The document discusses the evolving role of libraries in academia, highlighting both the improvements and challenges brought by digital resources. It emphasizes the importance of libraries as neutral spaces connecting various departments, while also expressing a nostalgia for the serendipitous discovery of physical books. Additionally, it points out the need for better training and resources for faculty in navigating digital information management tools.

1. Quotes from Focus Groups
Libraries as Catalysts
for
Academic
Transformation

3. 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.

5. It's just sometimes you're
really working at the margins
in an unpredictable way.

7. 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.

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

11. 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.

13. 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.

15. 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.

17. 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.

18. Seminar Room in the Education Commons

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

20. Seminar Room in the Weigle Information Commons

21. The Education Commons

22. The Collaborative Classroom in Van Pelt-Dietrich

23. Vitale Media Lab in the Weigle Information Commons

24. The Kislak Center in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library

25. Vitale II Media Lab in the Kislak Center

26. Seminar rooms in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library

27. Seminar rooms in Van Pelt-Dietrich Library

28. Think spring!

29. Photo Credits
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pennwic/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/26803869@N00/13703747614/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16707687@N00/8256261020/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/71807969@N00/6275758893/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/49485742@N00/2415579144/