Learning Spaces in Public Libraries

This article focuses on the impact of learning spaces as well as collaborative technology, which affects library building and design. The article illustrates that learning spaces are an important component in the design of library buildings rather then a temporary trend. During each of our company's latest public library building projects, both librarians and architecture teams have recognized the need to support increases in learning activities. To bring more users to the public library, they recommended that the building needed increased seating to support training, education and in‐house cultural programming. The stories cited in this article suggest that there is a relationship between learning spaces and collaborative technology. Among librarians and library planners, learning spaces are seen as a unifying requirement for the expansion of library services. They recognize that the library's seating plan must include more learning spaces to support social networking, sharing and project base learning. Our qualitative findings suggest that public libraries need more learning spaces to support new types of digital work.     

A Study Exploring Learners' Informal Learning Space Behaviors,Attitudes, and Preferences

What makes a successful informal learning space is a topic in need of further research. The body of discourse on informal space design is drawn from learning theory, placemaking, and architecture, with a need for understanding of the synergy between the three. Findings from a longitudinal, quantitative, and qualitative study at Sheffield Hallam University, explore learners' behaviors, attitudes, and preferences toward informal learning spaces in higher education, within and outside of the context of the academic library. The learning spaces study contributes to the discourse on informal learning spaces design by producing a typology of nine learning space preference attributes which address aspects of learning theory, placemaking, and architecture. The typology can be used to evaluate existing spaces and inform redevelopment of informal learning spaces in higher education institutions. Implementing the typology will be subject to localized conditions, but at Sheffield Hallam University the key conclusions have included developing a portfolio of discrete, interrelated learning environments, offering spaces with a clear identity and encouraging students to translate their learning preferences into space selection.     

Learning Commons in Academic Libraries: Discussing Themes in the Literature from 2001 to the Present

Although the term lacks a standard definition, learning commons represent academic library spaces that provide computer and library resources as well as a range of academic services that support learners and learning. Learning commons have been equated to a laboratory for creating knowledge and staffed with librarians that serve as facilitators of learning. Many of these spaces evolved over time with the addition of campus partners and services. In this article, the authors examined the literature on academic library learning commons to identify common themes. A qualitiative analysis of 103 articles identified five themes including: planning the learning commons, assessing the learning commons, benefiting from the learning commons, collaborating in the learning commons, and staffing the learning commons. Foremost, the review pointed to the increasing popularity of learning commons in academic institutions. To that end, it remains critical that librarians possess the capabilities necessary to support students, faculty, and staff in these next generation learning spaces. Some of these capabilities include traditional library skills, but librarians' computer literacy, including familiarity with web 2.0 technologies, and their knowledge of instructional design remains important too.     

Destroy Your Classroom! Re-conceptualizing the Instructor/Student Model in Academic Libraries

ASBTRACT

Pedagogies and technologies evolve, yet academic library learning spaces are unable to keep up with the change. Budgetary and space limitations, traditional teaching practices, and staid attitudes all contribute to tethered spaces hindering active learning. This is a documentation of the authors’ urgent need to break free from tradition while providing students and faculty interactive equipment meeting pedagogical needs in an un-tethered, flexible learning space in three library and non-library spaces at the University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries Education and Architecture and Fine Arts Libraries.     

Academic library spaces and student activities during the COVID-19 pandemic

A library in higher education plays a primary role in students' learning on campus. In addition to individually-focused studying, students come to a library for various purposes, such as group learning, collaborating, and socializing. To support students' different types of learning, appropriate physical and functional environments of the spaces must be provided. However, the environmental effects of learning spaces have not been explored extensively. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced students to remain and study at home for extended periods, and it is expected that the pandemic experience has affected students' space use patterns. This study aims to examine the effect of the pandemic on students' library usage and to investigate the necessary environments to effectively support students' learning activities. Data was collected via interviews with 12 students. One of the main findings is that, even though students used the library less during the pandemic, they expected to use it as much as pre-pandemic or even more after the pandemic. Furthermore, both physical and functional environments were associated with the study performance and wellbeing of the students. Therefore, understanding students' learning activities and preferred environments in a library is critical to providing appropriate spaces supporting students' learning performance and wellbeing.     

A New Student Learning Focus for the Academic Library: From Geographical Proximity of the Learning Commons to Organizational Proximity within the Library

In 2015, student learning programs at the University of Saskatchewan moved organizationally to the university library. While these services resided physically in the library as part of the Learning Commons partnership, this recent change presents the library with a new focus and responsibility for broader student learning support and academic skill development. Highlighting examples of organizational integration of student learning support, this article uses a proximity perspective, suggesting that geographical proximity of services in the learning commons does not go far enough to achieve the deeper collaboration and integration necessary for holistic and integrated learning, and that organizational proximity is needed.     

A university library management model for students’ learning support

Abstract

This research was aimed at developing a university library management model that would support students’ learning. The research was conducted in three phases: 1) an investigation into the requirements of a university library service of instructors; 2) an investigation into the attitudes of librarians, libraries’ administrators, and university’s administrators toward the roles of library and policy concepts relating to university library management that promote students’ learning; and 3) the development of a university library management model for students’ learning support. A mixed research method was applied comprising qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data was collected using in-depth interviews and questionnaires. The findings have led to a proposal of a university library management model that supports student learning, which is comprised of five components: 1) management policy and system; 2) learning resources; 3) learning support services; 4) learning environments; and 5) the competency and roles of information professionals. It can be stated that studies into Thai university library implementation, strategic plans, and self-assessment reports under the quality assurance system showed that even though libraries have updated resources and services following changing situations in policies, technologies, and users’ needs, there is no clear indicator that Thai university libraries have any strategy for acquiring roles to support students’ learning with practical outcomes. Through reliable research work, this study into a model for university library management would result in a means of developing university libraries that truly supports university student learning based on information from instructors, library administrators, and librarians.     

数字图书馆为终身学习提供学习支持服务研究

终身学习需要学习支持服务。数字图书馆因其丰富的资源和服务功能能为终身学习提供学习支持服务。本文阐述了数字图书馆的学习支持服务功能及具体实施,并提出了数字图书馆学习支持服务还需解决的一些问题。     

用户需求导向的图书馆在线学习支持服务研究

用户需求是图书馆提供学习支持服务的基础。由于用户需求的复杂性、动态性、零散性、多样性和即时性等原因,图书馆很难及时捕捉、了解和回应用户需求,导致图书馆在线学习支持服务难以令用户满意。本文基于需求管理理论,在结合图书馆实践的基础上,构建了用户学习需求管理概念框架和用户在线学习需求管理体系,分析了该体系对原有图书馆学习支持服务的改进之处,并提出了基于该体系优化图书馆在线学习支持服务的策略。     

打造用户学习中心:图书馆学习共享空间构建研究

学习共享空间在构建主义学习理论的影响下具有支持学习的内涵,是确立图书馆学习中心地位的重要服务模式。在充分发挥用户学习中心的功能的基础上,从物理共享空间、虚拟共享空间、文化共享空间三个维度构建学习共享空间。学习共享空间将朝参与E-learning和功能整合的趋势发展,使图书馆成为用户学习中心。     

高校图书馆利用与学生学习结果关系的实证研究——基于“2017年首都大学生就读经验调查”

[目的/意义]高校图书馆利用状况及其对学生学习结果的影响是图书馆成效评估的重要方面之一，高校如何提升图书馆对学生学习活动的支持水平，学生自身又怎样提高利用图书馆的能力是本研究之价值意义所在。[方法/过程]基于"2017年首都大学生就读经验调查"，研究采用t检验、单因素方差分析、相关分析以及回归分析等方法分析高校图书馆利用现状及其对学生学习结果的影响。[结果/结论]结果显示，不同学生群体对图书馆利用程度存在差异，图书馆利用与学生学业成绩、在校满意度、学习收获呈显著正相关关系，且图书馆利用影响学生学习结果。基于此，建议高校加强对低年级、农村学生等图书馆利用情况较差学生群体的引导；图书馆自身提升综合实力，提升信息化服务质量，加强图书馆学习空间、专业馆员队伍、学生信息素养教育等资源建设；大学生自身要提升利用图书馆资源的意识与能力。     

高校图书馆空间经济价值评估研究——以华东师范大学闵行校区图书馆为例

[目的/意义]图书馆价值评估已成为图书馆学界的研究热点,通过评估图书馆空间产生的经济价值,用数据验证图书馆空间为高校师生科研与学习做出的重要贡献,可为高校图书馆空间改造提供决策依据。[方法/过程]结合文献调研法和消费者剩余法,对图书馆不同类型空间及服务产生的经济价值进行计算和评估。[结果/结论]以本文方法估算的华东师范大学闵行校区图书馆空间每年产生的经济价值达2519万元;在开展空间经济价值评估时,要注意仔细梳理空间类型及服务,选择恰当的市场替代品。     

On the Edge: How to Provide Course- and Program-Integrated Library Support Without Being Embedded

Distance librarians working with an online doctoral program at Johns Hopkins University are asked by both students and faculty to provide a large amount of library support – without being embedded into the curriculum or the individual courses. Program administrators and faculty were resistant to allow librarians into the course management system (CMS), denying them access to discussion boards, assignment updates, and course content, but still expected a high level of student support. Over a three-year period, librarians respond by creating a “halo” of library services to support students at point of need that existed outside of the CMS, but was still highly integrated into the program. Librarians explore the importance of scaffolding and linking disparate services to complement each other, building a halo of support. Student need is at the center of the plan, focusing on collaborative teaching and reflection as well as student centered learning.     

Play-and-learn spaces: Leveraging library spaces to promote caregiver and child interaction

Modern libraries are reimagining their spaces as more than repositories for books. The Play-and-Learn Spaces project married developmental science with the changing nature of 21st century libraries. The study asked if it is possible to augment learning in informal spaces using the built environment to encourage discourse and interaction. For this project, the library space was reconstructed such that a corner became a climbing wall on which children could create words by following varied paths up the wall's letter-filled surface. Seating was transformed into large movable “Tangram”-type pieces and a stage, complete with magnetic words, invited children to create stories on the wall and complete story-related activities through socio-dramatic play. Using naturalistic observation, results demonstrated that the use of the Play-and-Learn spaces was associated with increases in the kinds of caregiver and child conversation and interaction known to support language, literacy and STEM skills. These results suggest that libraries can become part of a new learning culture that impacts city residents at the places they naturally go.     

基于能动学习的图书馆学习支持服务研究——以美国常春藤联盟和国内C9联盟高校图书馆为例

分析基于能动学习的学习支持服务研究的理论支撑和现实意义,以美国常春藤联盟和国内C9联盟为例,探索能动学习环境下图书馆学习支持服务的实现路径。认为图书馆以打造能动型空间为支撑,以提供开放的课程资源及学术协作为保障,以开展高度嵌入的服务为支持,能够支持有意义学习,开展基于能动学习的学习支持服务。     

Where the private meets the public: Results of a survey of library professionals’ observed student use of academic library spaces for prayer

Abstract

Reports of college students using the library for spiritual practices, including prayer and meditation, consist mainly of anecdotal observations, news stories, or press releases about the creation of such spaces within academic libraries. Driven by their own experiences with students using library spaces for prayer, the authors examined how prevalent this was across US academic institutions. Using a large-scale national survey, this study found library professionals observe a wide range of student prayer behavior in a variety of library spaces, regardless of institutional or campus demographics. The results provide academic libraries with evidence to support accommodating students’ spiritual needs in library spaces.     

The Role of Libraries in Web-Based Distance Education

Abstract

Even though distance education has a long and diverse history, dating back to 1840, in the last ten-to-fifteen years it has been completely transformed by the emergence of Web-based technology. This technology has had an enormous impact on all aspects of distance education (or distance learning as it is increasingly called). In addition to palpable changes in the teaching and learning processes, library and other support services are also being challenged by change. This paper will provide a brief account and analysis of the impact of Web technology on distance education, as well as its impact on the role of library services for distance learners.     

浅论高校图书馆对研究性学习的支持

高校研究性学习的开展与实施离不开高校图书馆各方面的支持与服务。本文从我国的《教育改革与发展规划纲要》出发,阐明了在当今的知识经济时代研究性学习开展的必要性与紧迫性;通过对研究性学习涵义与特征的分析,提出了高校图书馆研究性学习的支持措施。     

Using Needs Assessment to Determine Library Services for Distance Learning Programs

ABSTRACT

This article provides guidance in using the needs assessment process as a planning tool specifically for library services supporting distance learning programs. The first section covers pre-assessment planning activities, which include defining the specific purpose or purposes of the assessment, assigning responsibility for various aspects of the project, establishing time frames, and defining target groups. The section related to conducting the assessment itself discusses, along with other issues, selecting data collection tools and constructing questions. Promotion of the assessment and methods of encouraging participation are also considered. Since Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery personnel are an integral part of library services, they may be called upon to support distance learning programs. Thus, topics discussed in this article will be applicable to their situations.     

Using Assessment Results to Reinforce Campus Partnerships

In response to calls for accountability, academic libraries have increased their assessment efforts. Although the University Library at Colorado State University–Pueblo has been engaged in student learning outcome assessment for several years, it has recently expanded its system of evaluation to share the results of information literacy assessments with teaching faculty. This was done in an effort to demonstrate the value of library instruction to the faculty of a small, regional campus. Several benefits have been realized as a result of this move, including stronger partnerships with course instructors and other departments engaged in academic support.