clientele with  two physical rooms to do it in,  a limited budget,  the ‘information commons’ concept to guide our decisions.

Summary of presentation  Cambridge context  Drivers for change at Earth Sciences  Process of creating change  Results of changes  Assessment and evaluation  Challenges for the future  Tips

The mission of the University of Cambridge is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

University Library and Dependents 5 College Libraries 38 Department and Faculty Libraries 67 CAMBRIDGE: A tripartite Library system

Earth Sciences Department: Library on 2 nd floor In Downing Site alone there are 9 Department Libraries

Earth Sciences: the context  2,620 square feet in 2 main rooms  2280 feet of shelving in the main space  100,000 catalogued items (includes pamphlets etc)  400 serial issues received each year  350 active patrons (155 undergrads)  5,200 items borrowed during one year ( )  1.9 full time library staff serving a split site library

Study space/shelving 59% Computers/shelving 9% Mixed use 11% Specialist Use 21% 2005

Theoretical drivers for change at Earth Sciences  Learning styles  Designing space for effective learning  Adopting a model

Learning styles  People learn in different ways  Information literacy has been at the top of many institutional agendas  Need for increasingly varied research guidance and technical support  Developing appropriate training to match the learning styles and the 24/7 user is a challenge.

Designing space for effective learning “A learning space should be able to motivate learners and promote learning as an activity, support collaborative as well as formal practice, provide a personalised and inclusive environment, and be flexible in the face of changing needs.” JISC Report 2006: Designing space for effective learning:

Information Commons ‘model’ The ‘integrated facility – library-centric’ model best described current operational and management set-up  Learning support  IT resources and staffing expertise  Active curriculum learning – labs and technical staff

 User behaviour  User skill progression  Image Practical drivers for change at Earth Sciences

User behaviour  Abandoning the traditional physical space  Multi-tasking ‘net generation’  Learning by osmosis  Prefer the ‘one-stop-shop’ approach to searching  Want it all online – are digitally literate  Display ‘satisficing’ behaviour  Starbucks users using social software

Collaboration of teaching faculty and librarian leads to greater understanding of skill progression and an understanding of what the user- base requires Undergraduate skills progression

Skills progression  keyboard skills  web skills  library use  using textbooks (TOC, index)  scanning for information

Skills progression  subject-specific information retrieval via online databases e.g. Georef  cartographic skills  professional interaction with other institutions

Skills progression  project-specific information retrieval using various methods  enhanced use of citation indexes  use digital maps, DEMAP,earthquake/ fossil databases

Image matters Work here?

Image matters …or work here?

Complications….. or why we were uncommon before we even started!  Space restriction – needed to lose 165 ft of material  Old building  Budget restriction  Reliant on in-house goodwill  Catering for a minority group  Bucking the trend in Cambridge!

Summary of Project goals  To support the learning process  To match resources and services to user needs  To change the image

Process of change Planning creatively  Talk, talk, talk to everyone all the time  Choice of library space to work on important  Shelving – making use of unusual spaces  Tables moved and adapted for other uses  Multi-purpose use of areas  Paint colour does matter!

Reminder! The Library WAS like this….

Study space/shelving 55% Mixed use 24% Specialist Use 21% Now – it’s like this

Technology essential Group study area

Presentations/Skills sessions

Quiet study area with shelving

Assessment and evaluation Techniques used:  Standard data collection  User surveys  Observation/photos  Focus groups Assessing goals:  Supporting learning  Matching resources/services to needs  Changing the image

“I like the new set up of the library for this year. Library staff are very helpful” “Library is really good - best department out of all my friends.” “This exam term, the tables have been filled. Library just too small! Can’t be helped I guess.” “A new,faster printer?” “I’ve noticed a really good improvement this year.” “The sessions for part II have been really useful” “The library has been a really good place to work.” Supporting learning Matching resources/services to needs Changing the image

Challenges for future creativity?  Staff (Library and IT) moving out into the user’s space  Wireless networking; improve and extend all ICT resources  Can we serve graduate students better?  More creative use of study space needed in exam term  What skills and competencies for staff are required as change continues?  Increasing use - is it sustainable?

Key tips and advice  Transformation/redefining a Library does not have to take a lot of money or space  Knowledge of user-base is of primary importance and offer them something that they cannot get elsewhere  Give some space to unusual collections  Be prepared for unusual side-effects – often totally unplanned but be flexible and promote them – as if planned!  ‘Small is beautiful’

Elizabeth Tilley Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge,

University of Sheffield Information Commons Planning and designing learning spaces: JISC infonet Designing Spaces for Effective Learning - A Guide To 21st Century Learning Space Design. The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Available Online At design/design-highhttp:// design/design-high. Spaces for learning: Scottish Funding council spaces-for-learning SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries) Vision UK References