The mission of the Library's Information Commons is to integrate in design and function the Library's spaces, informational resources, technological resources, production resources, and support services in such a fashion that patrons experience a seamless environment for contemplating, planning, researching and bringing to finished product their academic, intellectual and, at times, personal work.
The Information Commons intends to accomplish its mission in close collaboration with Access and Outreach Services, Library Systems, other Library units and the Faculty Center for Teaching.
For patrons in general, the Information Commons serves to develop and refine integration of various Library spaces, resources and services, thereby providing patrons with one-stop access to them. As patrons. needs for these vary extensively in type and complexity, the Information Commons aspires to provide patrons with varied and dynamic support in all stages of their academic and, at times, personal endeavors:
- Planning
- Research
- Formative Evaluation
- Production / Presentation
- Assessment
The Information Commons seeks to meet the full range of informational needs for patrons, from novice freshmen to advanced research scholars, and to accomplish this while allowing and encouraging the patron to move among the various aspects of the Information Commons in a seamlessly integrated environment.
For faculty patrons in particular, the Information Commons seeks through collaboration with the Faculty Center for Teaching to provide special research and instructional support and informational services which help them:
- Create, refine and enhance curricular activities
- Work on solutions to instructional problems
- Integrate library and teaching-classroom instruction (syllabus collaboration)
- Further their research programs
The Information Commons aspires to integrate the use of space in open service desk areas, offices for one-on-one work, group study rooms, conference rooms, variable use classrooms (lecture, demonstration, hands-on and collaborative work), back-shop production labs, multi-media labs and studios, interactive video classrooms, and purposefully aesthetic and open public spaces.
The informational resources shall include all available formats, paper-print through high-technology, access to extensive and appropriate in-house collections and dynamic, 24/7 access to electronic periodical and monographic collections, large-data files and graphical galleries, distant collections via interlibrary borrowing and other resources, as needed. All of these resources are intended to support the academic and intellectual needs of patrons, from novice freshmen through advanced scholars, whether the patron is on campus or remote.
The technological resources are intended to provide patrons with tools facilitating appropriate access to informational and production resources. These tools include computer systems and extensive software packages and systems, made available in attractive and comfortable work-spaces of various types and sizes . public and open, individual and small-group rooms, teaching labs and demonstration rooms, all supported by dependable, in-house Library technical staff.
The production resources are intended to provide patrons with tools and support to bring ideas and information into product form, regardless of medium or format: text and multi-media, paper and electronic, still or motion, black-white or color, etc. These resources include television and video operations facilities and support (e.g., for distance learning and the University.s informational cable channel), as well as technical and design expertise in support of the teaching-learning-research enterprise.
The informational support services seek to integrate experts from various areas (Reference, Presentation Support Services, Research Data Services, Access and Outreach Services, Library Systems, Facilities, etc.) in the joint enterprise of meeting patron needs through direct response, team efforts, informed referrals and provision of resources for self-help.
The central mission of the Information Commons is to provide these integrated spaces, resources and services, to further integrate these appropriately, to evolve and refine these resources and services to better meet patrons. needs, and to continue to do so as the type, mix and number of patrons change over time.
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