Library visits

I've started a series of visits to libraries in the Wellington area for VUW staff and MLIS students. Two visits so far. The first to Weltec's new information centre on September 12th, and the second to the Parliamentary Library on the 18th.

12th September 2008 – Weltec Learning Commons
Weltec’s Learning Commons is a light, open, and functional gorgeous library and learning space, where a very small group of VUW librarians met Mary Weddell, the Resource Centre Manager. Mary gave a brief overview of the history and planning process of the learning commons and then gave a tour of this brand new facility.

A ‘Social Learning’ Space
The usually bustling Commons was quieter on a Friday afternoon, but this gave us the opportunity to really see how the centre was designed as a social learning space, with a ‘living room’ area (complete with wide screen TV!) being the first thing we laid eye on as we came through the door. Mary explained that, during the design process, emphasis was placed on letting student behaviour dictate the layout of the learning spaces. Areas that were naturally quiet are now official ‘quiet areas’, student computers are scattered throughout the Commons, and the furniture was designed to be both hardwearing and mobile; users are free to rearrange it to suit their own needs.

The Collection
The collection is off to one side as you come in the door, or at least the physical collection is; half the collection budget now goes towards electronic material, creating space for other services. A tight collection policy focuses on current material and keeps a lid on the collection size with stringent weeding; criteria include age, use, and whether the item is a Weltec or staff publication (More information on Weltec’s collection can be found under ‘guidelines’: http://library.weltec.ac.nz/Library%20Web%20Page/About%20Us/policy.htm).

Staff and Services
Keeping the students on campus has also created new roles for staff. Now designated ‘Customer Service Officers’, the frontline staff deal with all queries, not just library related ones. Students are not sent away when they come to either of the two main service points; their problem is solved at the desk or the person who can solve their problem is brought to them. Customer Service Officers have been trained to give low-level IT support, take fee payments, payment for books, handle meeting room bookings and bookings for student services. The ‘library’ is now the support centre for enrolled students and for staff, while students seeking to enrol are catered to downstairs. With Disability Support and Learning Support physically integrated into the Learning Commons set-up, and integration of ESOL services planned.

Information literacy is still the domain of ‘library’ staff (with assistance from learning support). Currently the Learning Commons offers “Get to know your learning commons” sessions for staff, subject specific teaching, hints and tips, and other support (information literacy will be offered by podcast at a later date).

Retraining staff and roll-out of new services happened gradually over the three month period when the old library was renovated. Mary admits that staff have had their boundaries and their buttons pushed by the changes, especially with the amount of extra training needed. (The upside to these extra responsibilities from a staff perspective is that additional services prevents downsizing.) Staff will have to adapt to new services, such as rolling out RFID and wireless, an online webcommons, and making the library a central drop off point for assignments. Staff exchanges are planned with Whiterea and the Open Polytechnic to further staff professional development.

Making the Centre’s users feel comfortable in what is really their own space was terribly important when it came to planning the Commons. Essentially, the design had to provide a space that space that would keep students on campus and focused on their own learning. The change from Library to Learning Commons has been very successful at Weltec; the light, open-space and airy Commons proving very popular, and good use made of the services offered.

Photographs of the Learning Commons will be available shortly.

You can contact meg.cordes@vuw.ac.nz f you have any questions about the visit to Weltec’s Learning Commons or any other visit in this series.

The next visit planned is to the Parliamentary Library on the 18th of September.