Continued Viability: A Review of the Life Sciences Library at Indiana University in a Time of Institutional Change and Proposed Branch Library Downsizing

Abstract

There has been a growing realization that academic libraries need to change to serve a new generation of learners and researchers. Efforts to enhance the “main library” on campus with extended hours, coffee shops, and information commons have created modern, user-friendly environments that support changing student needs and expectations. Generally fewer resources have been given to upgrading smaller branch libraries. The need to modernize older spaces along with the availability of electronic collections, campus demands for classroom/lab space, and financial pressures on libraries have prompted a rethinking of the role of branch libraries. Actively pursuing initiatives to reenvision library spaces and services, Indiana University Bloomington set out to assess the needs of students and faculty of the Life Sciences Library. Quantitative as well as qualitative data were collected. All traditional performance indicators demonstrated that the library was doing a good job meeting the needs of its users. However, the biology department's need for space necessitated a significant downsizing of the library's collection and space, prompting a rethinking of services at the library.