AROUND THE WORLD TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA: ONE YEAR OF LESSONS LEARNED IN THE NEW INFORMATION COMMONS ...

摘要

The University of Arizona Library truly stepped into the computer and collaborative learning age when it opened its new Information Commons (IC) in January 2002. During the Fall 2001 semester, the 26,000+ University of Arizona undergraduate students had only 12 computers with both Web access and availability of creation software (word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, etc.) in the main library. Students had to find other locations to write their papers, create Powerpoint presentations or design Web pages and it was difficult for them to find computers with needed software and needed space for groups to work together comfortably. Those same students returned to campus for the Spring 2002 semester and found the IC waiting for them. It was a place designed for students, with 230 brand new computers, fully loaded with software, in a spacious environment created for group work and learning. It was also a space that was open 143 hours a week and staffed to help students with both research and technology questions. The IC was an immediate success and it became the "place to be" on campus. Years of planning and support for the IC was done by the university and library administrations and much hard work went in to make it a reality from staff of many different units on campus. The organizational structure is illustrated at: www.library.arizona.edu/library/teams/ilcst/ilcsthp.html This paper will describe the IC and some of the lessons learned in the first year of operations. It is our hope that those already involved with or hoping to develop information centers similar to the University of Arizona's IC will find this paper helpful in seeing what we have learned after one year of practice.