In the hub - the information commons at university of kentucky
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During the past few months, I’ve explored various in carnations of the student-centered learning and technology commons. I’m pleased to see this trend in academic libraries gaining more and more ground. We visited the IU South Bend Commons last time, an example of a smaller university library thinking big and applying the same concepts and strategies for student space and making it work. On a wind swept, rainy day last April, I toured the inviting Information Commons at Loyola University, where community, collaboration and connectivity guided the student- centered space. And this summer while in Georgia, we visited the Georgia Tech Library Learning Commons that features spaces and technologies to enable all types of student, faculty and staff interaction. There’s one more stop - and sadly, I haven’t visited this outstanding example of student space in person but via the photos shared on Flickr. So I emailed Stacey Greenwell, Head of the Information Commons (The Hub) at the University of Kentucky to find out more about the incredible spaces and help desk I’d seen on Flickr. She obliged with this detailed interview: MS: What was the genesis of the Hub? SG: In fall 2005, University of Kentucky Libraries Dean Carol Pitts Diedrichs assembled a group of interested parties from across campus to discuss the possibility of an information commons. The timing was right, with an increased focus on undergraduate education on campus and the desire to improve student success and increase the overall retention rate. While the William T Young Library is a very impressive building that opened in 1997, the basement was largely underutilized except for two large computer labs and the audio visual services desk. …
Tags: Campus, Education, Georgia, Learning, Outstanding, type, UniversityRelated posts
Tags: Campus, Education, Georgia, Learning, Outstanding, type, University