Social Learning Spaces in the Li Ka Shing Library

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Yeo & Rindra • Social Learning Spaces in Li Ka Shing LibraryTable 1: Seating and Activities in Asia Pacific LibrariesSeating Available in Asia-PacificLibrariesHow Librarians Perceive their Libraries are being UsedType of SeatingAsia-Pacific(n=71)ActivitiesGroup Tables87%Study81%Individual Carrels83%Top: UsuallyUse library computers80%Soft Seating79%Borrow a book55%OpenAreaCollaborative73%Ask questions or consultwith librarian75%Reading RoomLibrary Classroom68%Use own computersSometimes68%Attend training ororientation66%64%CourseAreaReserve66%Meet withstudy group60%InformationCommonsProject Rooms56%Bottom:Visit the Café55%Not often/Never/NA Attend a function orexhibition39 %34%Libraries in the Asia Pacific are at thestage where they provide soft seating, opencollaborative areas, information commons,classrooms and project rooms, beyond justgroup tables, individual carrels and coursereserve areas. The librarians also recognizethat their users come to do a varietyof activities. Perhaps more research couldbe done to confirm what our users areactually doing in the library.Space Design for CollaborativeStudy AreaThe Library staff moved into our newbuilding in 2005. We took time to settleinto the building and made changes to theoriginal layout as we observed how ourstudents were using the spaces.Singapore Journal of Library & Information Management • Volume 37 • 2008 51
Yeo & Rindra • Social Learning Spaces in Li Ka Shing LibraryBennett asked the question “How mightthis space be designed to encourage studentsto spend more time studying?” butfor SMU which had already identified itslearning pedagogy, we asked a differentquestion. We asked instead, “How couldwe design a study area for students thatreflected the way they learned in the classroom?”The area on Level 2 originally hadshelving for current journals with the usualtables and chairs. The area was clearedto host the opening ceremonies for thecampus. It was an opportunity to reconfigurethe space to align it with studentlearning outside the classroom. The Libraryasked for and was successful in gettingextra funding to convert the area into acollaborative space. We came up with thefollowing design principles and mappedthem to the qualities of good library spaceas identified by McDonald (2006).A professional design firm, Philips Design,was used. We worked with Philips Designto come up with some prototypesbased on our design principles. For consistencywith other areas in the Library,the SMU corporate colour scheme wasused.The next question Bennett asked was:“What position on the spectrum from isolatedstudy to collaborative study shouldthis space be designed?” However in ourcontext, the Library already had 33 enclosedproject rooms which can be bookedby students, open tables, carrel seating forprivate study and casual seating (See Table2).We wanted this space to be for collaborativestudy and to be a lively discussionarea as envisioned by Freeman.Table 2: Design Principles & Qualities of Library SpaceDesignPrinciplesQualitie sThe space encourages interaction and participation.The space should be people-oriented. The studentsshould be able to configure the project spaces totheir needs. Hence the furniture would need to beflexible and movable.The space should be accessible and must be easyto monitor when the library was open extendedhours. Hence the area would need to be open andyet give a sense of intimacy for the group usingeach pod.The space should be technology-enabled. Hencepower and network connections should be available.FunctionalAdaptableInteractiveConduciveVariedAcessibleSafe and secureEfficientEnvironmental suitableSuitable for information technology5 2 Singapore Journal of Library & Information Management • Volume 37 • 2008
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Social Learning Spaces in the Li Ka Shing Library

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