Connecting at the Library

Maybe it doesn't so much, any more, mean connecting with printed books, but the library is still a key learning space. This article from Business Officer is thoughtfully organized into a number of useful categories—The Changing Landscape, Library as Place, Student Usage Patterns, Indicators of Effectiveness, Organizing the Library, Predicting and Managing Collection Growth, What It All Means—each of which could, in itself, be a larger essay: "What is the future of the book, given ubiquitous electronic resources? Why maintain a library when students appear to do all their research from their laptops? And, for business officers and facilities planners, what is the relationship between library facility features and increased student interest that can influence recruitment and retention? Here we explore the many questions that arise regarding academic libraries in an age of electronic media; illustrate those qualities and attributes students perceive as most valuable in a collegiate library building; and describe the planning process, final design, and some before-and-after analysis for The College of New Jersey’s successful new library building."