About
To what extent have recent library design projects been driven by an understanding of how students learn and how faculty teach? To find out, Yale Librarian Emeritus Scott Bennett conducted an extensive study of the motivations and planning methods for library renovation and construction projects undertaken between 1992 and 2001. His study entailed a Web-based survey of more than 380 institutions, and phone interviews with 31 library directors and chief academic officers. He concludes that while most of the projects are serving users well, they have rarely been informed by a systematic assessment of how students learn and faculty teach. The author suggests that planning based on such an assessment could equip the library to serve an even more vital function as a space for teaching and learning.
The report is intended for academic librarians who are responsible for library construction and renovation projects, and for campus academic officers who wish to engage substantively with the question of how library space can advance the core learning and teaching missions of their institutions.