Coming Soon...The Commons at Reed Library
Welcome to the Commons at Reed Library Information page. Check back often for updates. Your feedback is appreciated.
The proposal
The Commons group proposed the concept at a summer meeting of the Vice President's council. Read the proposal (Adobe PDF) and view the accompanying PowerPoint presentation.
The concept
The concept of a Commons (also called an learning commons or information commons) is part of a national trend which has three objectives:
- First, focusing on the needs of undergraduates
- Second, providing a one-stop shopping experience for all types of information needs: library research, technology, and more, and
- Third, considering how and why we access and use information.
The Commons idea is also a response by libraries to the current trends of technology in higher education, globalization as it relates to information, e-learning, and the need for flexible hours by students.
It has been observed that students need and expect to have
- spaces to meet and work together
- access to up-to-date technology
- the ability to communicate easily with friends, family, classmates, etc.
For Fredonia to be competitive for students, these needs must be addressed.
The Commons project attempts to respond to these needs along with addressing a critical need for to provide space for other constituents in the library -- the Learning Center and the Professional Developement Center. Our students and faculty ask for, and expect, more and better study space, more computers, more quiet areas, group work space, etc., in short, a better learning environment. Our proposed Commons will meet those needs in an flexible, open, comfortable space condusive to serious study and research.
The best way to explain what we are trying to accomplish is via three key concepts: Collaboration, Connectivity, and Community.
A. Collaboration
Learning is a social activity and a trend in higher education today is students working in groups: team learning, collaborative projects and presentations, study groups, etc. Students are both required to work together on class assignments and projects, and they like to study informally in groups with their friends.
One of the purposes of the Commons is to provide spaces and tools to aid group work. Specifically, the Commons will include group study rooms, group computers stations, a classroom space and seminar rooms, flexible furniture, and software packages aimed at facilitating collaboration.
B. Connectivity
Students today are multitaskers, in constant communication with others via their cell phones, email, and the Internet; plugged into music everywhere they go; playing video games alone and in groups; watching TV and videos, and DVDs; often simultaneously!
These students have higher levels of technological literacy and expect, among other things, that we will provide anytime, anywhere access to information.
The Commons will provide computers, offer wireless networking throughout the building, and provide a website which connects users with a myriad of online library resources and technology tools, and offer services which facilitate these connections.
C. Community
Students need a place to gather which is not home (or their dorm room) or class or work. They want a comfortable, safe place to meet friends, to relax, to read, to study and conduct research, and to take part in any number of group activities of an informal nature. Faculty and staff also need a place to meet with students informally, gather together to discuss various topics, and to have space to collaborate.
Our response in the Commons is to offer a variety of seating areas and furniture to accommodate different study and reading habits and which encourage group interaction; provide space for relaxation, and informal meetings; designate the addition of the library as a quiet study area; and offer longer hours of operation with a 24-hour study room.
In the future, we will provide new services and equipment as technologies advance. The building will be designed to be as flexible as possible, providing the perfect environment for our students to study, do research, and relax. There will also be a parallel virtual library of electronic resources that can be accessed on-site or remotely.
The Commons will be a partnership between the the Library, the Professional Development Center, and the Learning Center (and other stakeholders in the future) and will provide a one-stop shopping for academic support services to Fredonia students, faculty and staff. The Commons will bring together information seekers (students, faculty, staff) and information providers (librarians and learning specialists) in a relationship that will result in better service for students as their needs will be met quickly and more fully (without the "run around") in one convenient, centrally-located facility.