Abstract
This article describes the Tombros and McWhirter Knowledge Commons at the Penn State University Park campus and its use by library patrons. The Knowledge Commons required a major renovation of the first floor of the Pattee Library. In addition to providing attractive and inviting new spaces for students to study and collaborate, it includes library, tutoring, information technology, and multimedia support services. Many of these services existed prior to the Knowledge Commons but were not used to the extent they are now. As this article shows, increasing the accessibility of services and offering them in an attractive new setting will increase their use.
Highlights
A decade ago, Acker and Miller (2005) wrote that “academic libraries [were] at a significant turning point” as their emphasis was shifting “from being primarily for the storage of books to primarily supporting learning” (p. 4)
Libraries at colleges and universities— public and private, large and small, in all regions of the country—have built new areas for students to study, collaborate, and create. Along with these new spaces, libraries have introduced or expanded services to assist students in their academic endeavors. As students utilize these areas—which are typically light-filled and feature comfortable seating—they will likely encounter information technology consultants, writing tutors, multimedia specialists, and academic advisers, all working alongside librarians
Personal communication, August 11, 2014). These before-and-after comparisons of student use must be viewed with caution, they provide consistent evidence of a positive impact on library utilization at University Park
Summary
A decade ago, Acker and Miller (2005) wrote that “academic libraries [were] at a significant turning point” as their emphasis was shifting “from being primarily for the storage of books to primarily supporting learning” (p. 4). Libraries at colleges and universities— public and private, large and small, in all regions of the country—have built new areas for students to study, collaborate, and create Along with these new spaces, libraries have introduced or expanded services to assist students in their academic endeavors. Several studies report that students find these new spaces very attractive and welcoming (Bryant, Matthews, & Walton, 2009; Schmidt & Kaufman, 2005; Vol 3, No 1 (Spring 2015) All are identified as a “commons.” The choice is appropriate: The term commons arose in Middle English to designate resources beneficial to all members of a given group (“Commons,” 2014) This goal, all agree, is the intent of those who have introduced commons within academic libraries
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