Start Date
4-1-2016 11:25 AM
End Date
4-1-2016 12:15 PM
Description of Proposal
During the Fall 2013 semester, the Indiana University Libraries officially launched the Grad Commons, a flexible, multipurpose space in the heart of the Herman B Wells Library’s research collection stacks to provide graduate and professional students easy access to the information resources and subject librarian expertise vital to their research. As part of a much larger vision that has sought to fulfill user needs by reimagining conjoined library spaces such as the Learning Commons, a 24/7 technology-infused learning center where students work on class assignments from start to finish, and the Scholars’ Commons, designed to stimulate scholarly conversation, interdisciplinary exchange, and intellectual discovery within a space that supports the journey from curiosity to discovery to publication, the Grad Commons was fully realized through several years of inclusive, participatory design and assessment. This presentation will discuss the realization of the Grad Commons, from the collection of assessment data using ethnographic methods to how the findings were applied to the design and improvement of library technologies, spaces, and services for graduate and professional students. The inclusion of graduate students in all facets of a participatory design and implementation process has also shaped the Grad Commons’ potential for future programming and growth opportunities. Additional discussion will include innovative approaches to including graduate and professional students in strategic planning for library spaces.
The Grad Commons in the Academic Library: Reimagining Collaborative Learning Spaces and Services for Graduate and Professional Students Through Participatory Design
Room 462
During the Fall 2013 semester, the Indiana University Libraries officially launched the Grad Commons, a flexible, multipurpose space in the heart of the Herman B Wells Library’s research collection stacks to provide graduate and professional students easy access to the information resources and subject librarian expertise vital to their research. As part of a much larger vision that has sought to fulfill user needs by reimagining conjoined library spaces such as the Learning Commons, a 24/7 technology-infused learning center where students work on class assignments from start to finish, and the Scholars’ Commons, designed to stimulate scholarly conversation, interdisciplinary exchange, and intellectual discovery within a space that supports the journey from curiosity to discovery to publication, the Grad Commons was fully realized through several years of inclusive, participatory design and assessment. This presentation will discuss the realization of the Grad Commons, from the collection of assessment data using ethnographic methods to how the findings were applied to the design and improvement of library technologies, spaces, and services for graduate and professional students. The inclusion of graduate students in all facets of a participatory design and implementation process has also shaped the Grad Commons’ potential for future programming and growth opportunities. Additional discussion will include innovative approaches to including graduate and professional students in strategic planning for library spaces.
What takeaways will attendees learn from your session?
Keywords: academic libraries, space, ethnography, participatory design, graduate students, collaborative learning, inclusive design, assessment, programming, library services