Standards and Best Practices for Florida Academic Libraries: Space

Space: Libraries are the intellectual commons where users interact with ideas in both physical and virtual environments to expand learning and facilitate the creation of new knowledge.

6.1 The library creates intuitive navigation that supports self-sufficient use of virtual and physical spaces.

6.2 The library provides safe and secure physical and virtual environments conducive to study and research.

6.3 The library has the IT infrastructure to provide reliable and robust virtual and physical environments needed for study and research.

6.4 The library uses physical and virtual spaces as intellectual commons according to the library mission.

6.5 The library designs pedagogical spaces to facilitate learning and the creation of new knowledge.

6.6 The library’s physical space features connectivity and up-to-date, adequate, well-maintained equipment and furnishings.

6.7 The library provides clean, inviting, and adequate space, conducive to study and research, with suitable environmental conditions and convenient hours for its services, personnel, resources, and collections.

6.8 The library’s physical and virtual spaces are informed by users.

"The Standards include performance indicators, which are intentionally library-centric. Outcomes, however, should be user-centric, preferably focusing on a specific population and articulating specifically what the user is able to do as an outcome of the performance indicator. "
- ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education

Performance Indicator 6.7 The library provides clean, inviting, and adequate space, conducive to study and research, with suitable environmental conditions and convenient hours for its services, personnel, resources, and collections.

Sample Outcome

• Students recognize the library as a welcoming environment.

"Many academic institutions use benchmarks to identify their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to similar institutions. For example, benchmarking can be used to demonstrate whether an institution or its library is funded or staffed at levels comparable to similar institutions in a geographic area, with a similar enrollment, or with other related characteristics."
- ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education

Principle 6: Space

• Ratio of library seats to FTE student population.
• Type of learning spaces and accompanying technology available to user community.
• Number of hours open each week during academic sessions.
• Number of days open each fiscal year.
• Gate counts. E.g.: Per FTE student. During extended hours of fall and spring semesters.

All ACRL information taken from:

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2018). Standards for libraries in higher education.

       Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/standards/slhe.pdf