Use Of Library Space Research Articles

Library space in the digital age: the pressure is on

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to discuss the need for librarians to be proactively involved in institutional decisions regarding repurposing or annexation of library space. As libraries transition from print to electronic delivery of journals, especially in STM intensive libraries, administration will begin to question the need to retain large runs of bound print journal volumes, especially in light of the ever‐present space crunch faced by many institutions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides a viewpoint based on the experience of repurposing library space for alternative use.FindingsLibrarians must be proactive when addressing library space issues. It is imperative that librarians are actively involved in defining the direction and future of the library rather than waiting for the decision to be made for them by their institution.Originality/valueThe paper advocates the need to be proactive rather than reactive in planning for the future use of library space.

Making the case: solutions for tough times

Making the case: solutions for tough times

Key issue

It is a debate that every serials collection manager will recognize: Are the rows of research journals the best use of library space when most are read online? Yet the arguments for retaining print are convincing. Agreements for safeguarding access to digital material are still being defined and reliable digital equivalents of the print archive not yet in place. The true cost of digital archiving is still being assessed. Research libraries are committed to maintaining access to the information record. The UK Research Reserve (UKRR) pilot project, which ended in August this year, has shown how the higher education (HE) sector can effectively manage storage and access to print copy in the digital age.

Sssh! The quiet revolution

PurposeThis paper seeks to look at the influence of modern social behaviour on library provision, with specific reference to how interior display and complementary furniture play their part in fulfilling customer needs.Design/methodology/approachEvidence of library evolution and its impact on customer popularity is found through case studies taken from across the UK and from Point Eight's own experience as a manufacturer of products for this sector. Specific reference is made to Coventry's Arena Park Library. Location, architecture, infrastructure and services are highlighted and discussed as factors contributing to increased footfall and a general resurgence of library popularity. References are identified through domain links.FindingsFindings are based on information and figures published by library services and local authorities. Evidence suggests that many libraries are winning their fight against new and evolving competition through reinvention. Examples of embracing change positively, rather than seeking an alternative vision, are discussed.Practical implicationsThe article provides information on the effective use of library space, shelving solutions and furniture.Originality/valueThe paper identifies the power of consumer behaviour in the reshaping of public services. Readers are provided with examples of innovation in library service provision that will help those involved in future planning to challenge old concepts, and encourage new and original ideas.

Learning and teaching

Learning and teaching

Librarians without borders: Reaching out to students at a campus center

Outpost Services Team was created at Rutgers University Libraries by the New Brunswick Libraries' Information Services Steering Group to study the demand for services at locations outside the physical library buildings. Upon the recommendation of the group, the team planned an exploratory pilot study to investigate the need for library services at campus centers--places where students and faculty members regularly gather for eating, socializing, and using other available services. A part of the main information desk of Rutgers University's Busch Campus Center was used to set up the outpost. Traditional reference-desk type of service was offered using networked digital resources. Reference statistics and feedback surveys were collected, providing data for evaluation. pilot study was a unique endeavor to reach out to less frequent users of libraries, learn about the expectations of students and faculty, and communicate to them about how they can benefit from using library resources and services. This article presents the details of planning the pilot study and a summary of findings and conclusions. ********** Reference services are in crisis. Reference services are one of the core functions that libraries traditionally perform for their communities. (1) Association of Research Libraries (ARL) indicates that the percent change of reference transactions in research libraries fell 21 percent between 1991 and 2001 at an average annual percentage drop of 2.6 percent. (2) public service aspect of reference services makes this function even more indispensable for libraries. trend toward declining numbers of reference queries is of deep concern to libraries, and major efforts are under way to better understand the trend's causes. Libraries across the country are seeking new and innovative solutions to increase the popularity of reference services. New forms of reference services are being offered primarily online or in electronic format, such as e-mail or real-time/live reference. (3) A survey of seventy ARL libraries conducted in 2001 found that nearly all of them offered e-mail reference services. survey further reported that 29 percent of the libraries were already offering real-time reference. (4) Other responses from libraries to the decline in reference transactions include fundamental rethinking of the use of library space and buildings for supporting users' needs. The Information Commons as a conceptual, physical, and instructional space, involves an organizational realignment from print to digital environment. (5) A survey of literature by Cowgill, Beam, and Wess explains the various adaptations of Beagle's model for the Information Commons. Several libraries have used the Information Commons concept and physically reorganized or renovated library space so that users can access both library and nonlibrary services conveniently. Services such as cafeterias, lecture halls, and lounge or reading areas have also been considered to attract students into libraries. Other institutions have taken the idea of Information Commons outside the library buildings into microcomputer labs on the university campus as a way to reach out to users. (6) In addition, academic libraries are using outreach services to increase the visibility of the library to students. These services usually include reference and research assistance to remote or distance education users, special user groups such as international students, users with disabilities, or other targeted groups. (7) Further, libraries are using outposts to build new relationships with other constituents of the university campus, such as residences (dormitories or graduate housing), that serve the same customers, namely, students and faculty. Such outreach activities are critical, especially for larger universities, considering the size of their student and faculty body. Rutgers University Libraries is comprised of twenty-six libraries and centers, including one virtual library (RU-Online). …

The Life of the Mind: A Study of Faculty Spaces in Academic Libraries

The value of the academic library as “place” in the university community has recently been debated in the popular and scholarly library literature, but the debate centers on student use of library space rather than faculty use. This study addresses the issue of faculty use of library space by investigating the use of “faculty spaces”—individual, enclosed, lock-able carrels or studies—through a series of interviews with faculty space holders at the University of Oklahoma and a survey of ARL libraries. Both elements of the investigation show that faculty spaces are heavily used and highly valued by faculty members, especially those in the social sciences and humanities. The researchers present the results of the interviews and the survey, and explore the reasons for the continuing value of faculty spaces in the age of electronic information.

Cafe Gelman: An innovative use of library space

L ive jazz? Espresso and cappuccino? Food? In the library? Wait a minute; what’s going on here? What’s going on is a unique use of library space in partnership with studentsa 24-hour study room transformed for an evening into a coffee house, an intellectual and social gathering that offers a new means of contributing to the campus community. The Melvin Gelman Library of the George Washington University opened a 24-hour study room on the first floor of the building in Fall 1991. Students enjoyed the new, comfortable furnishings, finding the street-level windows and the quiet atmosphere conducive to study around the clock.

PRUNING, WEEDING AND GRAFTING: STRATEGIES FOR THE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF LIBRARY STOCK

Posits that the use of library space has become critical in UK academic libraries. At Reading University Library a working group analysed the nature and extent of the problem and considered the parts to be played in a solution by stock weeding, additional accommodation, making better use of existing accommodation and the use of non‐print media The project demonstrated the need for involvement of a wide range of library staff, good communications with academic staff, the need for detailed information on costs and on usage of stock. This will become increasingly important as alternative means of delivering information become more widely available.