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Leavey Library 2004 Conference

Information Commons: Learning Space Beyond the Classroom

Presentation Files (PowerPoint and Acrobat PDF)

September 16th & 17th, 2004

Overview
Director of Leavey Library Anne Lynch provided a PowerPoint presentation as an overview/tour of Leavey Library. There is also a .pdf version available.

Information Commons Roundtable
Selected representatives from operational IC's each got 10 minutes to talk about whatever they regarded to be the highlight or key to success in their IC and state opportunities and challenges they face.

Co-location, Cooperation & Collaboration within the Information Commons: Commentary & Discussion
IC-like environments operate under a variety of names and organizational structures: some are administered & staffed exclusively by the library, while others have some form of joint management and operation. Is there a service model that works best or do local factors govern what's appropriate? What is the range of services being offered? What differentiates an information, learning, knowledge and research commons? What are the staffing support issues? How does traditional reference service fit?

Implementing a "Culture of Assessment" Within the Information Commons
The panel discussed developing a "culture of assessment" within the information commons environment and the approaches IC managers might take to determine their level of success in identifying and satisfying students' current, and future, needs and setting priorities among the services they can potentially provide.

September 17th, 2004

Keynote Presentation: Enhancing the Learning Experience
After a decade of prominence in higher education dialogue, the term learner-centered is now being translated into principles and practices. Research universities around the world are building strategic capabilities that place the needs of students above the needs of the institution. New understandings of how people learn, coupled with new student demographics, sets of expectations, stakeholders, and enabling technologies all contribute to this shift in orientation. Joan Lippincott addressed these influences shaping higher education and the ways in which our current concepts of the classroom are expanding and evolving to keep pace with new learning spaces, both real and virtual, that are emerging.

Envisioning the Future of the Information Commons
What technology trends are likely to impact information commons services and environments? Is there anything on the horizon as transformative as the World Wide Web? Michael Miller and James Duncan reviewed some innovative, experimental technology projects that may impact mainstream and discipline-focused information commons in the next 3 to 5 years.

The Impact of Information Literacy on Learning and Teaching
Information literacy skills enable students to become successful researchers, professionals, and lifelong learners. This session explored the concept of information literacy, highlighted partnerships between faculty and librarians to integrate knowledge skills into the curriculum, and examined the role of the information commons in providing learning opportunities to foster information literacy.

Customizing Information Commons Environments to Address Learning and Research Differences Between the Disciplines
Librarians from different subject disciplines discussed the feedback theyÍve received from faculty and students and described how they developed a customized information commons facilities to address discipline-based research needs. Attendees were invited to share experiences from their own institutions, especially the opportunities and challenges that come with being at the forefront of evolving learning spaces.