and NOW!

Laurie Eagleson

Lori Critz

MPMLA – May 17, 2002

What is the ILC?What is the ILC?

• The Arizona Board of Regents granted Project Initiation approval for the Integrated Learning Center (ILC) on September 8, 1994.

• Part of a planning effort devoted to improving undergraduate education, including– increasing first-year student persistence rates– improving graduation rates– increasing first-year student exposure to ranked

faculty– alleviating the current classroom space shortfall– providing state-of-the-art classrooms in a more cost-

efficient manner than renovating older facilities

Facilities include:Facilities include:• 119,000 sq. foot new construction including open

areas• 4 multimedia lecture halls• 4 technology kaleidoscope classrooms• 6 discussion classrooms• Information Commons with connection to Main

Library, including 50-computer classroom• Instructional support for faculty• Office space for First Year Center and course

coordinators• Open center courtyard• Cost: $26 million (paid with academic revenue

bonds)

Why an ILC?Why an ILC?

• To provide an academic/intellectual "home base" for freshman students. Development of such a campus home base has been found to support student retention.

• A “one-stop shop” for freshman gen-ed (Natural

Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Individuals and Societies) and foundations classes, academic advising & tutoring, and research/technology assistance for class assignments

Who is the ILC “staff”?Who is the ILC “staff”?

• Freshman Year Center (Academic advising and tutoring)

• University Teaching Center (Instructional technology)

• Center for Computing and Information Technology (network and technical support for classrooms)

• Library (research assistance, software assistance and network/technical support for Information Commons)

Where is the ILC?Where is the ILC?

• Proposal called for central location close to Student Union and Library

• University Mall was only central space available; however, due to the great popularity of this grassy area for games, sunbathing and other important Arizona student activities , it was decided to build this new facility……………

UNDER the UNDER the Mall!Mall!

A

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(Where the sun don’t shine!)Where the sun don’t shine!)

Fun FactsFun Facts

• Average depth is 23 feet below ground level

• 100,000 cubic yards of soil was removed (This took 2 months!)

• 12,000 cubic yards of concrete was poured

• Palm trees were relocated to west end of mall, then replanted after construction was completed

Ground was broken on September 8, 1999, exactly 5 years after being approved by ABOR

Students also broke ground on “their” new facility

The “hole” was dug and a “bottoming out” ceremony was held November 5, 1999.

Carla Stoffle, Dean of Libraries, with

UA librarians

Lynne Tronsdal, Assoc. Dean, University College, discusses the ILC with local TV news staff

View from the 5th floor of the Library. November 5, 1999

The ILC hole with University Administration in the background. November 5, 1999

The West end of the ILC, April 17, 2000

By May 3rd, the West end was covered with concrete slabs several feet thick

May 3, 2000

May 3, 2000

June 12, 2000

June 12, 2000

June 12, 2000

July 6, 2000

July 6, 2000

(Who is in charge here??)

July 6, 2000

August 31, 2000

August 31, 2000

September 27, 2000

September 27, 2000

October 7, 2000

October 18, 2000

November 30, 2000

December 20, 2000

January 24, 2001

January 26, 2001

January 26, 2001

March 5, 2001

April 17, 2001

April 17, 2001

April 17, 2001

April 17, 2001

May 30, 2001

June 1, 2001

June 27, 2001

June 29, 2001

June 29, 2001

New 5th floor, June 29, 2001

July 24, 2001

July 27, 2001

July 27, 2001

August 27, 2001

August 29, 2001

October 22, 2001

October 22, 2001

ILC & Main Library October 22, 2001

The ILC-Library Connection: The ILC-Library Connection: The Information Commons (IC)The Information Commons (IC)

• What is it? A 29,000 square foot Library-operated component of the ILC which provides access to library resources, computers, librarians, library staff, and IT personnel. (10,000 sq. feet is new ILC construction.) Open 24/5 during Fall and Spring semesters (same as Main Library).

• Features– 200 computer workstations – 35 high-end multimedia workstations (postponed due to budget cuts)

– 25 breakout and group meeting rooms – electronic classroom – 120 "wired workspaces" to plug in laptops– Networked printing – Central help desk (which replaced Main Reference desk) for reference

and software assistance

HardwareHardwareGateway PCs:

• 512MG RAM 40GB hard drive Intel Pentium 4• 17” flat screen monitor• CD-RW/DVD drive • Zip drive, 250MG (accepts 100MG, 250MG Zip disks)• Logitech Optical Wheel Mice

Apple Macintosh PowerPC G4s:• 128MG RAM (to be increased)• 38GB hard drive• 17” flat screen monitor• 3 ½” floppy drive (external)• CD-RW/DVD drive• Zip drive, 250MG (accepts 100MG, 250MG Zip disks)• Apple Optical Mice

Laser printing accessible:– black & white (10¢ per page), color ($1.00 per page)

Epson Perfection 1650 Scanners, with transparency film/slide adapter

SoftwareSoftware

• Operating System:– PCs: Microsoft Windows 2000– Macs: Mac OS 9.2

• Microsoft Office 2002• Web Browsers: Internet Explorer 6 (PC), IE 5 (Mac), Netscape 4.7• Graphics Software:

– Adobe Illustrator 10– Adobe Photoshop 6

• CD Burning:– Easy CD Creator– Disk Burner (Mac only)– iTunes (Mac only)

• Viewing/Listening Software

Software (cont.)Software (cont.)• Web Page Creation:

– Macromedia Dreamweaver 4– Macromedia Flash 5– Microsoft FrontPage 2002 (PC only)

• File Transfer:– SSH– Secure File Transfer Client– Telnet (PuTTY)

• Disk Utilities:– CoffeeCup Zip (PC only)– Stuffit Expander 6 (Mac only)– Sophos Anti-Virus– Norton Utilities DiskDoctor available at Help Desk only

• ADA Software• ArcView (PC only):

– ArcCatalog– ArcMap

• Statistics (PC only):– SPSS, SAS

• Courseware (as requested)

New construction

Main Library 1st floor,A pod (renovated)

A

Where is the IC?Where is the IC?

Main library – 1st floor A podNew ILC construction Help Desk

Why an IC?Why an IC?

• Not enough study space• Not enough computers (only 12 of about 70

computers in old reference area had complete production software)

• Not enough space for new computers

• An opportunity to further integrate the Library into the campus community

The day after our “cattle herd” arrived…

… installation took place (on 12/9/01)

The IC Classroom

Information Commons opens!January 2, 2002

Dean Carla Stoffle on IC Opening Day

Planning for the ICPlanning for the IC

• IC Planning Team (1999-2000; members from Library, Computer Center, Teaching Center and Freshmen Center)– Benchmarked existing Information Commons,

including site visits and email survey– Produced staffing models, including numbers and

types of workers at macro (academic time period) and micro (daily/weekly) levels

– Produced service models at standard and preferred levels for both reference and software/hardware service

How was it accomplished?How was it accomplished?Or, how to play Musical Work Spaces!Or, how to play Musical Work Spaces!

• Orchestrated very carefully with several main library renovation projects

• First floor Media Center moved to 2nd floor circ area following renovation of circ/info desk area

• TST moved temporarily from 1st floor A pod to area vacated by Media so work on IC could begin

• Photocopy Center moved from 1st floor to 2nd floor, then back downstairs again

• Special Collections staff moved from 2nd floor to 3rd floor, then back to newly renovated area

• New 5th floor A pod completed 1/02—TST and Systems teams moved there

• New compact shelving now being installed in 1st floor area vacated by TST

WhoWho• Who’s in charge?

– Required decision by Dean/Cabinet (early 2001)– Undergraduate Services Team (who already coordinated

Main reference desk service)• Coordinates scheduling, training• Hiring student workers• Development of policies on use

• Who works there?– All of previous Main reference desk staff (public service

librarians, classified staff-mostly from TST)– 3 FTE librarians from Science Library– Hired student workers for daytime desk hours for the first

time– Systems staff scheduled to begin Summer 2002

Training for the ICTraining for the IC

• IC Training Team (2000-2002; members from Library, Computer Center, Freshmen Center)– Developed training plan for what would be

offered– Developed training materials for basic and

intermediate reference, software/hardware and customer service, including competency tests

– Implemented first round of training (still in progress!)

How has the IC changed how we How has the IC changed how we provide customer assistance?provide customer assistance?

• Identity crisis! Where is the Library?• Much smaller print reference collection near help

desk– Project to determine titles to move into allotted space– Greater tendency to both acquire and use electronic

resources for reference service

• Desk stats for first 4 months compared to last year’s:– Increase in % of computer applications questions– Decrease in % of reference questions– Could be related to identity confusion– Caveat: first 4 months in new facility may not be indicative

of long-term activity

2002 Info Commons Desk

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Directional

Reference

Computer Applications

Equipment Problems

2001 Main Ref. Desk + IC Desk

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January February March April

Directional

Reference

Computer Applications**

Equipment Problems

What would we have done differently?What would we have done differently? What have we learned? What have we learned?

• Decide sooner who’s in charge!• Assign dedicated FTE for coordination of facility

and training• Help Desk/security gate location – cannot use

reference books on the “ILC side” of the IC.• Make sure new computers and software arrive and

can be installed and tested well before opening (not 3 weeks before!)

• Computers with scanners should be in one area, not scattered.

What would we have done differently? What would we have done differently? What have we learned?What have we learned?

• Train desk staff on new computers/software before opening.

• Make sure there are enough trainers• Develop mechanism for dealing with “training

issues” (non-attendance, failing competency tests, non-retention of content).

• Don’t assume you will have enough computers!• Don’t buy any Macs! (Or segregate them in a

single, well-marked area!)• Working with other campus units was rewarding;

wish partnership could have continued past opening.

Then…

…and now!

Then…

…and now!

Then…

…and now!

Then…

…AND NOW!!

SummarySummaryIn all, we see the Information Commons as a collaborative active learning environment.

It is an extension of the classroom –

… an entire community bringing students together with instructors, tutors, librarians and technology assistance combined with the information and technology to facilitate learning and success.

Photo by James S. Wood, Arizona Daily Star

‘Perfectly astonishing’

Arizona Daily Star, May 12, 2002

http://www.ilc.arizona.eduhttp://www.ilc.arizona.edu

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Questions?Questions?

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