College libraries are being reinvented for digital age
Roll over, Melvil Dewey. Behold the 21st-century college library.
Hundreds of schools, from Ivy League universities to community colleges, have remade their libraries as colorful hubs of college life. Gone are bound journals, miles of musty books and rules governing proper behavior. In are on-site cafes, group study areas where talking is encouraged, 24-hour access and sofas designed for dozing.
The welcoming touches reflect the latest thinking about the millennial generation’s learning habits and recognition that students with laptops and Wi-Fi access can study anywhere, said Julie Garrison, Western Michigan University dean of libraries.
“We used to think about library design always in terms of the books. We were about first collections, then readers,” Garrison said.
“There is less of a need to protect a print collection in the way we did when it was the only way to get information, and we realized that if we let people bring in food and drink, they would stay longer.”
As books have given way to network bandwidth, college libraries also are being equipped with media production labs, high- tech “maker spaces” where students can use 3-D printers and laser cutters, and data visualization walls where they can show off projects.
At many campuses, information technology professionals take seats alongside reference librarians.