College libraries are being reinvented for digital age

Roll over, Melvil Dewey. Behold the 21st-century college library.

Hundreds of schools, from Ivy League universities to community colleges, have remade their libraries as colorful hubs of college life. Gone are bound journals, miles of musty books and rules governing proper behavior. In are on-site cafes, group study areas where talking is encouraged, 24-hour access and sofas designed for dozing.

It offers quiet spaces and group study rooms as well as high definition video walls (Photo: AP)

The welcoming touches reflect the latest thinking about the millennial generation’s learning habits and recognition that students with laptops and Wi-Fi access can study anywhere, said Julie Garrison, Western Michigan University dean of libraries.

Students Sean Aitchison, left, and Alex Aguilar study for their final exams at the newly-renovated Oviatt Library (Photo: AP)

“We used to think about library design always in terms of the books. We were about first collections, then readers,” Garrison said.

20 new group study rooms, larger information study spaces with modern and colorful seating (Photo: AP)

“There is less of a need to protect a print collection in the way we did when it was the only way to get information, and we realized that if we let people bring in food and drink, they would stay longer.”

Renovatios include a redesigned main level, upgrades in digital resources, and additional open seating (Photo: AP)

As books have given way to network bandwidth, college libraries also are being equipped with media production labs, high- tech “maker spaces” where students can use 3-D printers and laser cutters, and data visualization walls where they can show off projects.

A student walks up stairs surrounded by colorful murals at the renovated James Branch Cabell Library (Photo: AP)

At many campuses, information technology professionals take seats alongside reference librarians.