Final Report,Task Force on McKeldin Library Research Commons, University of Maryland Libraries
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Abstract
Higher education institutions are undergoing a fundamental transformation in their role in our society, economic structure, and value system. The University of Maryland (UMD) Libraries find themselves in the midst of this constantly changing environment where new technologies, new pedagogies, new publishing models, and new environments evolve every day. Librarians are being challenged to undertake new roles in order to support the research activities of their user population and to foster research and teaching initiatives across the university. With these trends in mind, the Research Commons Task Force was charged to research and plan for implementing new services and creating new research spaces. To accomplish this task, the Research Commons Task Force consulted the literature and conducted an extensive environmental scan by interviewing those involved in the creation of research commons at other universities, meeting with internal partners, and surveying graduate students and faculty at the University of Maryland. The resulted Final Report is a comprehensive document, which addresses UMD research needs, assessment, staffing, spaces, and technology concerns. It intends to serve as a guide for developing and implementing this model at the UMD Libraries and provides a robust yet flexible framework for the future.