Tech Library: A Model for Tomorrow

Appendix T: Meeting with Lori Arp and John Blosser - Library Dept. Heads

Lori and John both work at the Main Library and were instrumental during the renovations that occurred there recently. We thought it would be a good idea to talk to them because they just went through the renovation process and could provide us with useful tips. Below are the notes from our meeting.

Tell us about your experiences with the main library

Renovations have been occurring at the Main Library over the year

Core was renovated
Café installed
Main Floor renovations that we all have noticed this past year

Move in library layout –separated research and production areas to a unified “one-stop shop”

Information commons with computers and experts to help are important (library staff member and IT assistant – talk to Bob Taylor about this idea)
Computers with programs that different majors would like to have access to (Arena, AMPL, etc. for Industrial Engineers)

24-hour access area

Need security and personnel
Need some way to keep students out of restricted areas
Keep open 24 hours only during reading and finals week
- Normal hours of Operation: Keep open until 2am Sun-Thurs and 10pm or 12am on weekends
There have been some complaints at Tech Library that students wished it were open later (2 a.m.)

Group Areas

3 types – used most in this order
- Separated room (separated with movable walls)
- Big screen computer screens (with wrap around booths)
- Tables with a screen on a swivel for a group
How do you make a space obvious that it is designed for groups?
- Casual seating

Other possible ideas

Information kiosk (gives people important info about how to do/use things)
Café
More outlets for laptops (Lori wishes they had included this)

What other libraries could we look at?

Other contemporary libraries to look at

Emory University
- Charles Forrest (contact that Lori Arp knows)
University of Chicago

Who else should we talk to?

Other stakeholders to notify of project and convince them of our project

Provost, Deans, and department heads of interested majors (engineering, sciences)
Professors who use library to do work and hide away for privacy
+ Maybe an instruction classroom that profs could bring their classes to
Bob Davis (works under Bob Taylor in Academic Technologies)

Any other important things we should consider?

Important to keep/add practical equipment

Photocopiers
Scanners
Outlets
Internet jacks

Casual seating seems to be a hit with students (couches, big chairs, etc.)
Some students don’t like the setup where people are facing each other as they use the computer terminals
Aesthetics were definitely taken into account at the Main Library

Make it more inviting
More like a meeting area than a boring, formal area (not look like a computer lab)

What stuff can we put in that is REALLY high tech?
What would make students want to come to this library?
Can we come up with ideas that can be implemented as the library continues to change?

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