Library spaces – "The researchers used mapping exercises, student-gathered photographs, surveys, interviews, and design charrettes. Their findings paint a detailed picture of students’ study lives that has implications for institutions that want to make the library relevant to those lives: 

Students are highly scheduled and on the go all of the time. There is no “average” day for a student. Academic, social, recreational, work, volunteer, and personal activities are all in the mix and each day is different. They eat on the go and carry their belongings with them, although they don’t carry their laptops. Students’ schedules are “offset” from librarians’ schedules. Students study in the library, at home/in their dorms, and in the computer lab. They use computer technology throughout the day and in multiple locations.

 The researchers also reported results from the design charrettes that show student needs and preferences:

Flexibility: spaces that meet a variety of needs. Students want to move easily among the spaces. Group and individual study areas are important, as are spaces to relax, a café, and computing and media viewing areas.   Comfort: spaces that provide comfort and have a “family room” atmosphere. This includes easy access to coffee and food, natural light, and an environment with soothing textures, sounds, and great warmth. The space should support sitting, slouching, putting one’s feet up, and lying down.  Technology: technology and tools should be intuitively integrated into the space. This includes high-end technology such as media players, smart boards, and plasma screens as well as low-tech items such as power outlets, staplers, and three-hole punch tools.Staff support: Students rarely made distinctions between the types of staff they needed in the library; rather, they expected to interact with a generic staff member who would be able to provide reference assistance, check out materials, answer IT questions, and brew a great latte. There were very few mentions of a reference or information desk. Librarians cannot assume that they know how students do their academic work or what they need.Resources: students included library materials in their designs, ranging from academic and reference books to leisure magazines and DVDs.  " Ackn. SCUP