As part of the annual American Library Association 2019 Annual Conference, George Washington University Library in Washington, D.C., hosted a preconference workshop to inform librarians about the planning process necessary for a successful library renovation or new building. The workshop offered participants practical advice from architects and…

Arizona State University (ASU) is known for both enormous size and scale, as well as excellence in research and innovation. These attributes are embodied in the ideal of the "New American University." ASU Library, as a partner in the New American University, has reorganized itself, completed a large-scale renovation of its main library…

Are today's academic libraries really designed for learning? Do library spaces impact student learning? Intending to spark broader and more informed dialogue about the relationship between the quality of learning and the quality of academic library spaces in higher education, the authors consider the concept of space as service; student learning…

The online catalog, commercial discovery layers, the open Web, and books available for browsing in libraries all aid in the process of discovery of resources. An absence of books means one fewer discovery method available. It is important, therefore, that libraries retain physical books in open stacks to offer communities a hands-on opportunity to…

Many universities and colleges focus on student retention and completion as a measure of their success. Publications such as the "Chronicle of Higher Education" carry an increasing number of articles dealing with student retention, success, and completion. Academic libraries support this goal through a wide variety of services, teaching,…

The transformation of information from a scarce to a superabundant commodity has driven three paradigms in the design of library space. These are the reader-centered, book-centered, and learning-centered paradigms. The first two competed inconclusively with one another throughout most of the twentieth century. Revolutionary changes in information…

An increasing number of academic and research libraries have built high-density shelving facilities to address overcrowding conditions in their regular stacks. However, the work performed in these facilities is physically strenuous and highly repetitive in nature and may require the use of potentially dangerous equipment. This article will examine…

Some academic libraries have adopted the idea of the information commons, a central location providing computers, information resources in various formats, and staff assistance. An overview of several information commons in the United States and Canada is presented, and missions, features, strengths and weaknesses are explored. A table identifies…

The 2004 and 2005-06 workshops sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges and the National Institute for Technology & Liberal Education have generated much data that can be used to describe aspects of the campus cultures at some 130 institutions that foster information literacy. These data are particularly informative regarding collaboration…

Examines the importance of understanding how and why academic libraries are changing, analyzes the limitations and difficulties of traditional library performance measures, and explores environmental factors that may help account for why library use is changing. Discusses how user behavior and preferences affect demand for and use of library…