Presenters: Charles Forrest, Martin Halbert Presented at the Georgia Libraries Conference in Macon, GA on 10/10/2019. Forrest and Halbert's “A Field Guide to the Information Commons” was published in 2009. The forthcoming second edition "Beyond the Information Commons" will showcase new facilities such as Learning Commons, makerspaces and digital scholarship centers.

1. Academic Library!
Learning Space Evolution!
!
The Information Commons!
Ten Years Later
Charles Forrest, 21st Century Libraries Consulting
Martin Halbert, University of North Carolina-Greensboro
Georgia Libraries Conference
Macon, Georgia October 10, 2019

2. Overview
Introduction
Yesterday
A Field Guide to the Information Commons (2009)
Today
Beyond the Information Commons (2020)
Tomorrow
The Future of the Commons in the Academic Library
Q&A
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 2

3. A Field Guide to the Information Commons
“The information commons was
one of the most significant trends
to emerge from developments in
the research library community in
the late twentieth century. As a
conceptual theme that could be
adapted to many academic
settings, it became a catalytic
notion for innovative new library
facilities and programs.”
Joan I. Gotwals
Vice Provost & Director of Libraries (retired)
Emory University
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 3

4. A Field Guide to the Information Commons
The Field Guide (2009) sought to
document the emerging trend of
“Commons” facilities and
programs, both nationally and
internationally
It included both analytical
chapters by various specialists, as
well as two dozen entries on
specific instances, with
comparative information
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 4

5. Information Commons
Fully-featured desktop
Robust infrastructure
Collaborative service model
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 5

6. Learning Commons
Group studies, breakout spaces
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
Writing centers, tutoring services
Academic success services
Comfortable furniture
Coffee shop, café
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 6

7. Next Generation Commons
Presentation practice
Audio/video production
Makerspace
Big data visualization
Digital scholarship
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 7

8. Question
Raise your hand if your institution has a facility or program that
you call one of the following:
1. Information/Learning/Knowledge/Other Commons
2. Makerspace
3. Digital Scholarship Center
4. Some other catchy phrase; if so, what?
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 8

9. Overview
Introduction
Yesterday
A Field Guide to the Information Commons (2009)
Today
Beyond the Information Commons (2020)
Tomorrow
The Future of the Commons in the Academic Library
Q&A
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 9

10. Beyond the Information Commons
Planned as a second edition to
the 2009 volume, now moving in
new directions.
Because there are now so many
new kinds of technology-enabled
spaces (makerspaces, digital
scholarship centers, etc.), the new
book aims to more inclusively
document the many new kinds of
facilities and the reasons for
creating them.
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 10

11. Foreword
James B. Hunt Jr. Library
North Carolina State University
§ NextGen Learning Commons
§ Graduate Student Commons
§ Lake Raleigh Learning Commons, and
§ Faculty Research Commons
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 11
Nutter notes that with their combination of new kinds of
technologies, new kinds of expert assistance, and public
programming and outreach, the Hunt Library’s commons are
highly decentralized, offering a glimpse into the user-centered
approach that informs the development of the Library’s services in
response to the changing needs of this academic community.
Susan K. Nutter
Vice Provost and Director of Libraries (retired)
North Carolina State University

12. Origin and Development of the Information Commons
Milewicz describes the shift from shared
access, especially to digital resources
and information, to shared creation and
dissemination, pointing to a more active
role for the library in the production of
knowledge.
• Differentiation and segmentation of commons
spaces
• Increase in the use of personal, portable
devices
• Need to support individual, focused,
undistracted work
• Collaborative, group productivity
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 12
She describes the emergence of the library as an important partner
and center for technology-enabled making and scholarly production.
Elizabeth J. Milewicz
Head, Digital Scholarship Services
Duke University Libraries
Duke University, “The Edge”
The Ruppert Commons for Research, Technology and Collaboration
Durham, North Carolina

13. Surveying the Landscape
Lippincott notes the widespread adoption of the commons in the last
twenty years under a variety of terms and model, characterized by
technologies that promote seamless access to information.
The commons also delivers user services for both technology as well
as content.
§ Workstations for individual and group use
§ Spaces for presentation practice and videoconferencing
§ Consultation areas and classrooms
§ exhibit and event spaces
§ Vending areas and cafes
She concludes that the library commons will continue to play an
important role in the learning community it serves.
Joan K. Lippincott
Associate Executive Director
CNI (Coalition for Networked Information)
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 13

14. 21st Century Library Service Design
Felix and Swift suggest that libraries need to go beyond simple
access to information, to creating and connecting people,
technology and resources.
New and emerging user needs compel libraries to rethink their
services, and their organizational structures, processes and
cultures.
Drawing on their work with nearly fifty academic libraries they
describe a process for thinking systematically about library service
philosophy and delivery, redesign of work process, and
organizational restructuring, based on a user-driven perspective.
Eliot Felix
Founder & CEO, brightspot strategy
Matthew Swift
Associate Director, brightspot strategy
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 14

15. Integrating Technology into the Information Commons
Rhoads focuses on first principles such as mission, community
needs, and overall trends, this contribution discusses technology
integration, innovation, lifecycle planning and budgeting, and the
nuts and bolts of power, data, networking, wayfinding, and
security.
His discussion of trends covers everything from rapid prototyping
and sandboxes, through digital asset management and software/
virtualization, to “technology convergence”, the movement toward
a unified digital platform that will enable the commons to continue
to remain central to the library’s mission.
Parke Rhoads
Principal
Vantage Technology Consulting Group
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 15

16. Designing Flexible Spaces
Cook and Maddox underscore
the need for constant
innovation and change in the
Library Commons in order to
effectively support the faculty,
staff and students they serve.
In a series of case studies they
describe rapid design
processes, and lightweight
renovation and construction,
that enabled libraries to quickly
implement projects that
produced flexible and
attractive spaces in response
to institutional growth and
change.
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 16
Summer Cook
Integrated Construction Specialist/Project Liaison, DIRTT
Betsy Maddox
Education Director, DIRTT

17. Tying It All Together
Designed in response to the needs of the end-user, the research- and
learning-focused space that is the successful Information Commons
offers an experience based on available devices, inspiring physical
spaces, virtual connections, and a host of services not typically
associated with libraries of the past.
Moving through a range of planning themes that include the overall
experience, services and partnerships, tools for creation and
dissemination, technology, and identity, the evolution of the commons
is traced from the destination commons, through the distributed
commons, to the idea that the library is the commons.
The commons of the future will reach out beyond the walls of the
library, crossing disciplinary boundaries as a hub for innovation
designed to foster productive collaboration, promote interdisciplinary
learning, and support ground-breaking research across campus.
Kelly Brubaker
Associate, Shepley Bulfinch
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 17

18. Afterword
A guided tour of a range of facilities and landscapes exemplifying and
showcasing seven concepts that point toward a set of big ideas that could
inform and shape the design of the next generation of services, technologies
and spaces in academic libraries.
§ Tribe
§ Power
§ Crossroads
§ Subject
§ Detail
§ Den
§ Skunkworks
Marie S. A. Sorensen, Founder
Sorensen Partners | Architects + Planners
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 18

19. Relatively New, Relatively Big
Most of the commons in this
sample were established fairly
recently, about ten years ago;
the average year was 2006.
Most of the facilities were
renovated or overhauled one or
more times in the last decade.
While there is a lot of variation in
size, the average is 16K square
feet, or for a conceptual gross
space picture, a square roughly
125 feet on a side.
Duke University, “The Edge”
The Ruppert Commons for Research, Technology and Collaboration
Durham, North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Digital Media Commons
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 19

20. Extended Hours, Service Points, Computers
These commons are open on
average roughly 120 hours per
week, or in other words, over 70%
of the time in a week - fairly long
hours.
They were manned on average
around 100 hours per week -
again, long hours.
Most of them had more than one
service point.
There was extreme variation in
number of desktop computers, but
most had dozens.
On average they had about half as
many laptops as desktop
computers.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Studio
Chattanooga, Tennessee
University of Maryland
Terrapin Learning Commons
College Park, Maryland
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 20

21. Heavy Transactional Usage
These facilities are heavily used,
with tens of thousands of entries
per month.
On average, roughly half of the
entries seem to have had an
associated service transaction,
typically
On average, roughly 75% of the
entries seem to have had an
associated logon to a computer.
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
SMART Learning Commons
Minneapolis, Minnesota
University of Central Florida
Knowledge Commons
Orlando, Florida
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 21

22. Overview
Introduction
Yesterday
A Field Guide to the Information Commons (2009)
Today
Beyond the Information Commons (2020)
Tomorrow
The Future of the Commons in the Academic Library
Q&A
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 22

23. Ubiquitous technology transforming!
how we live, work and learn
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 23
1965 1980 2020
1969
DOD
ARPANET
1981
IBM
PC
1984
Apple
Macintosh
1989
CERN
WWW
2000
1992
First ever
photo posted
1993
MOSAIC
text & image
1994
YAHOO
1994
U So California
Info Commons
1997
Google
2000
Y2K
2001
Wikipedia
2003
MySpace
2004
Facebook
2006
Twitter
2007
iPhone
2010
Instagram

24. October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 24
THE CLOUD!
Device & code
THE TREE!
Paper & ink

25. October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 25
THE CLOUD!
Device & code
THE TREE!
Paper & ink
Cultural memory
institutions
use the best
available technology
to acquire, conserve
and transmit
the inscribed
cultural legacy

26. October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 26
THE CLOUD!
Device & code
THE TREE!
Paper & ink
Anyone
Anything
Anywhere
Anytime

27. October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 27
THE CLOUD!
Device & code
THE TREE!
Paper & ink
Develop
Describe
Discover
Deliver

28. Question
If you could change
one thing about
your library,
what would it be?
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 28

29. Overview
Introduction
Yesterday
A Field Guide to the Information Commons (2009)
Today
Beyond the Information Commons (2020)
Tomorrow
The Future of the Commons in the Academic Library
Q&A
October 10, 2019 The InfoCommons Ten Years Later 29

30. Academic Library!
Learning Space Evolution!
!
The Information Commons!
Ten Years Later
Charles Forrest, 21st Century Libraries Consulting
Martin Halbert, University of North Carolina-Greensboro
Georgia Libraries Conference
Macon, Georgia October 10, 2019