Is It Still a Library?
“I go to the library to create information.”
Right now, you won’t hear many college students uttering that sentence, but you will soon. That’s one of the conclusions of a panel of experts Herman Miller brought together to talk about the future of academic libraries.
So why do academic libraries have to foster creating—not just seeking—information? Because today’s students are demanding it. They want their experience of the library—indeed every space on campus—to be one of active, collaborative learning.
When learning is active and collaborative—and happens in adaptive spaces—it brings out the creativity in students. They engage at a deep level. And they become creators of information rather than just passive receivers.
Photo courtesy of Duke University
With even information that used to be restricted to the archives at universities now available on line, libraries really do need to evolve or perish. Turning them into collaborative spaces for students to gather and “create information” is a great idea. Hopefully it will come out in the classroom as well. All the best teachers do more than just deliver information – they facilitate discovery.
Daisy McCarty
San Diego Office Furniture