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How we’re redesigning academic libraries to keep them as the center of campus
During the last decade, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem libraries, like other libraries around the world, confronted the rapid advances in information technology that have completely transformed our environment. Faced with the massive move to electronic formats and empty current periodical shelves, as well as the increasing feeling among patrons that the Internet, not the library, is their information universe, academic libraries have had to change or wither.
(Both photos) Students enjoy the renovated medical library at
Hebrew University.
The growing awareness of the way people learn has also influenced our ideas about the academic library as a learning space. People learn from hands-on exercises, casual conversation and discussions as well as from reflection and quiet reading. They value getting immediate help when needed, use books or electronic databases, write their papers and prepare their next presentations. They like to study on their own in a comfortable setting, work with their colleagues in a private room, or just relax and chat with a group of friends about their next lesson.
By adapting the libraries to the great changes that have occurred in the world of information, we have, once again, made the academic library into the center of the campus.
Academic libraries, with their wealth of stored knowledge in print and electronic format, their complement of highly trained personnel and their existing, generally central and suitable spaces, have had to be reinvented so they can serve as the primary informal learning space on campus.
At the Hebrew University, our library reinvention involves physical renovations. Of our eight libraries, two — the medical library and the law library — already have undergone major renovations, and a third one — the Humanities, Social Sciences and Business Library — is being renovated. In each of these libraries, the main floor has been transformed or is being transformed into information commons. Keeping the feeling of open space, light and air, the resulting spaces offer clearly defined areas — individual desks and group study areas equipped with large LCD screens; quiet areas and lounges; quick reference and in-depth reference desks; a circulation desk and self-check-out machines; and state-of-the art scanning, printing and photocopying facilities. Scores of computers have been added, and of course wireless Internet access, allowing the use of laptops, is available throughout each information commons.
We hope to be able to renovate one
library each year. So far, the renovations
have been a great success. Our
researchers make heavy use of the
renovated spaces in the libraries and
express satisfaction with the changes.
The feeling is that, by adapting the
libraries to the great changes that have
occurred in the world of information, we
have, once again, made the academic
library into the center of the campus. 
