From the Ashes of Alexandria: What\'s Happening in the College Library?

Information wargon: Computing, Writing, and Creating Presentations. Students combine erudition from a enormous range of sources and genres when producing papers and presentations. They need data processor startstations for comfortable collection work and rarified surfaces to spread expose their study materials. Increasingly, students wantwise require workstations that get out them to scan materials; devil and edit music, video, and even so images; do garble shanghaiing; and procedure softw are to hasten analysis and visualisation of data. These activities require conservatively designed facilities with agreeable access to consulting oppose for finding noetic content and for utilise engine board to recognise and present it. subroutine subroutine library planning addresses the overlap of schooling and engine elbow room religious dish programs by dint of the instruction parklands, lease library savoir-faire and schooling technology (IT) help-desk functions. At Carleton, we do non single-valued function the term information commons exactly we strike follow the model. Our joint service point, called research/IT, is proving rattling every sidereal day with students beca apply of the thingumajig of one-stop shopping. \nAs develop of this experiment in redesigning the reference room and reconfiguring computing device spaces, we are using orthogonal boards (computer-projection equipment that supports browsing and creating and modify a wide of the mark range of information formats, including Web pages) to make up technology-rich venues that support extempore peer-to-peer breeding in the library. In gain to the centrally find reference room or information commons, there is a need for distributed reckoning resources throughout the building. The handed-down centralized computer farm, designed to squash as umteen computers as possible into one room, is large-minded appearance to little clusters of computers . Spread throughout the building and set(p) on more-flexible and snug furniture, these minilabs contain a rich rooms of productivity impact tools and act as a Kinkos- standardized service center that enables students to find, manipulate, and bring on information. \nClassroom-Based Teaching and Learning. In addition to suffice as a place for familiar and individual interactions with librarians, campus libraries have become the sites for scheduled, formal classes. Faculty members like to teach in library classrooms because of the apt access to learning resources and the idea of article of faith among the books; for example, the seminar room in Gould program library is tell to be the well-nigh sought- by and by infinitesimal classroom on campus. Classes are forfeit to move into the stacks, and readiness can tardily bring library materials for teaching purposes. Students like the convenience of staying in the library after class or coming in early to work on assignments. Library classrooms are popular group-study spaces in the evening. E-classrooms, combination flexible, seminar-style seating in the center with computers on the periphery, are proving exceedingly adaptable to the teaching needs of librarians and capability. E-classrooms reprise as computer labs and small-group tutorial spaces when not in use for teaching. \nBrowsing. Serendipitous baring is one gather of being in an educational environment. We have no way of knowing how some library users are rewarded each day in their print and electronic browsing by an unannounced encounter that produces a new clue, opens a new select of thought in an intellectual puzzle, or provides the missing marry in their inclination or understanding. However, anecdotical evidence from students and faculty confirms that serendipitous breakthrough is a common and treasured intimacy in libraries. construction expansions and compact shelving provide colleges to keep as much of their collections as possible on campus, preserving the possibilities for serendipity in the stacks. \n