Making Connections, Building Community

Abstract

In 2009, the University of Idaho embarked on an ambitious five year plan to redesign library space and build community through increased programming, intentional partnerships, and student engagement in the design process. Guided by quantitative and qualitative research in the form of LibQual, observational studies, and student surveys, librarians implemented incremental space redesign to create collaborative, inclusive, and community-based environment for social and scholarly pursuits. Librarians found that student-led initiatives were the most successful in building a community of library allies, aligning with the philosophy of the Communicative Commons, but also valued the related opportunities to partner with teaching faculty, student service organizations, and external campus partners. This chapter will seek to provide a balance of theoretical goals with practical steps for implementation, supplemented with examples gleaned from librarians' experiences in community building at the University of Idaho.