Space: the Final Frontier
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This document outlines the history of space usage and changes to the library resource center (LRC) at Middlesbrough College from 2008 to 2018. Key points include: - In 2009, Floor 0 was reassigned to better accommodate the LRC's book collection and provide an improved service. However, this work started during a busy summer period. - In 2012, Floor 3 spaces were reassigned amid staff redundancies, requiring books to be consolidated onto one floor. - From 2013-2014, the LRC acquired additional spaces like "The Bridge" but also lost spaces when needs changed for other departments. - By 2017, a blended learning system took over Floor 1 while the LRC lost its
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Space: the Final Frontier
- 1. Space: the Final Frontier Tracey Totty Library Services Manager Middlesbrough College Email: t.totty@mbro.ac.uk Tel: 01642 333276
- 2. Captain’s Log 2008 - 09 Move in Summer - Floor 0 reassigned 2009 – 10 New LMS Floor 3 room assigned to Careers 2010 – 11 First full Stocktake Floor 3 rooms assigned as College classrooms on Celcat 2011 – 12 Floor 3 reassigned Staff redundanci es 2012 – 13 Summer – void space filled in 2013 – 14 Sept – acquire The Bridge Nov – 2QS LRC opens Feb – 2QS LRC moved Easter – The Bridge becomes Maths and English Hub (No longer LRC remit) Summer – LRC Office reassigned for Teaching and Learning 2014 -15 Sept – Covering The Bridge again Feb - Regained half of the LRC Office June – The Bridge reassigned to ALS 2015 – 16 Oct – Drop in Research Skills on The Bridge Dec – 2QS LRC review, as not fit for purpose May - LRC moves from Student Services to Teaching, Learning and Student Developme nt In year budget reductions mooted 2016 – 17 2 LRC staff needed to work at 2QS, The Bridge drop in sessions therefore dropped. Staff redundanci es and in year budget reductions 2017 – 18 2QS lease lapsed 50% reduction in budget Blended learning (Curriculu m 360) takes over all of Floor 1 Partnership with Teesside University terminated in favour of working with the Open University Staff redundanci es and in year budget reductions
- 3. Rooms • 4 PC rooms reallocated before moving in • Curriculum 360 Area 4 Room • Quiet Study Room • Silent Study Room
- 4. 2009 – Floor 0 reassigned • Opportunities to: • Move books on Floor 2 • Provide a better LRC service • Challenges: • Work started before summer • Floors closed at a busy period
- 5. 2012 – Floor 3 reassigned • Opportunities to: • Consolidate majority of stock on 1 floor • Lose a difficult area to manage • Challenges: • Fitting the books into existing shelving • Communication between departments • Backdrop of redundancy and uncertainty
- 7. 2017 - Curriculum 360 (C360)
- 8. C360 Area 4 and Quiet Study Room Throughout, we have had issues with these 2 rooms: • Fluctuate between classroom and individual study • Used for LRC induction • Used for staff training (College / LRC) • Used for information skills Currently: • C360 Area 4 is used for classes who want to work in LRC and some C360. • Quiet Study Room is for individual study. • Both are used for LRC induction and information skills sessions
- 9. Silent Study Room • Created to separate Games Design students from others, in order to help them complete coursework • Lists of students who could have access • PCs changed from ones with base units to VDI • Became like a social area • More regular checks • MyPC installed
- 10. We’ve always: • Tried to see the changes as an opportunity to improve our service • Tried to do it with as minimum disruption as possible for students • Reviewed what is / is not working and addressed it • Included (where possible) student requests
- 11. Live long and prosper Any questions?
Editor's Notes
- Looking at physical space only in this presentation Not going to go over all of this – not enough time, just wanted to show an overview of what changes have happened. Doesn’t have this academic year on but I will mention it.
- Design of building – strange. A low ceiling and an angled wall meant book stock on F2 was oppressive and claustrophobic even with 4 high shelving. Staffing – stretched over 4 floors. F0 main PC area, sight lines chronic, known as either Ground Zero or the Bear Pit by LRC staff as constant conflict with students over the 2008-09 year. Issues with PC classrooms F0 & F1 needed to be closed once the work started, as the stairs going down to F0 were being taken out. F1 has the main LRC entrance. Set up entrance and main desk on F3 to keep the service running. Access to F2 & F3 provided all the book stock and limited PCs.
- The stock was mainly over 2 floors and the students were reluctant to go to F3 to get them. F3 had a quiet study area, which was at the furthest point away from the enquiry desk on the floor, fluctuated from not being quiet to not being used. Also needed to find another quiet study area. Unused stock needed to be withdrawn to allow used stock to fit on 1 floor (not that bad, much gone before the move, still lots of natural wastage as I’d been more ruthless than Cath before the move), added extra bays to the F2 shelving (unnecessarily wide walkway) bought 5 high vertical supports and graphic end panels changed to plain wood, all other shelving parts brought off F3. Needed somewhere to store all the books temporarily until shelving could be built. This was a surprise to Estates, as they didn’t realise we’d have to pack up both floors. Communication between depts. Not good, idea of F3 being reassigned was mooted in early Feb, then nothing said until Easter (April). We found out at a staff conference. LRC worked really hard to get plan in place with as little disruption as possible. The order for the vertical supports went missing (it had to be signed off by Estates), 6 weeks lead in time for delivery and I wanted as much time over summer as possible and not be rushing in August to get it finished. There was a round of redundancies going on and we didn’t know what or if we would have staff to do the work necessary. In the end we lost 2 full time staff members, 1 of which was our manager, staff morale low going into and throughout the summer. We did though manage to complete the project on time so there was no disruption for students in Sept. Returning students were perplexed by the loss of the floor, especially since the stairs were left in and there was only a Tensa barrier stopping anyone from going beyond F2. It took over a year to get any permanent barrier installed.
- Sept all C360, desolate. Jan 4 & 5 back May – C360 finished for the year, floor given back to LRC Reviewed for this academic year 1-3 used until Oct half term Now 1 & 4 are reserved for C360 – what update?
- C360 Area 4 originally RNIB hub, idea that we would share. This didn’t work, relocated in 2009 and we used this as our Quiet Study Room. The Quiet Study Room was originally Information Skills Room. It was used for training staff and student. Then we had to relinquish it for staff training only and sat empty most of the time. Because of the way the IT in the room was configured, students couldn’t use it. We got it back after losing Floor 3 and named it the HE Room. Teaching staff complain not enough IT classrooms, we got told to book these rooms out. About a year later, a student complained to the Principal we had no quiet individual study area, therefore we were told to make one of the rooms non bookable. Chose the QS Room (then HE Room), as the majority of students wanting quiet study were HE students. Some time after that, University representatives wanted us to have a dedicated HE Room and we got told by the Principal that we needed to provide quiet study for all. Stopped bookings in C360 Room as well. Some teaching staff then started to misuse the room by sending students in individually, then come along later and start to teach. Other times they come along to support and not to teach but student perception is that if there is a teacher in the room, it is a class, so we were still getting complaints from students about a lack of quiet study space. Teaching staff still complaining not enough IT classrooms, so as a compromise we allowed controlled assessments for English GCSE classes in C360 Room. It is also occasionally booked out in an emergency where a teacher has suddenly lost the room they were in. As for the QS Room, it stood empty except for inductions and information skills sessions, as most HE courses taught from our leased building 2QS. We were given permission by the Director of HE to open it up to Access to HE students and then it was well used. 2017 2 major things effecting these rooms: 2QS lease expired and HE was brought back to the main site and the students given there own area in a different part of the building. We therefore re-designated the rooms and HE Room became the Quiet Study Room, as we had lost our QS Room to C360.
- Initially known as the Multimedia Room and set up to overcome the IT acceptable Use policy, which states that games cannot be used on College PCs. Adobe software added to PC profile. We obtained lists of students who needed the software for their coursework, so they could use the room. It was treated as a social area, enlisted lecturers help. Eventually calmed down and worked well. We extended the use to some other groups who also needed the software. The PCs then wouldn’t load, were 64 bit (needed for software), swapped out for VDI It became a problem area again as we couldn’t control who used the room (no MyPC) and it has started to become a social area. Started doing half hourly checks and from Jan 2017 the students working in there were doing so as we intended and in silence. In Sept 2017, we designated it the silent study room, because it was serving that function, we’d been asked for one and there are different pools on the VDI now which give students access to the different software they need. We also managed to get MyPC onto the VDI machines, so we know who is using the room now.