Welcome to the library of the future—you can write on the walls.
From the lounge—filled with family-style dining tables and modern bucket chairs— to the sleek metal lockers—each with internal outlets for charging electronics while storing them—The Edge does not sound like the conventional library space. And with its futuristic lighting features and rollaway furniture to be moved for optimal collaborative configurations, it does not look like a traditional library, either. But when students return from winter break, they will find the renovations to Bostock Library completed and The Edge ready for student use.
Students and faculty can officially begin using The Edge Jan. 5, 2015, and it will have a grand opening and reception Jan. 14.
When the first floor of Bostock Library closed for renovation in May, some students were skeptical as to whether the loss of study spaces for all of Fall semester would be worth the new space. But the $3.5 million project changed the face and functionality of the space, opening group and individual sections for studying or group collaboration.
“The Edge is going to be a social space,” said Aaron Welborn, Duke Libraries director of communications. “Hopefully, it will relieve some of the pressure at the Link.”
Particularly during heavy study times such as midterms and reading period, the Link and other study spaces throughout the libraries are full and students have difficulties finding spaces for collaborative studying, he said. The Edge is designed to supplement the innovative feeling of the Link—with the added bonus of natural light because it is not underground.
The vision for the new space grew out of a need for collaborative space that fosters innovation, said Brittany Wofford, interim librarian for sociology and cultural anthropology, who has overseen much of the renovation process.
Once it opens, the growing fields of “digital humanities” and “digital scholarship” will find a home within The Edge, she said.
“This will be a space for exploration,” Wofford said.
When students enter beneath the archway that connect the second floors of Perkins and Bostock, they will be greeted by a semi-circle of student employees who will assist in booking rooms and planning events in the space. These employees are just the back-ups, however, to the pre-programmed iPads mounted by the rooms indicating which options are available for use or reservation.
A hallway wallpapered with whiteboard-like material allows for students to take the creative process beyond their desks, and there are several glass cubbies designed for individual or small group study.
Although still four weeks away from opening, these spaces have already found themselves occupied by students who somehow slipped past the sealed doors. Claiming ignorance of the floor’s closure, the students were kindly asked to leave their study havens in favor of fighting for a space among the reading period crowds of Perkins.
An area designated as the “open lab” is composed of tables, booths and single-person study units—all on wheels. Wofford says students will be encouraged to move the furniture into the configurations that best meet their collaborative needs.
The pillars and walls that line this space are also created with the purpose of being written on, as is nearly 90 percent of the white wall space in The Edge, Wofford said.
Group project rooms in The Edge take on a slightly different feel, as some will be reserved by groups for a set period of time. Four small lock boxes in each room will be divided among groups that have a standing hold on the rooms—with the possibility of having a room for up to an entire semester.
Wofford said she envisioned these spaces being taken advantage of by groups within Bass Connections or student groups that are working on long-term projects. But not all of the rooms will be on long-term reserve. Others will be available to reserve for studying throughout the Libraries website or the iPads mounted rooms themselves.
In addition to the data and visualization lab that will be hosted on the first floor and a workshop room that can hold up to 70 audience members, The Edge will feature a digital studio. The studio will have software available for students to test that other areas of the libraries do not have access to. Students can provide feedback on which software should be added to the Library collection and request access to new software for test trials. The studio will open with access to Dedoose, Mallet, Voyant and a host of other softwares unique to the space.
But perhaps the most defining area of The Edge is the lounge. The kitchen area—designed to host catered events—and plush chairs give the space the feeling of a techno-café far more than a gothic library. A large table made of reclaimed wood has already been requested as a space for professors to hold round-table salons, and the overhead speakers have the option of connecting to an iPod. Two bookshelves, currently empty, will house books filled with information about software and digital innovation that can be freely read within the lounge space.
“We hope this becomes a space where students feel they are able to collaborate and learn together—in a very fun setting,” Wofford said.
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