Mills Learning Commons is an active, student-centered learning space that integrates traditional and emerging scholarly resources, information technology, expert help, instruction, and collaborative and individual study space.
Congratulations to the folks at Mills Library at McMaster University for winning the McMaster Student Union’s Rudy Heinzl Award of Excellence for their redesigned Learning Commons.
Read all about it at the library blog, including this: It is especially gratifying to receive this award since it comes from the students themselves.
I visited the library and walked through the commons when I was on campus in January and it was ALIVE with students working together and hanging out. The configuration of tables for students, lots of outlets, desktop computers for those without laptops and the general feel of the space inspired me.
I love the Web presence as well. The faces and the signs make the message stronger: “your library just got better.” Note the combined presence of an IT assitance desk, instant messaging reference service (oh yeah!) and an encouraging tone.
Get a load of the RSS choices on the library news page. Impressive. Do I detect the handiwork of Mover & Shaker Amanda Etches-Johnson here? She is the User Experience Librarian, after all. 🙂
AND don’t miss the student comments and responses PDF.
Kudoos to all at Mills Library!