Makerspaces and maker-centered learning have surged in popularity in higher education and particularly academic libraries in recent years, following trends that initially emerged in primary and secondary education and public libraries. As academic libraries develop services around maker activities and technologies, many case studies have emerged…

This article explores the evolution and role of makerspaces in academic libraries, with a particular focus on how libraries are using innovation spaces in support of entrepreneurship and digital humanities on campus. At the University of Arizona Libraries in Tucson, a unique new coworking and makerspace called the iSpace has developed. While many…

This article describes the implementation of two inexpensive social learning library laboratories for advanced students in Latin American and Chicana/o studies. Drawing on philosophical literature from these interdisciplinary areas and ethnic studies, these cases present a "third space" option for library learning called…

The role of the academic library has shifted from developing book collections to serving the information and technology needs of students and faculty. The needs of library users change more quickly and unpredictably than the needs of books, and library directors have pushed beyond the traditional incremental approach to library development to…

Makerspaces supply a venue for students to construct a variety of real-world products at the collegiate level using science and technology standards. The maker movement is sweeping the science learning community by storm in the library setting with remarkable success. The maker movement provides an opportunity to transform the library into a…

This study explores the relationship between architecture and interior space on student engagement at a newly constructed academic library. Using an action, mixed-methods approach with a convenience sample, researchers evaluated 744 photographs, 125 behavioral observations, and six group interviews. Analysis revealed four key attributes of…

A case study demonstrating how an online narrative featuring the adventures of a cuddly toy penguin, Pablo Penguin (@uoppenguin on Twitter) has been introduced at the University of Portsmouth Library to build trust and engagement between university students and library services and facilities. Evidence for the benefits of anthropomorphic brand…

In the spring of 2011, the Penrose Library at the University of Denver began the process of storing all materials, services, and staff to temporary locations in preparation for a building renovation project. The library was faced with the challenge of delivering all materials from an off-site storage facility within two hours of request. A new…

The study focused on users' satisfaction with library services at the Delta State University main Library, Abraka, Delta State. The objective was to find out if users are satisfied with the services, facilities, the library environment, information sources and staff of the library. Using the descriptive survey design, the population for the study…

As the digital environment continues to become more pervasive in our lives, academic libraries have had to adapt to ensure that services remain relevant to users' needs. Research was conducted to examine the 2009-2011 refurbishment at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Library and evaluate its success in meeting users' needs in terms of…

Technological innovations have transformed all areas of community college libraries. Automated library systems, office software, and Internet access have altered work processes for library personnel and have changed research methodologies for students and faculty. The purpose of this bounded multiple case study was to explore how the adoption of…

This article reports research into the perceptions and predictions of academic librarians regarding the future role and development of e-books, and e-book collections and services. A number of recent studies reported in the literature review indicate increasing interest in e-books. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 academic…

Library use is strongly linked with student persistence in higher education, and Latino students have lower rates of academic library use and proficiency than other racial/ethnic groups of students. This study explores Latino undergraduate students' perceptions of the academic library and library staff and identifies the conditions which impede or…

To the individual, garden areas link to the natural world, offering solace, refuge, inspiration, and purpose. To a low-income neighborhood, where often the only greenery sprouts from between cracks in concrete, their impact can be monumental, signaling sustainability, beautifying, attesting to value and worth--even prompting civic change. A 2000…

When Bruce Miller took up the position of head librarian at the University of California, Merced in 2001, the plan for the new library was to use the University of California (UC) system's rich base of support as a launching pad for something great and extraordinary: a model academic research library for the twenty-first century. This article…