Library Café as a Place for Collaborative Learning -

Measuring the Educational, Social and Recreational Functions of University

Library Cafes A Comparative Study between the

University of Tsukuba, University of Hong Kong, and

the University of British Columbia

Allan Cho, University of British ColumbiaToycie Deng, University of Tsukuba

Overview

I. Study IntroductionII. Research BackgroundIII. Review of the LiteratureIV. Aims of researchV. Significance of ResearchVI.MethodVII.Discussion and RecommendationsVIII.Bibliography

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Study Introduction

• A café was once a place for refreshments, relaxation, and other recreational purposes, but there is now a trend towards collaborative learning amongst university students in academic spaces, including libraries.  In fact, an increasing number of both formal and informal learning activities are being carried out at the café, instead of inside the library building.

• Since a libraries and café’s are popular among users, it’s a natural starting point for the study of this academic subject and our exploring how space is used recreationally by young people (i.e. students).

 

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Research Background①

• Libraries are installing cafés in their buildings. (new buildings or carved out of existing space in present buildings)

Robinson, Charles W (2004)

• A great place for friends to meet for wonderful coffee drinks, sandwiches and salads has been the Library Café.

“Library Café Space Soon to Be

Available”(2012)

• Library Cafe is one of the system of food and beverage services of the library, which is not in the library but in the same building as the library.

Koli Chen, Jun-Lang Tseng (2011)

Library café is a coffee shop which installed in the same building in the library or near the library, and the place where people can take reading or conversation while enjoying the food and drink 。

The definition of library cafe

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Before the library cafe appears

• Traditional bans on food and drink consumption in academic libraries are gradually giving way , Davis, M. and Boyer, J. (1996) promote to change a less restrictive food and drink policy.

• George, J. S. (1998) investigated the percentage of food and drink banned in library, he proposed food permited to the library.

　　　　 People determined that library should provide a place for

users to enjoy food and drink.

Research Background②

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Research Background③Classification and Development of Library café Since the 1990s, the National Libraries began to set up library cafe

•The National Library of France (BnF)•The National Library of Czech Republic•The British Library•The Royal Library in Denmark•The Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL)•Lackawanna Public Library (USA)

University Library was trying to explore new spatial features for Library in the 2000s 

•Yale University Library•University of California Libraries (USA)•Victoria University Library (Canada)•Nanyang Technological University Library (Singapore)•Moravian University Library

library cafe users were increasing in the 2000s

•According to my Preliminary investigation, college students who use the library cafe for cooperation learning and self-study are increasing.

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• Not deeply consider the establishment of a library cafe 。

Challenged the traditional concept of "library" in the problem of food and drink , Submit a concept of the library café . （ William,1997)

• Not tied a library and a café toghter.

Analyzed each of the functions of the library and a café.

(Zheng,2010.Peng,2013)

• Only considered the function of the learning space, it does not reveal other functions 。

Analyzed the function of the library café’s learning space. (Yu, 2010)

Review of the Literature

It didn’t analyze the educational, social ,recreational roles of the library café together. 7

Aims of Research

• Identify the similarities and differences in the usage of library café amongst the students at these three different universities.

• Explore the educational, social and recreational roles of the library café.   

• Analyze student perceptions and learning opportunities for emerging practicing academic librarians, café managers, and library and information science scholars.

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To present the framework of the library cafe function 。

To raise a good example to other university libraries, provide support on the theory in the construction of the library café .

By increasing the number of users of the library cafe, an increase in the spread between the library users and the library space can be expected.

Significance of Research

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Method

Preliminary investigation

Object

•University of Hong Kong(HKU)

•University of Tsukuba(TKU)

Why chose the object of this investigation?

Method

•Interviews (10 people from TKU)•Survey(11 people from two universities)

① similarities .•Store - Starbucks•Location: located on the first floor of the university library buliding.•Similar situation of university libraries.

②Cooperation with these universities.

Purpose

Examine the usage of students of the library cafe, in order to create a questionnaire of the survey later.

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Investigation

Object　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

•The University of Tsukuba,•The University of Hong Kong• The University of British Columbia 　　　

Method •Face-to-Face Interviews•Questionnaire Survey

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University of Tsukuba Library Cafe (Starbucks)Opening Year: 2008Location: the first floor of the Central Library business hours:- Monday to Friday 8:00 to 20:00- Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 18:00

Subject of research

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Library cafe of the University of Hong Kong (Starbucks)Opening Year: 2012Location: next to the Central Library , the first floor of the Old Wingbusiness hours:- Monday to Friday: 7:. 30 - 22:00 - Saturday: 7:30 to 19:00-Sunday and public holidays: 10:00 to 19:00

Old Wing

New Wing

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① Due to the presence of the library cafe, students have improved the willingness to go to the library.

② library cafe is a special and necessary existence for the library user.

③ library café have some social merit. It can provide place for relax, rest, entertainment and surface, also including eating ,drinking and waiting.

Results of the preliminary investigation - interviews①

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University of Tsukuba

University of Hong Kong

Gender Male 3 3Female 8 8

Age Under 30 11 11Status Bachelor’s student/Research students 5 9

 Master’s student 6 2Major Library, Information and Media Studies 11 11

eg: When you need to do collaborative learning/group discussions with other students for assignments or research, where do you usually like to go?  University Central Library or other branch libraries  University Library Café  Learning Commons inside the University Library  Group discussion room inside the University Library  No preference Others

Results of the preliminary investigation - questionnaire survey②

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lyzQQON7pvFO3j9ybDJ6mxRojfe4uoXXUx8UyAjFah4/viewform

Basic Information

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Functions Questions (purpose)University of

Tsukuba (TSU)―11

University of Hong Kong

(HKU)―11

Educationalaspects

Study/prepare for tests/exams 0% 9.1%

Do assignments 0% 0%

Read essays or other scholarly literature

0% 9.1%

Collaborative learning/group discussions with other students for assignments or research

18.2% 9.1%

Prepare a PowerPoint presentation for a seminar

0% 0%

The percentage that students chose library café .

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Recreational

aspects

 Relax or take a break between studies 18.2% 63.6%

Use the Internet for entertainment purposes (e.g., online games, watch TV drama or YouTube)

9.1% 18.2%

Use online social networking tools (Face book, Apps, LINE, Twitter)

27.3% 9.1%

Do recreational reading (e.g., newspapers/magazines/novels/comic books, etc.

27.3% 44%

Social aspects

Meet/hangout with classmates or friends 18.2% 63.6%

Want to wait for someone near central campus

36 ． 3% 18.2%

 Go out on a date with your girlfriend/boyfriend

9.1% 18.2%17

For years, Starbucks saw itself as a “third place,” a social space between work and home

Food and Drink policies are lax in North American academic libraries

• “The Library permits food and drink, within reason, to be consumed at study tables and carrels.” –

UBC Library, Food & Drink Policy

Canadian Context – University of British Columbia, Canada

18Reference: http://about.library.ubc.ca/policies/food-and-drink-policy/

Canadian Context – University of British Columbia, Canada

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Questions (purpose)University of British Columbia

RecreationalStudy/prepare for tests/exams 1%

Do assignments 0%

Collaborative learning/group discussions with other students for assignments or research 1%

Educationalaspects

Read essays or other scholarly literature 2%

Study/prepare for tests/exams 1%

Social Meet/hangout with classmates or friends 1%

Want to wait for someone near central campus 3%

①There is a trend towards collaborative learning amongst university students; students prefer to create their own space for learning.  An increasing number of formal/informal learning activities are being carried out inside the cafe ,instead of the wide Library - what can we librarians learn from the library cafe, in order to attract more students to come to use the library?

②Is it necessary to put the library café inside of the library or put it near the library (as in the same building)? How should librarians to deal with the drink and food problem ?

③Are there cross-cultural implications between North American and Asian understanding and perception of the library café and learning spaces in libraries? Can we learn from each other?

Discussion and Recommendations

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Bibliography

1. Anonymous (2012). Library Café Space Soon to Be Available. Library Administrator’s Digest, No. 47,8, p.59.

2. Anonymous (2014). Library cafés. Library Administrator’s Digest, No. 49, p. 6.

3. Boone, M. (2004). Architectural The way ahead: learning cafés in the academic marketplace. Library Hi Tech, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 323-327.

4. Davis, M. and Boyer, J. (1996). The Endless Picnic: Changing Food and Drink Policies in Academic Libraries. ERIC, pp. 1-14.

5. George J. S. (1998). Managing Food and Drink in ARL Libraries. Association of Research Libraries, pp. 1-49.

6. Ilene F. R. (2002). Establishing successful partnerships with university support units. Library Management, Vol. 23 No. 4,5, pp. 192-198.

7. Jacobs, M. (2001). Speakeasy Studio and Café : Information Literacy ,Web-Based Library Instruction, and Technology. Information Technology and Libraries, No. 2,20, pp.66-71.

8. Koli, C. and Jun, L. T. (2012). A Study of Food and Drink Service in Libraries. University Library, No.15,2, pp.62-77.

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9. LaPointe, L. M. (2006). Coffee anyone? How marketing classes helped develop a business plan for a college library café. C&RL News, pp. 97-99.

10. Li, Y. (2010). 高校图书馆咖啡厅功能定位分析 . Tushuguanxuekan, No. 3, pp. 60-62.

11. Peng , J. (2013). 论当代新图书馆的特色与发展 . Art China, pp. 133-135. 12.  Primary Research Group, 2012, The survey of library cafés, Primary Research

Group, Inc.. 13. Robinson, C. W. (2004). Library cafés. Library Administrator’s Digest, No.

39,6, p. 47.14. William, P. (1997). Library Cafes: Next Logical Step (Salian Public Library,

Kansas). Library and Information Science Electronic Journal, Vol. 7, Issue.1.15. Zheng, F. (2009). 论图书馆与咖啡馆的多元化发展 . Library and

Information Services Supplement, pp. 21-23.

Bibliography

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Thank you!

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