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<\/p>\nProgramming activity for the redesign of Neilson Library at Smith College began in the spring of 2015, with data gathering and campus input from students, faculty, staff, and alumnae, and continued through the summer and fall of 2015.\u00a0As part of the process the College engaged the services of brightspot to conduct user experience studies.<\/p>\n
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A Programming Committee was charged with identifying and prioritizing such building elements as user spaces, library services, physical collections, and academic support services and centers, and making recommendations to the president and board.\u00a0Reports from the Programming phase <\/a>are available on the Smith College Libraries website.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Understand how the library’s spaces, services, collections, tools and technologies are used in research, teaching, and learning<\/p>\n Explore the role that the future Neilson Library could play in supporting research, teaching and learning, as well as collaboration, creating community, and offering inspiration<\/p>\n Incorporate new user-centered insights into library planning and design<\/p>\n Sample size:\u00a0<\/strong>over 2000 students, faculty and staff participated in engagement sessions and user studies, including:<\/p>\n Dates:<\/strong> 01\/01\/2015 – 11\/01\/2015<\/p>\n Campus\/College: <\/strong>Smith College<\/p>\n Contact:\u00a0<\/strong> Sika Berger, User Experience Librarian, sberger@smith.edu<\/p>\n Team:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>User\/Study Spaces Working Group<\/p>\n brightspot’s research report described three key moments that emerged from the academic experience:<\/p>\n “a task-oriented approach to work, which influences how and where students and faculty get their work done, a highly valued complex research process, and a desire to make intellectual connections.”<\/p>\n Library users want inclusive, accessible, beautiful spaces characterized by: Results of all user engagement sessions and the working groups’ research and recommendations were used to define the Neilson Library building program.<\/p>\n See pages 61-97 for details:P<\/a>rogram Summary: Redesign of the Neilson Library Complex, April 2016<\/a><\/p>\n User \/ Study Spaces Working Group, staff update, Dec. 1, 2015<\/a><\/p>\n Taxonomy of User\/Study Spaces, Nov. – Dec., 2015<\/a><\/p>\nGoals\/Questions<\/h3>\n
Methods<\/h3>\n
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Statistics\/Data<\/h3>\n
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\nConsultants:\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n\nbrightspot, www.brightspotstrategy.com<\/a>
\nIn order to deepen and diversify the data sets informing the Program Committee\u2019s work, an anthropological consultant was engaged to\u00a0implement a survey of faculty and students, interview a cross section of stakeholders, and actively observe the way the library is used today. Their work was focused on extracting more data driven findings that would support or potentially challenge the conclusions drawn from the collected narrative. This team also collaborated with an Anthropology class at Smith to generate their observations.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFiles Used<\/strong><\/div>\n\n
\n(including descriptions of 10 working groups, their methods and findings)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nOutcome<\/h3>\n
Key Performance Areas<\/h4>\n
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Results\u00a0 – Process and Outcomes \/ Transforming the library for users<\/h4>\n
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\n\u2022 Natural materials, light, connection to the landscape
\n\u2022 Ease of navigation, access to library staff<\/p>\nThe Library is a space for convening characterized by:<\/div>\n\u2022 INVITING, INCLUSIVE SPACES to gather<\/div>\n\u2022 CHOICE of individual or collaborative work spaces; varied, flexible, re-configurable<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe User\/Study Spaces Working Group created a Taxonomy of User Study Spaces.<\/div>\nRecommendation<\/h4>\n
The Library will showcase Resources, Research, Learning characterized by:<\/div>\n\u2022 Making activity visible<\/div>\n\u2022 Space for experimentation and innovation<\/div>\n\u2022 Formal and informal exhibit spaces<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nImportant themes for further exploration:<\/div>\n\u2022 How do we provide desired visibility and access to staff and materials while maintaining security and space for focused work?<\/div>\n\u2022 What does it mean to make visible the full range of technology resources\u00a0 available; both in the library and on campus?<\/div>\n\u2022 Providing the right range of space types for varying activity levels will be key to success.<\/div>\n\u2022 Teaching is an integral part of the library; the spaces to support this resource are desperately needed.<\/div>\n\u2022 How does the building design and program enhance the library\u2019s \u201cpublic face\u201d?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAction Taken<\/h4>\n
Program Drivers for Use of Space:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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