Throughout 2016, the library partnered with brightspot strategy, a user-centered design consultancy, to engage students, faculty and researchers from across campus in a conversation about the future of our library space.

The visioning process included focus groups, workshops, interviews, tabling outreach and surveys. This report describes the research findings and makes recommendations for how the library’s space can best meet the future needs of the UC Davis community.

While the project explored all of the library spaces on the Davis campus — Shields, Carlson Health Sciences and the Physical Sciences & Engineering libraries — the recommendations focus primarily on Shields as the library’s largest and most centrally located facility.

Based on brightspot’s user research and in conversation with our campus partners, the library has identified three initial priorities:

1. Create a more welcoming, versatile and contemporary environment for UC Davis students.
2. Provide a central hub for campus resources focused on student academic success.
3. Support faculty and other researchers interacting with information in new ways.

This brief describes specific proposed changes for the campus to consider that could support each of these priorities.

This white paper offers a bold vision for a library that:

• Prepares students to become skilled consumers of information — critical to success in today’s knowledge-based economy;
• Preserves and provides access to knowledge in all forms, both physical and digital;
• Helps people connect and collaborate across the university’s usual divides, both in person and using technology; and
• Provides universal, democratic access to information, technology and expertise that advance research, teaching and learning across disciplines.

Photo by Hector Villicana/UC Davis Library

One side of the Sally Porter Reading Room, adjacent to the Main Reading Room on the second floor of Shields, was refurbished with comfortable new seating, thanks to challenges from the Library Board and Golden 1 Credit Union and contributions from individual donors on UC Davis Give Day 2017.

Photo by Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis

Students need access to technology when they’re working together on projects. Thanks to a generous donation from Library Board Chair Mike Gilson and his wife Cathy Blake, we have installed large, wall-mounted screens that can be connected to students’ laptops (and comfortable, modern furniture) in the two Group Study Rooms that open off the Sally Porter Reading Room.

Photo by Pattie Chen/UC Davis Library

In time for Fall Quarter 2018, the library refurbished a large study space on the first floor of Shields Library with new furniture and plentiful outlets (always at the top of our students’ wish list for library study space improvements!) The new-and-improved space is almost always packed.

In partnership with Undergraduate Education, the library is renovating the former Course Reserves space into a multipurpose event/study space. A lecture hall by day, the new room will be available as an event space and additional student study space when not in use for classes. The space is expected to be open for use beginning in Summer 2019.

Shields Room 167, formerly known as Course Reserves, is being renovated to serve as a general assignment classroom Monday through Friday from 8:00AM and 5:00PM. When the room is not being used for classes, it will serve as additional study space for students. Occasionally, the room will also be used for meetings and events hosted by the library.

– Library News / December 13, 2018

Opening more study spaces – and keeping them open for longer hours – has been a long-standing request of the UC Davis student body. It was a relief for many when Shields Library opened additional 24-hour study spaces.

– The California Aggie /  December 7, 2017

The library will share its draft vision at a pair of town halls for faculty and students on December 1, 2016.

— Dateline / November 22, 2016

Workshops were collaborative and hands-on, with participants encouraged to suggest ideas, the Aggie reports.

— The California Aggie / November 15, 2016

“Shields is definitely one of the busiest buildings on campus, as far as undergraduates go. But it’s not really contemporary space. We’ve always known that it has a lot of potential to be renovated.”

— The California Aggie / May 27, 2016

The campus community is invited to participate in workshops and an online survey as the library’s visioning process continues, building on midpoint research insights from user research conducted during Spring 2016.

— Dateline / October 10, 2016

The library launches a year-long visioning process to reimagine how our library spaces can best meet the needs of students today.

— Dateline / May 3, 2016