GVSU to host international library innovation conference

As libraries continue to evolve to better meet the changing needs and expectations of users, there is a desire for information sharing to support the increasingly important roles libraries play in the communities they serve.

To help fill this need, Grand Valley State University, in conjunction with Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS), is hosting the “Re-think it: Libraries for a New Age” conference August 10-12 on the Allendale Campus. The conference will take place in the Mary Idema Pew Library, Loutit Lecture Halls and Kirkhof Center. 

“The first goal of the conference is to share what we are doing here at GVSU libraries to increase the impact of the library on student learning and success,” said Lee Van Orsdel, dean of University Libraries. “The second goal is to host a conversation among innovative academic and public librarians who, like us, are committed to staying relevant and impactful in their communities.”

The conference, which will host approximately 290 library enthusiasts, including librarians, design thinking experts, architects and furniture designers, will explore:

• Transforming physical library spaces and places;
• Innovative services, programs or technologies;
• Assessing and evaluating spaces, services, technologies and programs;
• Reflecting community values and needs;
• And developing a forward-thinking organizational culture.

The conference includes panel presentations with representatives from local furniture design and manufacturing companies, such as Steelcase Education, Herman Miller and Haworth, as well as various architecture firms, universities and public libraries from across the U.S. Participants will also take part in contributed paper presentations, tours of the Mary Idema Pew Library, Steelcase and the Kent District Library, and interactive discussion sessions.

Van Orsdel said Grand Valley created this international conference because there is industry interest in how the university is contributing to the international dialogue about the future of libraries through forward thinking ideas about how student learning can be actively supported by spaces and programs that nurture, inspire and inform them with each visit. 

“Many libraries around the country and abroad are adapting some of our practices, programs and design ideas for their own libraries," she said. "The Mary Idema Pew Library was designed with the intent to turn it over to students, and that itself is an unusual approach. We feature student assistants as the face of our libraries and our services to an extent that few libraries have even considered.”

One of those student-operated services is The Knowledge Market, which offers students the opportunity to seek consulting services from other highly trained students regarding research, writing and public speaking. In 2014, 784 research consultations, 4,031 writing consultations and 604 speech consultations were provided for students by peer consultants at The Knowledge Marketplace. The Mary Idema Pew Library IT Help Desk, User Experience Team and Technology Showcase are also all primarily comprised of student employees.

The Mary Idema Pew Library has been praised for its innovative new technologies and academic spaces. With more than 154,000 square feet of space, the library boasts multiple customizable spaces for both quiet studying and collaborative work, more than 700,000 books, one million e-books, an abundance of natural lighting and outdoor work spaces.

For more information about the conference, contact Linda Anderson, administrative assistant to the dean of University Libraries, at (616) 331-2606, [email protected] or visit http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/rethinkit/.