Are We at New Normal? What’s Happening with Academic Library Space Utilization
This session—using information gathered in advance as well as live-polling during the presentation—will consider what has changed with regard to academic library space utilization in recent years amid a sea of change. Are students returning to the library? Are they returning to the same spaces? Have their expectations shifted? What factors are driving library use post-pandemic? The panel, representing a large and a mid-sized university as well as a library design firm, will share their experiences and what they are seeing. Panelists will gather information in advance of the session to address this topic more widely and wholistically. Join the discussion to explore what changes are an evolution of use versus a result of the pandemic, and what is permanent versus transitory. Audience members will participate in sharing their experiences using live polling. Data gathering points will be shared in advance so that the audience can fully engage.
Speakers
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Cate RudowskyDean of University Libraries, Texas A&M University-Corpus ChristiShe/Her
Cate Rudowsky has over 22 years of experience in libraries, with more than 18 of those years being in public academia. She currently serves as the Dean of University Libraries at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), where she has worked since August of 2014. Prior to TAMU-CC, Dr. Rudowsky worked for 10 years at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (SRU) in various roles, including serving as Chair of the Library Faculty. While at SRU, Dr. Rudowsky was promoted through academic rank twice and achieved tenure.
Dr. Rudowsky earned a Ph.D. in Communication Media and Instructional Technology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2013. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Library and Information Science from University of Pittsburgh, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. She has authored or co-authored various publications, including a book on helping students overcome library anxiety, has given numerous academic presentations, and is a member of various professional associations, where she serves on and leads several committees. -
Janette Blackburn
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Jill Friedmann
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Kris JohnsonDepartment Head, Learning & Research Services, Montana State University LibraryShe/Her
I am co-chair of Core’s Buildings for College and University Libraries Committee (BCUL). I am also a manager of a large public services department at the Montana State University (Bozeman) Library. Our department covers everything from circulation and building management to reference and instruction. My goals for library services are to integrate the physical and digital into a consistent ‘united front’, presenting the library as a cohesive unit to all our constituents. Service Design is a particular interest of mine, particularly as it relates to library space usage and design.