Library Visits 2016 DePaul University, Chicago North Carolina State University, Raleigh University of Maryland, College Park Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore Towson University, Towson Photographs from these visits can be found here:

UMBC is undertaking an update to the Facilities Master Plan which was last updated in Facilities master plans establish a framework for orderly growth and development of capital improvements on campus. In order for UMBC’s facilities master plan to be responsive to current and future needs and accommodate changes in the strategic vision, it is updated every five years and completely redeveloped every ten years. As these are capital projects, funding needs to be secured by the state and written into the annual budget and approved by the legislature. See Process.pdfhttp://dls.state.md.us/data/bud/bud_capbud/Capital-Budget- Process.pdf

Being placed upon the master plan, or on the updates does not guarantee that anything will happen in the timeframe of the master plan, but it is a starting point. An example is the student services building proposed on the Central Green in front of the AOK Library which was on the 2009 update, but has not been funded nor constructed.

According to the fall 2013 SGAP (Facilities) report, UMBC currently has a deficit of 82,433 net assignable square feet (NASF) for study and library space and a deficit of 29,388 NASF of lounge space as compared to what is allowed for an institution of this size. The Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery has some maintenance issues as well. There are several areas with mechanical sound transfer between HVAC equipment and assignable spaces. Water infiltration through the exterior envelope have been partially addressed through recent projects, but water infiltration continues to be a concern. Interior finishes such as carpets are in need of replacement.

The confluence of these events and issues as well as the plan of the UMBC Strategic Plan to “consistently place the university (UMBC) among the top 150 institutions in the nation” prompted the Vice Provost, the Director of Planning and myself to make trips to institutions of like size, peer benchmarking institutions and institutions that have libraries to which we aspire to collect ideas and information for UMBC. This information will be utilized in the Facilities Master Plan 2017 – The process will be inclusive including Strategy and Focus Groups and will allow for review and input.

Ideas and take-aways from visits

Focus for students is a space that can be arranged according to student needs allowing for collaboration supported by arrange-able furniture, adequate electrical power and robust wi-fi. Any technology that is introduced needs to be supported by adequate infrastructure, including people trained in use of technology able to help others to use technology. Students, despite their aptitude at many software driven and handheld devices, still need support for many applications and for anything involving programming. UMBC is a residential school, so the library needs to be an option for students in non-traditional classroom instruction hours. Library needs to be a place students want to go, and it is incumbent upon us to make it that place.

The concept of a “new” type of library needs to be sold to campus stakeholders, including potential donors, teaching faculty and researchers, library staff and the campus administration as it is a concept that may be foreign to a traditionally grounded higher education mindset remembering a “traditional” library of years ago. Re-creating space cannot be done in a vacuum, there needs to be input from those who will use the library to accommodate their dreams and desires, not simply designed by library professionals and administrators for what they perceive that users may want. Community involvement and input is critical. Student involvement is critical to garner support and enthusiasm for change and improvement

All places visited had this in common

Reduction of the size of the collection, moving from a “just in case” collection and housing to “just in time” information delivery Spaces are being opened and converted for students to define how they want to learn and study. Furniture needs to be comfortable and movable and able to be utilized. Never enough whiteboards. Nothing is set in stone, innovation in service delivery and hours and seating are all open up. If it works – support it and improve it. If it doesn’t work, what was learned and how do we proceed; what else can be tried?

Students and staff and faculty need to have a sense of ownership, that it is “their” library and it is able to accommodate their information, research, teaching and learning needs. 24/5 and 24/7 access to all of the library building is becoming the norm and needed to accommodate the hours of non-traditional students who are becoming a larger part of the student population.