This case study explores the transformation of study room reservations at the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Libraries. Initially reliant on manual methods, the library transitioned to vendor-supported software and would later develop a custom, open source user interface (UI) to streamline booking efficiency. These improvements help demonstrate…

Over the past twenty-five years, many academic libraries have shifted from print to digital collections. One consequence of this change has been the increased use of a library's website to access books, journals, and databases in a digital format. Thus, library space, once used to house print material, is now available for other purposes, creating…

Multimedia information fusion technology is currently a popular technology for data processing. The advanced productivity it brings is dozens of times that of traditional data information processing. The collected and processed information is not only efficient and accurate, but also has strong scalability. With the continuous development of…

Many academic libraries renovate physical spaces to address the needs of the 21st century learner. This study presents the assessment tools used to evaluate the use of space prior to a branch library renovation as well as results of two post-renovation assessments to examine the success of the project. The pre-renovation survey showed that library…

This case study explores the strategies used to redistribute materials among available shelves in a curriculum materials center after deaccessioning and relocation projects. The librarian estimated imposed fill ratios based on collection segments which were then mapped onto a floor plan to efficiently shift materials. The estimated imposed fill…

In higher education, libraries are facing drastic spatial changes, transforming areas traditionally used for housing books to spaces for interaction and shifting from individual to team-based learning. This study (a) identifies space uses; (b) examines the environmental satisfaction, support for productivity, and perceived productivity depending…

A case study demonstrating how an online narrative featuring the adventures of a cuddly toy penguin, Pablo Penguin (@uoppenguin on Twitter) has been introduced at the University of Portsmouth Library to build trust and engagement between university students and library services and facilities. Evidence for the benefits of anthropomorphic brand…

Can it be only two years, as Alan Jay Lerner once wrote, "since the whole [economic] rigmarole began"? Yet libraries have weathered to varying degrees the unreliability of funding, especially with regard to programming, materials, and hours. Money earmarked years ago is seeing construction through to conclusion; state support has helped out in…

This article describes a library renovation project in a community college that involved using existing space and reorganizing it to support the way students learn both individually and collaboratively. The article also looks at the importance of the academic library as place.

This study explores the library needs of students and tutors of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), utilization level of the library facilities and resources, the problems in the use of library, and suggestions for improvement of library facilities for students and tutors. Data collected from 4080 students and 526 tutors belonging to 15 different…

As campus renovation projects go, the Ohio State University's plan to turn its main library into "a library for the 21st century" is ambitious. The author describes the decade-long, $109 million transformation of the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library. The overhaul calls for a complete replacement of all mechanical and electrical…

When Bruce Miller took up the position of head librarian at the University of California, Merced in 2001, the plan for the new library was to use the University of California (UC) system's rich base of support as a launching pad for something great and extraordinary: a model academic research library for the twenty-first century. This article…

This article reports on a library renovation at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona which incurs complaints from professors and librarians about a shift from print to online materials. The $60-million project at Cal Poly is providing a difficult lesson in the challenges of library renovation, and in the changing role of one of the…

The prospect of resolving a library's space and utilization problems through expansion and renovation carries with it the question of how to maintain operations during construction. Few libraries, especially those in the academic world, can afford to close their doors for very long, even though the prospect of maintaining ongoing operations amid…

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…