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In May 2013, a space initiative project was launched in an effort to answer the following question posed by the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Library staff: With the increased use of mobile devices and the availability of information anywhere, anytime, what activities or tasks does our user community engage in while at the Library? Data were gathered in several ways— daily counts to determine client workstation occupancy, an informal survey interview conducted three times a day with walk-in clients, and staff observations. Data collection periods were scheduled in summer 2013, fall 2013, and winter 2014. Analysis of the information collected revealed that for many survey respondents, the space represents an extension of their work environment. Although most of the MSK Library’s collection is available electronically, the physical space is important and valued by this user community as a “go-to” place for leisure, work, or library-related activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. Syracuse University provides library services to meet the instructional and research needs of its students, faculty, and staff; to fulfill regional and national commitments to resource sharing; and, as resources permit, to meet the research needs of alumni and the Syracuse community. Visitors are welcome to use the Library's collections for research and study purposes. These materials include collections housed in Library stacks; government documents; reference collections; current periodicals and newspapers, except those held on reserve; and microform collections. Unless they are registered as guest borrowers, visitors may use Library resources only in-house. Depository collections of the U.S. government publications, and help in using them, are freely available to all visitors. With the exception of these depository collections, the Library may at times give priority in service to University-affiliated users, and may limit visitors' access to selected facilities, collections, and services.