This fall semester, Dominican University students will return to Rebecca Crown Library to find a myriad of academic services and study spaces in the newly furnished spaces of the Learning Commons.
The visions of the Rebecca Crown Library staff, Student Success and Engagement (SSE) staff, and stakeholders come to fruition in this student-centric project.
Originally proposed in the student commons plan, the new Learning Commons will provide centralized services including multi-purpose rooms, study places and social spaces.
Felice E. Maciejewski, the University librarian, envisions Learning Commons as a hub of student services ranging from writing tutoring to supports for student collaborations.
“Our hope is that students will take advantage of these services and find the resources and support they need to be successful” Maciejewski said.
In accordance with the services catered to students, the Learning Commons embed practical elements in all three levels of the library.
In the first or the main level, students can find support in the Academic Enrichment Center (AEC) and Disability Services, a student innovation center, library instruction room, the terrace-turned pavilion, and multipurpose study rooms.
On the second level, students can access more group study rooms and reading rooms.
And on the lower level, a recording studio to entice those with flairs for creativity.
In the online vision statement, the Learning Commons state a mission to embolden reflective, integrative, and collaborative learning. Most notably, the spaces advocate “de-stigmatize learning support services” through a vibrant and visible environment.
In the changing reality of COVID-19, Maciejewski notes that students should plan reservations in advance before using the space and maintain social distance, face mask wearing, and frequent sanitation as decreed by the Caritas Commitment.
The library will also quarantine circulated materials. Students will need to return books to the book bin outside the library. Library staff will quarantine the books received before returning them to the shelves. Maciejewski also recommend student to put any books they touch to the book carts near the aisles.
The Learning Commons have been undergoing phrases of renovation starting in December of last year. The construction is scheduled to finish on September 2020 with potential future refinements to the lower level and the South link.
