Imagining learning spaces at Wayne State University's new David Adamany Undergraduate Library

Imagining learning spaces at Wayne State University's new

David Adamany Undergraduate Library

Lynn Sutton

David Adamany Undergraduate Library, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA

Abstract

Planners for the David Adamany Undergraduate Library at Wayne State University designed

creative learning spaces in the building to further and enhance concepts critical to information literacy

efforts, such as collaborative learning, integrating information resources into the curriculum, and

resource-based learning. D 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

Imagine the possibilities, given the opportunity to create learning spaces in a new library

dedicated solely to student success. The David Adamany Undergraduate Library at Wayne

State University in Detroit, MI was designed to further the goals of information-literate

students and to enhance the teaching±learning process. Concepts, such as collaborative

learning, integrating information resources into the curriculum, and resource-based learning

have been translated into creative, programmatic spaces.

2. Mission

The mission of the David Adamany Undergraduate Library states:

Within this Library, undergraduate students will have the opportunity to master the skills

necessary for academic success at the University and for success as information literate

citizens of the twenty-first century. The Library's dynamic learning environment will

stimulate users into becoming lifelong learners, while it supports the University's vision to be

E-mail address: [email protected] (L. Sutton).

Research Strategies 17 (2000) 139±146

0734-3310/00/$ ± see front matter D 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

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recognized in Michigan and nationally for excellence in teaching. By providing a home for

the undergraduate information survival skills course and for the Office for Teaching and

Learning, the library will integrate its mission with those other essential components of the

University's strategic plan targeted at students' success.

Driven by this mission, staff at the Undergraduate Library designed spaces within the

building to support this active learning agenda.

3. Background

Wayne State University is a national research university with an urban teaching mission. A

total of 17,779 undergraduate students, 10,308 graduate students, and 2642 professional

students make up a student body diverse in age and background, with 30.21% being minorities

and with a mean student age of 28.9 years. A substantial number of students are the first in their

families to attend college, which puts them at risk to continue on to graduation.

Planning for a new undergraduate library had been underway, intermittently, since the

early 1980s at Wayne State. Four research libraries were already present on campus,

meeting the needs of upper undergraduate, graduate, and professional students: Arthur Neef

Law Library; Purdy/Kresge Library for social sciences, humanities, education, and busi-

ness; Science and Engineering Library; and the Vera Shiffman Medical Library. Although

the heyday of the traditional undergraduate library had already come and gone, the

university's administration had a strong commitment to undergraduate learning and saw

a library dedicated to this clientele as a powerful recruitment and retention tool. After a

decade of delays, legislative funding was received almost simultaneous to the arrival of a

new Dean of Libraries, whose passion was empowering individuals to learn through the

concept of information literacy (American Library Association, Presidential Committee on

Information Literacy, 1989). The opportunity to shape a building into a forum for student

learning was manifestly clear (Fig. 1).

4. Building facts

The Undergraduate Library was always seen by planners as a high-tech building, and

with 700 computers and 1400 network connections, it is certainly that. An effort was also

made to keep the library friendly and welcoming in appearance, and despite its 2700 user

seats, 300,000 ft2 over three floors and two sky-lit atria, patrons say this effort was

successful (Fig. 2). The advantage of not meeting fire-code regulations to qualify as a

classroom building is a maximum of wide-open spaces and a minimum of closed rooms

with fire doors. The library was intentionally not designed to be collection intensive. An

informal survey conducted in the program planning stages revealed that a typical under-

graduate library on a research university campus contains a collection of 200,000 volumes.

With the demise of the printed word predicted for a number of years already, and the almost

L. Sutton / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 139±146140

certain death of print journals seemingly around the corner, the decision was made in 1996

to reduce that typical collection to a maximum of 100,000 volumes.

5. Integration into the curriculum

A principal concept of information literacy is the importance of integrating such efforts

into the curriculum (Rader, 1995). The thinking is that students are not likely to come in and

learn research skills on their own, without it being part of their class assignment. Fortunately,

various units within the Libraries Division, including UGE 1000, the Office for Teaching and

Learning, as well as the Undergraduate Library, were able to collaborate in the planning in a

synergistic effort, with the whole becoming more than the sum of its parts. Spaces that were

Fig. 1. Photo of exterior main entrance.

Just the Facts

300,429 ft2 (gross)

100,000 volume capacity

three floors plus full basement

2700 user seats

1409 network connections

700 computers

US$37 million cost

L. Sutton / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 139±146 141

built into the Undergraduate Library to accommodate curricular support include

the following.

� UGE 1000. `̀ Information Power: the University and its Libraries'' (UGE 1000) is a one-

credit course, required of all incoming freshman. UGL librarians lead two of the seven

class sessions for 100 sections each academic year. The staff office for UGE 1000 is on

the first floor of the library near the Information Desk.� Bernath Auditorium. Since the library is not a fire-rated classroom building, regular

classes may not take place in the auditorium. However, the faculty has used this space

creatively for classroom assignments, such as required PowerPoint presentations in a

realistic, auditorium setting, or for required film viewings for multisection courses. It is

also used extensively for satellite teleconferences and guest lectures.� Multimedia Learning Center. The Multimedia Learning Center was designed to support

classes of students learning how to incorporate visuals into their work for the first time.

It consists of 20 workstations in an instructional setting with accompanying multimedia

peripherals, such as video, audio, laser disk, and optical scanning equipment. At times

of peak demand, it can also double as a smaller Instructional Lab.

Fig. 2. Photo of interior main lobby.


� Instructional Labs. The library provides three instructional computer labs. Each lab

contains 30±35 computers, video projection for instruction, and free, networked laser

printing. These rooms are ideal for library instruction, led by UGL librarians, but are

also heavily used by faculty and staff across the campus.� Seminar Rooms. Four seminar rooms, accommodating up to 16 people, are available to

faculty to bring a class to the library and allow students to `̀ break out'' during class time

to gather and interact with information resources and then come back together to discuss

progress. These rooms are also a favorite of formal and informal study groups.� Office for Teaching and Learning. The Office for Teaching and Learning, created

shortly before the UGL opened, is located within the library and maintains an active

program of faculty development. Once faculty members have learned new techniques to

integrate technology into their classroom teaching, they can bring their classes back to

the library to make use of its high-tech resources.

6. Collaborative learning

Library planners recognized the need by some students to learn in a collaborative,

cooperative environment. With the current emphasis on a team-based approach to learning,

a variety of spaces were planned within the library to support collaboration.

� 24-hour Extended Study Center. One section of the first floor (approximately 13,000 ft2)

is open 24 hour/day, Sunday through Thursday, when classes are in session. A security

guard checks for university identification after 11:00 p.m. when the rest of the library

closes. Seven ceiling-mounted video cameras aid in security. Students may study

individually or in groups during this 24-hour period. In this area, 150 of the 250 seats

have computers, making it a favorite place for student computing.� Community Room. This large, flexible meeting room is heavily booked by groups and

individuals all over campus. Faculty-sponsored colloquia and seminars, as well as

student groups, make use of this pleasant, airy space on the third floor, with kitchen

facilities and adjoining exhibit space.� Collaborative study rooms. The library provides 32 collaborative study rooms of

varying sizes (Fig. 3). They are glass-walled for security purposes and brightly

decorated, with network and electrical connections in each. Minimum/maximum

occupancies are stated and the doors are left unlocked, with the expectation that students

are on the honor system to police themselves.

7. Resource-based learning

A growing number of campuses have recognized the limitations of lecture as a teaching

method and are offering students the opportunity to take a new active role in their own

education (Breivik, 1998). Students are more often taking responsibility for their own

learning, creating their own knowledge, using information from a variety of sources and a


variety of formats to achieve lifelong learning skills. Just as learning is more than a lecture

and information is more than just the printed word, so should a library be more than just

books. This includes the following.

� Windows on the Arts. In a beautiful, sky-lit atrium, the library has designated space for

a creative program of cultural performances once a week, to expose WSU students to art

forms they would not ordinarily experience (Fig. 4). The `̀ Windows on the Arts''

program showcases talent of WSU faculty and students, including the WSU Dance

Department, Music Department, undergraduate theater program, fencing team, and

storytelling class, among others. Journalism students have even covered these events for

the school newspaper.� Windows on the World. In another three-story atrium, large-screen television monitors

are continuously tuned to current events channels. Breaking news stories, such as wars,

bombings, elections, courtroom verdicts, and legislative hearings are brought into the

campus lives of students so that students are able to put themselves and their studies into

the context of the world around them.

8. New developments

Since the David Adamany Undergraduate Library opened in September 1997, reception by

students, faculty, and staff of the University has been overwhelmingly positive. In the first

Fig. 3. Photo of collaborative study rooms.


year alone, over one million visits were recorded, with peaks of 7000 per day, 562

information literacy sessions were conducted, an average 100 students stayed per night in

the 24-hour study center and 3265 rooms were booked. The library has quickly become the

place to be on campus. A number of campus departments embraced the new library and

proposed moving some, or all, of their programs to the new center of campus activity. A few

proposals, with missions that matched the library's, were incorporated in to the building:

� Student Computing Site. The campus Computing & Information Technology (C&IT)

division closed down its two student computing labs shortly after the new library

opened, as students preferred the newer technology in the library and its pleasant, airy

conditions over the existing basement labs. Remarkably, C&IT gave up responsibility

for public student computing access totally to the library, and transferred one permanent

employee and US$75,000 in student assistant funds to ensure its success.� Writing Center. The University's Writing Center is run by the English Department but

serves all students in all courses, with a mission of furthering student success. Its

existing quarters were cramped, unattractive, and contained outdated technology. When

their space was scheduled to be used for a new departmental lab, library administration

determined that their mission closely matched the library's and welcomed the Writing

Center operation into the Undergraduate Library.

Fig. 4. Photo of Windows on the Arts.


� Academic Success Center (ASC). One of the priorities of Wayne State's new president

is an ASC, to bring together in one location all the services and programs to help

students reach their academic goals. Included would be programs such as Advising, the

Reading and Study Skills lab, Supplemental Instruction, Career Development, and the

New Student Experience. Since the Undergraduate Library already holds captive the

audience that would be best served by an ASC, the only location that seemed to make

sense was one in, or near, the UGL. Current plans are to place a temporary, scaled-down

version of the ASC in a second-floor wing of the library for a 2-year period and then

construct the permanent ASC in the space occupied by the university bookstore,

adjoining the library.� The Campus Environment. The campus environment itself has been transformed by the

presence of the Undergraduate Library. Due to the success of the 24-hour operation,

more departments have extended their hours accordingly. Now, when the entire library

stays open during finals week, a parking structure also stays open, and recently, the

Student Center Building has experimented with keeping one of its restaurants open late.

The campus is no longer abandoned after the last class is over.

9. Conclusion

Creating a new library is exciting, in and of itself. Creating a library for student success

provides new opportunities for creative use of space and function. The David Adamany

Undergraduate Library at Wayne State University has demonstrated that it is possible to

create learning spaces that contribute to the learning goals of students and the teaching goals

of the university. Once in place, the programs that occupy these spaces can generate their own

success and make the library the true center of learning on campus.

References

American Library Association (1989). Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, Final report (p. 1).

Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Breivik, P. S. (1998). Student learning in the information age (p. 24). Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.

Rader, H. (1995). Information literacy and the undergraduate curriculum. Library Trends, 44, 270±278 (Fall).


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Imagining learning spaces at Wayne State University's new David Adamany Undergraduate Library