Libraries as Catalysts for Academic Transformation - Quotes

Quotes from Focus Groups

Libraries as Catalysts for Academic Transformation

It's been said, the pleasure of just browsing has disappeared. But the reverse is when you pull up a PDF, you know, you'll find new papers that you should have read. And it's easy to pull them up now, whereas in the old stack days, you would run from one end to another, and hope that they were there. So, all in all, there are many improvements.

It's just sometimes you're really working at the margins

in an unpredictable way.

The role the library plays is this neutral place on campus that actually connects to all different schools and departments. I do a lot of projects that go across schools, and I find that increasingly the library is a really important ground to bring together faculty or students who are involved in other parts of the university, which often have no connection to each other.

I have become overly dependent on Faculty Express. I miss the serendipity that comes from roaming the stacks but who has time?

Well, it's interesting ... part of our curriculum is spending time learning how to do a database search. They actually have a formal program for students. Do they have a formal program for the faculty? Not really. You can go to one of their classes, but it's sort of assumed that you know how these things work, when in fact, we don't all know how these things work.

It used to be a physical space for me with people I could ask about things. But now in graduate school, it's more just about resources. I don't put faces to the library anymore. It's more about when I go online and need to find something, can I find the information that I need? It's more of an online resource right now.

I miss the serendipity of wandering through stacks and finding the neighboring book that is far more relevant to my research than what I have found through online catalog searches. Perhaps moving all of the shelves to a mobile shelving system, will allow us to rediscover the pleasures of browsing physical books in the library.

Need to connect and share digital info often.

Need to archive and access materials easily.

Need to access info remotely and from a range of devices.

Need library assistance with learning new info management tools and technologies, and with technologies for remote teaching.

Seminar Room in the Education Commons

Penn’s main library: Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center

Seminar Room in the Weigle Information Commons

The Education Commons

The Collaborative Classroom in Van Pelt-Dietrich

Vitale Media Lab in the Weigle Information Commons

The Kislak Center in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library

Vitale II Media Lab in the Kislak Center

Seminar rooms in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library

Seminar rooms in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library

Think spring!

Photo Credits

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