Co-Creating the Commons: Campus Partnerships at the Heart of Two Library Space Design Projects at the University of Miami

Abstract

Over the last six years, the University of Miami Libraries has formed two sets of strategic partnerships with campus units in order to reimagine how it supports the university’s learning and research mission. These partnerships have played critical roles in the planning and design of spaces, services, and staffing positions. In the first case, UM Libraries is facilitating partnerships with academic service units in undergraduate education and other areas dedicated to student learning to create a learning commons on the first floor of the Otto G. Richter Library, the University of Miami’s flagship library. In the second case, UM Libraries is facilitating a partnership with the Office of Research to create a faculty research commons on the third floor of Richter Library. This case study reviews the development of strategic partnerships for academic library space planning and design, highlighting benefits, challenges, and lessons learned.