Creating Collaborative Library Spaces Through Partnerships with Campus Organizations

Abstract

In 2018, the Merrill-Cazier Library at Utah State University tasked their Space Planning Committee with assessing if the Library was meeting user needs through physical spaces. Capitalizing on their existing relationship, the Committee initiated a joint space survey with Campus Information Technology to identify how they could cooperatively meet student needs to provide students with a more holistic experience in the Library. This article discusses the survey results and provides academic librarians a roadmap to establish valuable cross-campus collaborations that contribute to student success by using cooperative needs assessments. The process illuminated the possibilities and strengths with collaborative space design.