Plenary Sessions

Re-Learning the Commons: From Conceptual Overview to Case Study

The early conceptual description of the Commons model as “a new framework for service delivery in academic libraries” has by now been validated by real-world practical experiences on well over a hundred campuses in Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the Pacific Rim. A few critics over the years have repeatedly predicted that a series of new technologies would “threaten,” “derail,” or “doom” the Commons model (laptops, netbooks, PDA’s, tablets, smartphones, "the cloud" ….each of these, it was claimed in succession, would render the Commons model obsolete, irrelevant, or deserted).  Instead, the Learning Commons has shown itself to be a dynamic focal point of organizational adaptation and growth, enthusiastic student use and acceptance, increased collaboration across a spectrum of instructional support and pedagogical incubation, and creative integration of knowledge media and library service delivery.

This keynote address begins with an overview of recent assessments from several campuses that reveal these general trends, and then delves into a longer, more detailed Case Study of current exciting development projects at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, designed to emphasize the role of the LC in enhancing student learning, engagement, retention and success.

Donald Beagle, Director of Library Services, Belmont Abbey College, Belmont, NC

Barbara Tierney, Head of Research and Information Services for the Information Commons, Department of the J. Murrey Atkins Library, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Presentation co-written by Donald Beagle and Barbara Tierney.   Presented by Barbara Tierney.

Common Ground, Divergent Ecosystems: Mediating New Learning in the 21^st Century

What we know about 21st century learning is that we don't know a great deal.  New technologies are themselves not always predictable, and they develop synergistically in ways that are difficult to anticipate.  Contemporary information users are mobile, situated in local conditions, highly improvisatory, and often highly resistant to the old hierarchies.  This presentation will explore some of the issues that arise from the proliferation of new media options and possibilities.  How can a systems-based institution like a library reach out to address the messiness and individuality of new learning

Margaret Mackey, Professor, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta