paper -
104 Creating a Technology Desk in an Information Commons
Susan
Hales, Bucknell University
Don
Rea, Bucknell University
Marcy Siegler, Bucknell University
Roughly three years ago, Bucknell University's
Computer & Communication Services department (CCS) and the Library merged
into a new department, called Information Services & Resources. One of the
results of this collaboration was the decision to create an "Information
Commons" on the first floor of the library - one place where people could
go for assistance with all of their information needs, whether computing,
media, or content-related.
The Information Commons was built around three service
desks in the Library: Reference, Circulation, and a new Technology Desk. The
Technology Desk is a combination of the CCS Help Desk (located in the computer
center) and Media Services (located in a wing of the library building). These
services were combined, expanded, and put in a prominent location on the first
floor of the library with the other two service desks. The Technology Desk is
now the front door to all technology services the organization provides,
interfacing with seven or more different functional groups in the department.
Adjacent to the Technology Desk we created a
Technology Courtyard, with 28 high-end multimedia stations with a large working
space for each station. These stations are targeted for two audiences: those
that need to do multimedia projects, and those who need space to work
collaboratively. Multimedia and collaborative projects are receiving increasing
emphasis from faculty in their assignments, and the Technology Courtyard is
designed to facilitate this kind of work.
In our paper, we will address all aspects of the creation of the Technology Desk. This includes the philosophy behind the Technology Desk, the design of the physical layout, the services that the desk provides, the staffing issues, communication mechanisms, policies and procedures, and the use of student employees. We will also address what worked well in this process, and what we would do differently if we had the opportunity.