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Indoor green spaces are increasing in popularity in many sectors, including libraries. While the benefits for mental health and well-being are well documented, indoor gardens are often cost-prohibitive to establish and maintain, due to infrastructure requirements. This article outlines how an academic health sciences library planned and implemented an indoor garden and seed library with minimal ongoing cost commitments and no permanent space requirements. The initiative has been very well received, and the level of engagement is high. Challenges faced both pre- and post-implementation will be discussed along with future directions for the initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library deans are expected to demonstrate their library contributes to student success, especially in a time of scarce resources. This article describes one such effort to link student success to students' use of the library. Student success is, in a large part, the result of student engagement, of which academic and social engagement are two prominent components. For the purposes of empirical research, academic and social engagement are suitable proxies for determining how various university programs and services, including libraries, contribute to student engagement and, thereby to student success. However, in the library and information science literature, very little qualitative research is available about the contribution of library space to student engagement. To fill this gap, a qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study, using semi-structured, in-depth interviews, was conducted at a medium-size public university in Southwest Florida to collect and analyze data on student perceptions of the relationship between their academic and social engagement and the way they used academic library spaces. Study participants agreed that using library spaces contributed to their ability to study independently and to interact with their peers on group projects and assignments, depending on the types of spaces available. This study has implications for academic library administrators who must demonstrate the value of library services and resources, including library space, to university administrators who are focused on student retention and success. By using the interview protocol from this study, library administrators will be able to collect valuable data that may be used to persuade university administrators when requesting funding to renovate existing library spaces, to build new library spaces, or to advocate to retain existing spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the moderating influence of library size on the relationship between library space attributes and learning satisfaction. Employing a quantitative methodology, a sample of 196 university library users in Ghana was selected to investigate the perceived impact of repurposed library spaces on learning satisfaction. The author conducted an empirical analysis to examine how organizational size (the total number of workers at a particular location) moderates the association between library space attributes (including access and linkages [physical location and proximity to campus resources], usage patterns [highlights the hours when users are most active and displays when a specific app is utilized during the day], sociability [the propensity and corresponding abilities to look for friendship, interact with others, and take part in social activities], and comfort [a state of physically ease and freedom from pain or constraint]) and the learning satisfaction of users. The research, administered through a closed-ended questionnaire, underscored the significant influence of access and linkages, usage patterns, sociability, and the physical environment on users' satisfaction levels. These four library space attributes together accounted for 13.1% of the variance in learning satisfaction, according to a multiple regression study conducted with SPSS version 27. Nevertheless, moderation analysis showed that there was no statistically significant relationship (p = 0.3370) between the characteristics of the library space and learning satisfaction through organizational size. The paper recommends adaptations to library designs to better align with the evolving learning needs of university library users in Ghana. A notable suggestion is the transformation of university libraries into dynamic physical spaces known as "learning commons" on campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based at De Montfort University, Decolonising DMU is a strategic initiative working to create an anti-racist institution where all can achieve. Growing from DMU's Freedom to Achieve project Decolonising DMU extends anti-racist work across the structure and composition of the institution, moving away from a sole focus on the curriculum. The Library has played a core role within both of these projects working with staff and students to gain better representation in library collections, facilitating library work experience to enhance staff and professional diversity, working with academics to decolonise reading lists, enabling changes in pedagogical practice and to raise awareness of issues and the lived experience of people of colour. This ultimately leads to changes in practice to enable a better sense of belonging and visibility for students of colour which in turn leads to more successful engagement and student retention. The article provides examples of actions, challenges and ways forward, with specific reference to Library and Learning Services. Reflections on the complex and evolving nature of this work are made alongside the implications for the student and staff experience plus service and collection development. This work reinforces the critical importance and impact of the decolonising H E movement on academic libraries and student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This article describes the evolution of academic public health library services from standalone academic public health libraries in 2004 to centralized services by 2021. Methods: Five public health libraries serving public health graduate programs (SPH) at public and private institutions were visited in 2006-07. Visits comprised tours, semi-structured interviews with librarians and local health department staff, and collecting of contemporary print documents. We compiled and compared visit notes across libraries. In 2022, we reviewed online materials announcing library closure or transition for timing and how services were to be subsequently provided. Results: Libraries and SPH were co-located and most librarians maintained public health expertise though they did not have faculty appointments in their SPHs. Specialized statistical and geographic information systems (GIS) software and data were provided in partnership, often with other system libraries. Only two libraries had strong connections to health departments--one with direct service agreements and another engaged in public health training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Librarians at [name of our library] saw a need for spaces where the campus community could engage in activities that require a level of privacy. These activities include prayer/mediation, expressing milk, addressing medical or mental health needs, escaping sensory overload, and changing/adjusting clothing. Lacking the space to create multiple spaces dedicated to specific needs, the library instead created a Self-Care Space, a flexible room that could be utilized to fulfill multiple needs. This article will describe the Self-Care Space, report on room usage, and provide analysis of data gathered from users. This data shows that the Self-Care Space has been both used and appreciated by the campus community, meaning the space has potential to serve as a model for other academic libraries.

This article explores how the creation of holistic and welcoming spaces is critical to delivering empathy-driven library services. We discuss how libraries can address barriers that—intentionally or unintentionally—result in spaces that are not equal and just for all, and are instead punitive We suggest reassessing policies, physical security measures, and staffing procedures. We call on library administrators to listen to their communities, especially regarding what kind of security measures and policies actually create trusted safe libraries. By being open to change, we can avoid the biased mistakes of the past and make our facilities truly a welcoming community space for our patrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the design and implementation of the H5P image hotspots and describes additional use cases for library instruction in order to teach learners from across the country on how different spaces can be used to create private, accessible areas where patrons can conduct telehealth appointments. The Network of the National Library of Medicine created an online class using H5P image hotspots to allow learners to virtually explore a physical space. The class used Moodle, an open-source learning platform, and H5P image hotspots to demonstrate how libraries implemented telehealth programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explains how one academic library met greater demand than ever before by streamlining the room reservation process for both patrons and staff and implementing an events calendar and other tools to make library happenings more visible. Like many academic libraries, the College of Charleston's main library, Addlestone Library, contains a mix of spaces used by students, faculty, and staff from across campus, and library faculty and staff. The library had used LibCal, the popular library room booking software from Springshare, to efficiently manage study rooms and other patron-forward library spaces since 2013. Spaces reserved primarily by library staffers were booked using legacy Outlook calendars, a system that had become increasingly difficult to manage. By thoughtfully reorganizing the library's LibCal Spaces module, the library incorporated all reservable library spaces into a single platform and streamlined the room booking process for all users. The project reduced staff time spent managing room bookings and setups, made it easier for staff to find information about what is going on in the library, and facilitated the relaunch of an events calendar on the library website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brief: Toponyms, or place names, which situate a location in its historical, social, and demographic context, are reconsidered during efforts to establish toponymic justice, a re-naming lens arising out of critical place-name studies. We outline how toponymic justice can be enacted in library spaces by chronicling the naming of a library classroom at The Oregon State University Valley Library.

In 2018, the Merrill-Cazier Library at Utah State University tasked their Space Planning Committee with assessing if the Library was meeting user needs through physical spaces. Capitalizing on their existing relationship, the Committee initiated a joint space survey with Campus Information Technology to identify how they could cooperatively meet student needs to provide students with a more holistic experience in the Library. This article discusses the survey results and provides academic librarians a roadmap to establish valuable cross-campus collaborations that contribute to student success by using cooperative needs assessments. The process illuminated the possibilities and strengths with collaborative space design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intended to support others in doing so, the paper details several scenarios in which in-house 3D scanning and printing produced unique or valuable outcomes with facilities-related issues, as well the process that led to successful solutions.

This article looks back at ALIA's prediction from 2013 that 'library print and ebook collections will establish a 50:50 equilibrium by 2020 and that this balance will be maintained for the foreseeable future' in the light of the experience at Curtin University Library. It revisits the findings of an article on the same topic published in 2015, and documents the situation at Curtin University Library as at 2022. It describes changes in the ebook environment and user attitudes over the past 6 years, as well as developments in the Library's acquisition strategies and methods to increase ebook holdings, and the current state of the collection. The article finally provides a likely projection of the ebook and print book holdings situation at Curtin Library in 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes a case study in which staff at the UC San Diego Library used the Library’s 3D printing technology to develop unique solutions to a variety of facilities-related challenges.

We know that unaffiliated users access books, reference services, and databases at our libraries, but how do they experience this access? The library science literature reveals a range of ethical concerns around how we serve unaffiliated users, meaning those who are not current students, faculty, or staff. Yet this literature is often based on librarian perspectives rather than on conversations with the unaffiliated users themselves. In this pilot study we interviewed 10 unaffiliated users to better understand their perceptions of a large academic library and how the library fits into their daily habits. Emerging patterns include a respect for the depth of academic collections, an appreciation of how physical spaces shape their campus experience, and a persistent sense of nonbelonging as people who are not students at our university—even if they are affiliated to another institution. In conclusion, we suggest ways that librarians can invite unaffiliated users onto campus as guests in the academic library community.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) has seen a dramatic increase in international student enrollment in the last four years. To serve this rising population effectively, librarians at SIUE created a research study to explore the information needs and academic experiences of international students at SIUE. The study employed a mixed-methods approach including a survey as well as in-depth interviews and photo diaries. The results provide insight into international students' library use and academic life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences Research / Sosyal Bilimler Arastirmalari Dergisi is the property of ODU Journal of Social Sciences Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Academic libraries serve many student constituents, but one often overlooked group is students who are parenting children. Students who, by necessity or volition, bring their children with them to the library have specific needs. Serving these students, who often have difficulty succeeding and graduating at college, should be a priority for academic libraries. Offering assistance can help this group focus on their studies, achieve their academic goals, and thus decrease universities' attrition rates. This article begins by drawing on anecdotal evidence, then reviews existing literature on parenting students. Next, it examines and analyzes policies on children in academic libraries at large American universities. Half of all academic libraries don't have clearly accessible policies, and some have policies that discourage bringing supervised children to libraries, while a few have welcoming policies and facilities. This research shows that academic libraries can still make progress to serve a key constituency. Finally, it offers solutions for how academic libraries can serve parenting students, given varying spatial and financial constraints, as well as diffusing potential concerns that might hold academic libraries back from serving this part of the academic community. This analysis could be supplemented by further inquiry and interviews with libraries on how their policies were developed and are being implemented or with parenting students on what they desire and need from the academic library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study examined how undergraduates at the University of Mississippi prioritized current and prospective library services and spaces. Q methodology was used to identify and classify students' viewpoints through the statistical analysis of card sorting arrangements. Q method is unique in that it embraces both the subjectivity of an individual's perspective while also mathematically aligning that perspective with other similarly minded participants. Forty students were asked to rank-order a sixty-item card deck on a structured grid. These arrangements were then compared across participants to identify group patterns. Quantitative factor analysis revealed that students' perspectives clustered around four distinct points of views: the Environmentalists, the Space Advocates, the Ideological Traditionalists, and the Weekenders. Dimensions and characteristics of each factor are presented along with card rankings and excerpts from exemplar factor student interviews. High priority items where all factors converged—textbook checkout, a tutoring center, printing, and research assistance—are also discussed. Q methodology is proffered as an alternative to traditional library surveys in determining characteristics within one's user population. Recommendations for implementation of Q methodology results at our institution are considered as well as follow-up research initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

User feedback told the story of the largest and busiest campus library being dated in both physical form and programmatic function. Under the framework of a newly-developed strategic plan, library leadership initiated a comprehensive and inclusive assessment program to understand fully user needs by engaging users, campus partners, and, importantly, library personnel. Simultaneously, they embarked on a review of change management literature for guidance on implementing the required transformation. Informed by the change management philosophy of John Kotter, the library utilized the findings of the assessment program to craft and implement a sustainable transformation of its services, staffing, and spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An academic library's space has traditionally operated as a repository, but with the proliferation of new media and interactive technologies, libraries now also serve as incubators of ideas. Architecture students at Auburn University recently took part in renovating the design library. With the librarian acting as client, they were asked to investigate diverse materials and design methods to create a dynamic and interactive exhibition wall which would showcase the creation of new knowledge and facilitate the dissemination of new information. This article discusses how the plug-in wall acted as a catalyst for the school's renewed communal investment in the library. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Libraries can support the wellbeing of their visitors through wellness collections of resources and mindfulness programming but can also offer wellness in their spaces. The project team pursued multiple internal-grant funded initiatives to support visitor wellbeing through new equipment. One phase of the program introduced desk treadmills, and the other introduced a freestanding cell phone-charging locker, with assessments planned to determine how effective visitors feel these new features are at improving their wellbeing. The new equipment would allow students studying for long hours an opportunity to increase physical activity and take a break from distracting technology, increasing mindfulness, focus, and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of information parallel to technological developments, the methods and tools used to access information have been transformed and the functions of the libraries have diversified and transformed in line with the needs of information workers. Parallel to these changing requirements, library spaces have turned into activity-based “learning centers” that are visited for creating and sharing new information, rather than being places where merely books are physically stored, borrowed and read. The aim of this study is to examine the transformation observed in library spaces depending on the social, cultural and technological developments within the era of information and to reveal the spatial characteristics that incline their interior designs. In this context, the changing learning and working practices of information societies have been primarily examined; the transformation in library functions is revealed and the spatial characteristics that direct the interior design of new libraries are investigated. In this study, as a method, a literature review was carried out, prominent spatial characteristics were systematically reclassified and explained with the help of best practice library cases. As a result, the spatial characteristics of new libraries have been determined as “building community/social permeability”, “diversity”, “interactivity”, “conformity to information technologies” and “design aesthetics/atmosphere”.

Despite Library and Information Science’s engagement with other matters of social justice, nearly no scholarly attention has been paid to fat issues within the library. Through the critical lens of the author’s own experiences as a fat Library and Information Science scholar, a critical discourse analysis of online library furniture catalogues reveals the exclusionary ways in which they perpetuate fatphobic body size standards. Given that library spaces are often considered a cornerstone of modern democratic societies, and that librarianship claims to champion ideals such as universal access to information, the exclusion of fat bodies in library spaces is problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term 'permeability' has morphed from is primarily technical origins into the lexicon of architecture as architects (and other professionals) sought better language to describe the relationships of spaces to their environments and other spaces and to the interactions of users with spaces. In higher education, permeability incorporates aspects of campus spaces surrounding buildings as well as the building envelope and interior spaces themselves. In these spaces, permeability may be manifested by physical characteristics as well as how the spaces are used. Documenting uses of permeability in higher education contexts reveals design elements and potential user interactions that, combined with research findings, show that academic libraries incorporating permeable spaces and features may positively influence student engagement and learning. These factors can then lead to measurable change in student success metrics which are vitally important to campus administrators and which may raise the visibility and value of libraries to their campuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is based on the dissertation Biblioteca Națională a României în slujba comunităților: o analiză calitativă pentru identificarea nevoilor utilizatorilor spațiilor libere pentru lectură [The National Library of Romania in the service of communities: a qualitative analysis to identify the needs of the users in the free reading spaces], held in June this year, at the final stage of the Master Program Management of Information in Contemporary Society. The research took place in 15th-26th of April, 2019. Our approach is unique, as the official activity reports published by the National Library are lacking the qualitative studies which would have helped establishing the directions of development of the services dedicated to different types of users. The quantitative reports officially reveal that the users tend to favor the free reading spaces in spite of the reading rooms. These statistics lead us to the idea that the library must operate changes in its public policies, considering new services and healthy conditions for 54,000 free spaces users per year. Who are these people? Where are they coming from? What do they need? What caused the change in their preferences? What does the National Library offer in these spaces to help people and what must it continue to do, to maintain its active place in the knowledge society and a determined role in the Romanian culture? The aim of our work is to answer these questions, or at least to approximate them.

Does COVID-19 challen04ge the persistence of neoliberalism? The pandemic and popular resistance to globalization seem to coincide, and there considerable discussion of neoliberalism within LIS now. First, this paper defines the centrality of the market as neoliberalism. With that in place, the remaining parts of the paper will explore and document phenomena in and related to academic libraries that instantiate how neoliberalism stubbornly persists. Second, the continuing reliance on generational cohorts to characterize incoming students – generation-ism– is a manifestation of categories of consumption and marketing. The influence of generation-ism on academic libraries is significant in the form of design pressures on space and to market the college experience. Third, where neoliberalism does tend to drive higher education investments in facilities, it results in the "lazy river" trend. This will be examined in direct contrast to the finance/space pressures on academic libraries. The paper concludes with a short discussion of these factors and what this analysis can tell us about academic libraries going forward into a post-COVID-19 era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What does the intersection of food gardening and public librarianship look like? This chapter examines the question through a close analysis of three case studies that represent the spread of this phenomenon in the United States and Canada. This is a first step toward identifying areas for further research that will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how food gardening in and around public libraries addresses community-level health disparities. Although it is the case that food gardens and related programming are no strangers to public libraries, this topic has not received sustained attention in the LIS research literature. Public libraries have long been framed as key institutions in increasing consumer health literacy, but a more recent trend has seen them also framed as key institutions in promoting public and community health, particularly through the use of the public library space. This chapter examines food gardens at public libraries with this more expansive understanding of how public libraries address health disparities, by considering how this work occurs through novel partnerships and programs focused on transforming physical space in local communities. At the same time, public interest in food gardens parallels increased awareness of food in society; food and diet as key aspects of health; food justice activism; and a long history of community empowerment in the face of the proliferation of food deserts through myriad activities, including community food gardens. The authors consider how food gardening in public libraries parallels these trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores academic libraries that have gone beyond using the traditional survey or focus group methods of soliciting student input, specific to library design projects. The goal for each library was to engage students in space design projects in innovative and hands-on ways that would maximise the potential for gaining their design input towards the creation of improved and enhanced library spaces. The successful co-design practices are further contextualised by analysing the strategies employed by several academic libraries for engaging students in library design or redesign projects. Key trends, approaches, and emergent practices come into focus as they pertain to student input opportunities. By studying examples of student co-design in academic library design projects, several themes emerge as ingredients for reaching – and keeping – users engaged with library design. Importantly, students must feel that their commentary is valued and that their input is evident in the final design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any health sciences library concerned with space reductions, wanting to change the value of physical spaces, or reviewing the literature on these topics can begin with Transforming Health Sciences Library Spaces.

The article is based on the dissertation Biblioteca Națională a României în slujba comunităților: o analiză calitativă pentru identificarea nevoilor utilizatorilor spațiilor libere pentru lectură [The National Library of Romania in the service of communities: a qualitative analysis to identify the needs of the users in the free reading spaces], held in June this year, at the final stage of the Master Program Management of Information in Contemporary Society. The research took place in 15th-26th of April, 2019. Our approach is unique, as the official activity reports published by the National Library are lacking the qualitative studies which would have helped establishing the directions of development of the services dedicated to different types of users. The quantitative reports officially reveal that the users tend to favor the free reading spaces in spite of the reading rooms. These statistics lead us to the idea that the library must operate changes in its public policies, considering new services and healthy conditions for 54,000 free spaces users per year. Who are these people? Where are they coming from? What do they need? What caused the change in their preferences? What does the National Library offer in these spaces to help people and what must it continue to do, to maintain its active place in the knowledge society and a determined role in the Romanian culture? The aim of our work is to answer these questions, or at least to approximate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the evening activities of students at the Hong Kong Design Institute in Zone24, a 24-hour opening learning space managed by Hong Kong Design Institute Learning Resources Centre, also referred to as the Library. In doing so, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of 24-hour learning spaces. Qualitative research was undertaken to identify and compare the students' behaviors between daytime and night in Zone24. In addition, this study investigates how overnight activities in the learning spaces facilitate a student's learning. The result of this study can contribute to improving librarians' or administrators' understanding of students' needs at night in a 24-hour learning space in order to implement more effective programs and services for users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Library users visit our spaces to actively research, but they also need study space, technology access, meeting space, and more. In restricted budget environments that don't allow us to drastically change our spaces, how can we meet the needs of our users in creative and meaningful ways? At UNC Libraries, we've run a number of projects and events that seek to change the use of our spaces in new ways making the library space more welcoming to users.

Proximity Beacons, or iBeacons, use a Bluetooth signal to deliver messages to mobile devices when a user is in range. Radford University used iBeacons placed throughout the library to create an interactive game for National Library Week that helps students make connections between the library's physical and virtual spaces.

Abstract Objective – As librarians and researchers, we are deeply curious about how our library users navigate and experience our library spaces. Although we have some data about users’ experiences and wayfinding strategies at our libraries, including anecdotal evidence, statistics, surveys, and focus group discussions, we lacked more in-depth information that reflected students’ real-time experiences as they move through our library spaces. Our objective is to address that gap by using photographic methods for studying library spaces. Methods – We present two studies conducted in two academic libraries that used participant-driven photo-elicitation (PDPE) methods. Described simply, photo-elicitation methods involve the use of photographs as discussion prompts in interviews. In both studies presented here, we asked participants to take photographs that reflected their experiences using and navigating our library spaces. We then met with participants for an interview using their photos as prompts to discuss their experiences. Results – Our analysis of students’ photos and interviews provided rich descriptions of student experiences in library spaces. This analysis resulted in new insights into the ways that students navigate the library as well as the ways that signage, furniture, technology, and artwork in the library can shape student experiences in library spaces. The results have proven productive in generating answers to our research questions and supporting practical improvements to our libraries. Additionally, when comparing the results from our two studies we identified the importance of detailed spatial references for understanding student experiences in library spaces, which has implications beyond our institutions. Conclusion – We found that photographic methods were very productive in helping us to understand library users’ experiences and supporting decision-making related to library spaces. In addition, engaging with students and hearing their interpretations and stories about the photographs they created enhanced our research understandings of student experiences and needs in new and unique ways.

The CNI-ARL Digital Scholarship Planning Workshop at Brown University, November 8-10, 2017, was an intensive, focused workshop for institutions at all stages of the digital scholarship planning process. This report, based on one participant's experience, touches on some of the highlights and takeaways from the sessions, which focused on campus needs and partnerships; staffing; governance and funding models; the applications of library and other content collections in teaching, learning, and research; student roles in digital scholarship; space and place; and the institutionalization of digital scholarship. A fundamental concept of the workshop was the acknowledgement of the wide variety of models and services digital scholarship can encompass and the critical need for each institution to pursue digital scholarship services that are in line with its strengths and the needs of its particular constituencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proximity beacons are small devices that send alerts when users come within range with their Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices. At Radford University, librarians partnered with the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning to create a competitive, interactive game for National Library Week using proximity beacons to tie the physical and virtual library spaces together in students' minds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the lessons learnt by the Library Services of the North-West University (NWU), Mafikeng Campus in North-west province, South Africa, with regard to extending library opening hours for 24 hours (Monday to Friday) during the November/December examination period in 2015. The student's call for 24-hour physical library services was part of the much talked about demand for "free quality education" coupled with the popular hash tag, #FeesMustFall. In the case of the NWU Mafikeng Campus, the protests began when students staged a "sit-in" on 20 October 2015, demanding that the library remain open for 24 hours. Management acceded somewhat to the student's demands, having considered the time lost when the campus was closed due to continued student protests. Although the students were demanding permanent 24-hour physical library services, management only agreed to open the library on a trial basis during the delayed examination period. The major lesson learnt was that students were not primarily in the library for library transactions, but rather to study in conducive environment despite the existence of a separate 24-hour study centre located in the basement of the library. This shows the need for the reconfiguration of the library's 24-hour study centre into a space that supports independent study. The article suggests that libraries should be able to support students if they recreate the library environment in their 24-hour study centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]