Dezigner Students : Creating New Spaces

Ashika Pramlal

Guess, Puma, Nike, Gucci, Armani…these are a few of the fashion labels being worn by our students. What’s interesting is that this sense of style and flair for designer labels has extended to our students redesigning study spaces in the Library reflecting their personal needs. Academic Libraries worldwide have noted that there is a need to partner with students in redesigning libraries of the future. These refurbishments are a necessity in the 21^st century. Students at the University of KwaZulu Natal are playing an integral role in ensuring that UKZN Libraries change to meet their needs.

Students on Level 7 at the Westville Campus main Library

Students on Level 7 at the Westville Campus main Library

The University of KwaZulu-Natal Libraries has faced many challenges since the

 merger of the University of Durban-Westville and the University of Natal on 1 January 2004. The merger has reshaped the landscape of Libraries on all campus sites with the Westville Campus Main Library being no exception. The latest trend at the Westville Campus Main Library is the innovation and entrepreneurship displayed by students who have redesigned their study spaces showing a need to combine the past and the future. These changes are especially noticeable on Level 7 and Level 9 where students have moved study tables from their original spaces to be inserted between the book shelving areas.

UKZN students at the Westville Campus Main Library have clearly indicated that they want the current Library study spaces to be redesigned and have displayed their preferences by moving tables around. Daily I watch students on level 7 carrying tables and moving them to various spaces on the floor. Clearly, by redesigning and altering study spaces in the library, students are sending out a message to us that we need to honour the past and create the future so that UKZN Libraries can meet the growing challenges of our designer students.

Student on Level 9 at the Westville Campus Main Library

Transforming Academic Library spaces due to technological advancement and the digital revolution has made us relook at the physical Library in terms of meeting the needs of our enterprising millennial student population. Taking this viewpoint into account, the Westville Campus Main Library is rising to this challenge by redesigning various spaces in the Library. Some of the projects include redesigning the entrance with an informal lounge making sofas and coffee tables available for students. This is proving to be very popular with students as an informal meeting site to sit together with friends, use the WiFi and just chat.

Feedback from students to this changing space has been positive and it is always a

pleasure to see students at leisure enjoying the facilities.

Further to this, level 3 of the Westville Campus Main Library is being redesigned to create a state of the art computer LAN for all students as well as a Disability Information Centre to cater to the needs of differently abled students at UKZN. The Library has partnered with ICS and the Disability Unit to renovate and remodel this area and construction and remodeling has already begun. Students on a daily basis tell us that the current LAN on level 10 does not meet their needs and this is evident from the queues of students waiting to use a computer in the student LAN. Students are eagerly awaiting the level 3 LAN.

The Library and InQubate in conjuction with other stakeholders has embarked on developing a Student Business Incubator and this will be housed on level 11 of the Westville Campus Main Library. This area will be set up for spaces to develop student business centres as well as house a coffee shop. In keeping with transforming Academic Library spaces this will be a space for our enterprising students to show off their innovative business skills.

Taking all these factors into account, it is interesting to note that our students have played an integral role in reshaping and redesigning Library spaces as is evident from the structural changes and remodeling currently taking place at the Westville Campus Main Library as well as at the other UKZN Campus Libraries.

References

http://www.awarelabs.com/blog/coffee-shop-marketing-ideas-you-can-do-right-now/
Accessed on 7/4/2018 at 11H06 via Google Images

https://www.shoreline.edu/tss/computer-labs/default.aspx.
Accessed on 7/4/2018 at 11H12 via Google Images