The speaker is Janine Schmidt, former Director of Libraries, McGill University and University Librarian at the University of Queensland.
I like her way of creating humours in her speech. The bank of wisdom she shared on the factors to consider when planning library spaces for today’s users make my mind feel full and contended. It is a fulfiling afternoon for me and I am sure those who have a chance to hear her will feel the same.
Details of the seminar extracted from LAS Email notice are as follows:
Summary
Today’s users are plugging in, powering up and prowling the Internet. They communicate constantly, tapping and swiping.
Information and communication technologies and user behaviour and expectations are developing in a mobile, wireless, cloudy world. E-books are outselling real books and print journals have been displaced by e-journals.
Library design, once focused on the construction of monuments to knowledge, containers for vast print collections, places for products and processes rather than people, and hallowed halls for serious contemplation, has shifted to the creation of interactive spaces that interpret people’s way finding and information behaviour preferences.
What is the role of the space and the place? How do we ensure that today’s library meets the needs of today’s learners?
Janine Schmidt is Director, Mukurta Consulting, Brisbane, Australia and advises and consults on library facilities design and strategic planning, assisting libraries in change management and reviewing service delivery.
Janine was formerly Trenholme Director of Libraries, McGill University, and Montreal, Canada, where she led the re-shaping of library and information service delivery, including the revitalization of physical spaces.
Other appointments include University Librarian at the University of Queensland and Director, Collection Services, State Library of New South Wales. Her qualifications include a B.A. (Q’land), M.Lib (UNSW) and completion of management training at the Australian Graduate School of Management. She has published widely and spoken extensively at conferences and is a Fellow of the Australian Library and Information Association.
| Date: | Wednesday, 14 March 2012 |
| Time: | 3:30 to 5:30pm |
| Venue: | Li Ka Shing Library, Singapore Management University, 70 Stamford Rd, Level 5 |
| Map: |
“Fitting facilities for today’s library users” by Janine Schmidt is available on Slideshare.
Source of information: Email from LAS and SMU Li Ka Shing Library
