Abstract
Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the debate on the development of academic libraries, by the introduction of the concepts of co-working and innovation to the learning centres.Design/methodology/approach– The paper builds on published case studies and French initiatives.Findings– The proposal of this paper is that the academic library can meet its social responsibility on the campus and in society by drawing on the model of the co-working spaces and communities, by the support of innovation and the transfer of knowledge to the world of work. Moreover, the proposal is to include these new functions into the concept of learning centre, i.e. to develop the work-related aspects of the learning centre.Research limitations/implications– Future research on academic libraries should focus on social responsibility and their contribution not only to students’ academic success but also to students’ employability and to the transfer of technology.Practical implications– The paper contributes to the development and marketing of new academic library services and to its strategic positioning on the campus.Originality/value– Co-working and innovation are relatively new but promising concepts for academic libraries. Except for some recent case studies, conceptual papers are still missing that combine empirical experience with a theoretical approach.
Highlights
The paper contributes to the debate on the development of academic libraries, by the introduction of the concepts of co-working and innovation to the learning centres
Eager to help and accompany the students’ achievement, libraries become aware of other needs and “hot topics” beyond traditional library services and resources
The coaching suggested by some learning centres may extend counselling and guidance beyond the strict limits of information literacy, just as the staff from idea stores or information commons explore new territories of social outreach and helpful advice and information on health, learning, work, law, informatics, writing etc
Summary
Each co-working space has its specific equipment made for example of sewing machines, 3D printers, fax or mixing desks. Academic libraries as learning organisations, offering a package of technology, workplace, content and coaching, are becoming aware of the functional closeness and equivalency with the co-working concept and are starting to adopt their features This can be a simple transformation of library space into an “information commons” with “new collaborative workstations (...), allowing two to four people to sit and work comfortably in front of a single computer (...) multimedia stations. (...) equipped with high-end graphics- and audio-capable computers and software (...) a Writing Center (...) adjacent to the (...) collaborative workstations (and) a café (...) along with comfortable furnishings in group arrangements” (Malenfant 2006, p.283) This can be “a ‘bookless’ library space, (...) a co-working space where social learning emerges as a result of people sharing the same workspace for their creative activities (...) conceived as a public community centre for peer collaboration and creativity around digital culture and technology” By inviting these individuals into the academic library, we demonstrate the value of the ‘creative class’ to our local economy, model entrepreneurial behavior for our students, and show how the library can be a place of value for one’s lifetime”.14
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