Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Continuums of Library Use

Doug Johnson offers some helpful polarities:

How are the ways students are using libraries, especially in the secondary schools, changing?

Accessing print...to...Accessing electronic/multimedia
Solitary work...to...Social work
Directed use...to...Independent use
Information consumer...to...Information producer
Academic research...to...Personal research
Static needs, resources, tasks...to...Rapidly changing needs, resources, tasks

And how might those changes reflect on library facility design?

Study carrels ...to... Study rooms
Tables ...to...Upholtered chairs
Computer labs ...to...Production labs
Reseach stations ...to...Wireless notebooks
Print shelving and storage ...to... Collaborative work spaces
Fixed spaces ...to...Flexible spaces

What are the changes of library use you see and how do our physical libraries need to change to meeting them?

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