The Learning Commons, as it has been envisioned and implemented on many college campuses, is a physical space with hardware, appropriate furnishings and equipment (workstation pods, clusters, carrels), group study rooms, consultation offices, production studios, and print collections. It is also a virtual space where students can access reliable research databases and e-books, as well as productivity software and multimedia applications. These are some of the "things" students need to write a research paper or complete a class project from start to finish. Students also need the on-the-spot support of librarians, information technologists, and media specialists to exploit the learning potential of an environment rich in technology and academic content. Providing a physical and virtual commons in a central, welcoming location, along with expert assistance, will inevitably foster the growth of a cultural commons, a social setting for the use of academic resources which can host learning communities, study teams, research partnerships, and peer tutorial programs. Although not all students are ready to embrace the idea of adding librarians to the "friends" list on their Facebook pages, the mentoring relationships established on the floor of the Learning Commons can, and sometimes do, endure through email dialogues, blogs, or social networking sites.

The ongoing replacement of print reference materials and periodical backfiles with their electronic counterparts will provide opportunities for innovative uses of library space, opening the way - on this campus, at Grasselli Library & Breen Learning Center - to realize the vision of the Learning Commons, a dynamic student - friendly service center that promotes student success and builds strong community. Like the Roman res communes, or the more contemporary village green or town square, the creation and stewardship of the Learning Commons is dependent on active individual participation, voluntary associations, and effective collective action to achieve shared goals.

In that spirit, I invite the collaboration of our student users and faculty colleagues in an ongoing transformation of library services that will better serve and unite us as a community of teachers and learners.                                Join the discussion. Tell us what YOU think

Since July 1983, I have recorded the titles of the books I read.  Come July 2008, that will amount to 25 years of reading! Almost time for another book.

The nightmare of the Holocaust remains a haunting theme in three novels recently penned by European authors more or less new to the literary scene.  Obviously there are fewer degrees of separation from the events of World War II and the obliteration of 6 million lives and its aftermath on those who live and write where there are constant reminders of what happened in their own homeland.  I recommend them all to your consideration.

French author Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key is as poignant a novel as I have ever read.  It is the story of a young Jewish girl whose family, like so many others, is rousted from their home in the middle of the night and sent to a death camp.   Sarah is convinced that a mistake has been made and they will be sent home in a matter of hours, so she locks her younger brother in a closet where he will be safe.   Sarah escapes from the prison camp too late to save her brother, and the horror of what he must have endured haunts her remaining days.  The story is told from the point of view of a present-day American journalist asked to write a story for a magazine.  It turns out that her French husband's family lives in the very same apartment that housed Sarah and her family.  Her obsession to learn the rest of Sarah's story keeps one reading to the final page.   

In A Hatred for Tulips, Richard Lourie tells a compelling story about two Dutch brothers who have been separated for over forty years.  The older brother remains in Europe with his father while the younger brother travels with his mother to a new life in America.  When the younger brother shows up unannounced on the older brother's doorstep after four decades, the bitterness emanating from the older brother is palpable.  Whether the story is factual or merely a means of revenge, the older brother proceeds to tell the story of what actually happened to the family during the darkness of the war years and how the younger brother played a critical role in the Anne Frank drama.

 Finally, in his first novel, The Sixth Lamentation, William Broderick weaves an intricate story of a suspected Nazi war criminal who presents himself to an English monastery seeking sanctuary forty years after the war's end.  The Vatican commissions Father Anselm, one of the monks, to investigate.  Threads from past and present are unraveled as a fascinating cast of characters reveals its connections to the former SS officer and the effects of his treachery, which has haunted their lives.  Broderick does a masterful job of building tension, leading the reader to anticipate a violent conclusion.  Instead, this masterful writer presents an unexpected but perfectly satisfying resolution.

To an economist, reliable data are like oxygen.  They need it to do their work.  Two new electronic databases fill a gap by providing industry data. They also complement each other. 

Standard and Poor's NetAdvantage is a package of sources from Standard and Poor's that replaces the print S&P products Industry Surveys, Security Owner's Stock Guide, Statistical Service, and The Outlook.  It also includes Compustat Excel Analytics, Compustat International Fundamental Reports, Mutual Fund Reports, Bond Reports, Corporation Records, Company Profiles, and Register of Corporations, Executives, & Directors.IBISWorld provides data for industry market research, company research, global industry research, and the business environment.  Both databases are top-quality products with essential data.

To access these databases, from the library home page select "Find Articles/Data," select "Alpha List of Databases," and choose "IBISWorld" or "Standard and Poor's NetAdvantage."

What we are experiencing in the Computer Commons is duplicated nationwide and points to the obvious fact that the expanding number of electronic resources available in libraries has greatly increased the demand for printing.  Increased use of web-based course management systems, with electronic copies of readings and other course documents attached, also sends most students directly to the closest free printer.   A 2002 Chronicle of Higher Education article on cutting IT costs indicates that college administrators estimate almost one-third of the pages that leave their printers are discarded.  That is consistent with the rate of waste we observe in the library's Computer Commons.  We also note that students frequently print multiple copies of lengthy PowerPoint presentations or other handouts, a type of high-volume use that the free printers were never intended to support.  

We urge the faculty to join us in encouraging more responsible use of the library's free printing service.  Here are some ways you can help:

• Accept assignments electronically through Blackboard.

• If you require a printed submission, accept two-sided printing.

• Post students' PowerPoint presentations on the class Blackboard site.

• If you require printed PowerPoint handouts, stipulate the six slides-per-page format and accept two-sided printing.

• Be sure students know all the options for receiving e-documents, such as e-mail or downloading to disc or drive.

• Most importantly, encourage students to seek the help of librarians early in their assignments.  We can provide the support they need to hone their searching skills and study the information provided on the bibliographic record (i.e. abstracts, tables of contents) to ensure they have identified the content they need BEFORE hitting the print key.                                            Join the Discussion. What do YOU think?