Applying the Information Commons Concept

Stacey Greenwell presenter, notes by Patricia Cia, Langara College

An information commons is a collaborative space, well-equipped with technology and related software, where you can get help with all aspects of your projects. How you deliver this concept may vary amongst various organizations. For an academic facility, you may want to create a place where you can have fun with relaxed food policies, include student influences (artwork, input in design). Learning commons are often developed to focus on learning outcomes, but both encourage active learning and can be a one-stop-shop for the whole learning process.

Tips learned along the way

Build partnerships on campus, strive for a common goal to pool resources (IT, help desk, tutors, counselling and others depending upon the level of services you want to incorporate)
Whiteboards, get lots, on wheels that can be checked out (and markers of course)
Design - work with what you have. Repurpose existing carrels, tables, chairs
New furniture - desk is actually a Mall Kiosk (got with wheels, but don’t really use them much); Chairs are Herman Miller (about $200 each) - after 1 year of heavy use, no scratches, nothing broken; everything has wheels (tables and chairs); Lounge chairs are not as successful since students don't use the tablet/laptop arm
Food and Beverages - They wanted a restaurant, but food services is contracted out, so did "upscale" vending machines (Upscale = plastic covers to dress machines up)
Video windows - their basement site had lots of white walls; got projectors to through images onto the walls ; rotate monthly from promoting online resources; student/faculty art; highlighted collections; special events; used PowerPoint slides, images, videos.
Student message board - large whiteboard – useful for arranging meetings, promotions
Use TVs as signs (was not very successful)
Signs - some were cheap, some more expensive. Look at retail signage for ideas
Help Sign over desk - held up with magnets, could be changed
Projected information on the floor
Lots of grand openings with various stakeholders
Party - combined with freshman orientation (get involved with student services)
Had more parties for Halloween
Library statistics - door counters, tracking questions (U Wisconsin Open Source) ; computer login states ; articles by students for students (featured article in student publication as "places to go"

Future initiatives

Increase reference questions with more marketing and publicity to make students, faculty and staff aware of the Hub; promote on Facebook, have supporters on the student newspaper, mention the facility in Research 101 classes
Offer more services:

Laptop clinic (malware scan, pc repairs)... perhaps with a contract with Geek Squad offering discounts
Paperback / magazine exchange
Video camera and other equipment check-out service

Develop more partnerships

Printing service (binding/faxing - contract out)
Tutoring - looking at doing a kiosk with video feeds to larger tutoring group on campus
Writing Centre
Expanding IT services

Other computer labs want to be like the Hub by removing some computers, adding more mobile furniture, getting whiteboards.
Looking at videoconferencing so students can access librarians from other labs (pushes the library out to other parts of the campus) ; piloting two computer labs for this fall.

Staffing

There is a main Reference area in the Library. Some librarians staffing the general reference desk also do shifts in The Hub ; Subject specialists do not.
Currently noon to 10 pm (43 hours per week, mostly because of staffing) would like to do noon to midnight

U of Kentucky is planning to renovate the Science Library and hope to incorporate their Information Commons concepts throughout the library with no standard large computer labs.

Follow Stacey Greenwell's work through her blog, the Uncommon Commons. She has also conveniently gathered all her blog posts about the Hub and has provided a handout with more resources on Information and Learning Commons

Patricia Cia is the Coordinator of Technical Services & Library Systems at Langara College. She is past president of the Western Canada Chapter and an SLA Fellow.

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