Dive Brief:
- Arizona State University is preparing for a two-year, “well more than $100M” renovation of its campus library to address the needs of remote learners.
- In an interview with Inside Higher Ed, President Michael Crow called the library “absolutely central to our logic of building our educational enterprise.”
- The reorganization doesn’t focus solely on the library collection but includes cafes, multimedia classrooms, maker spaces, writing centers and other spaces for teaching, learning and research. Officials are also weighing ways to bring thematic exhibits and increased technological services to campus.
Dive Insight:
Arizona State University is not the only university that finds students are searching for library materials online instead of in the brick and mortar building. In fact, many universities, have found ways to offer students resources online while increasing collaborative spaces for students and faculty to utilize in the library building.
Just as many campuses are reconsidering computer labs and bookstores to accommodate an increasingly connected population, the library is next on the frontier of innovation on campus, and will be critical to recruitment. As institutions take on the library renovations, it’s important to consider the needs of students who comprise the “new normal.” Campuses are increasingly comprised of adult learners who require greater remote access to services, but whose interests also may be different than the traditional just-out-of high school student.
Autumn A. Arnett contributed to this piece.