Learning Commons: How Technology is Changing 21st-Century Library Design

The rise of digital technology and innovative new approaches to education have given rise to a new sort of library: the learning commons.

To adapt to the changes brought on by the rise of digital technology and 21st-century learning principles, an evolution in library design and space planning, ranging from furnishings and architecture to culture and purpose, has also gradually occurred. Schools around the United States and the world are beginning to transform their libraries from being silent temples to hold collections of books and reference materials into multi-use learning commons spaces, which are intended to be hubs of creativity and marketplaces of ideas. Along with technological change, this relatively new trend comes as a reaction to rapid changes user needs.

Many schools have already transitioned their outdated libraries into learning commons, which can be defined as a full-service learning, research, and student-centric collaborative project space. In a learning commons, students can work independently or in groups in planned learning zones that isolate activities, such as individual study or social learning where students are encouraged to interact with each other.

From Isolation to Collaboration

With the exception of the student who needed a quiet or alternative location to study, late 20th century libraries were still primarily used by students as resource centers to get what only what was needed for a project and leave. Only recently has the philosophy of today taken over--that libraries should offer both quiet and collaborative learning opportunities along with access to cutting-edge technology and, in some cases, even food. According to Loyola Dean of Libraries Robert A. Seal, “Books, articles and conference papers in most of the 20th century reflected a philosophy that library space should be designed by and for librarians. User needs, while recognized, often came second.” In the case of a learning commons, the user needs come first and, in an ideal space, the design and furnishings reflect that attitude.

As a 20th century student, going to the library typically meant silently studying books and other printed materials on your own, but over time, librarians began to see usage decrease as students opted instead for studying in spaces such as coffee shops or bookstores that offered comfortable chairs, refreshments and more opportunities to collaborate. Only the libraries designed to imitated these spaces geared towards 21st-century learners saw attendance and usage rise.