The Auraria Library (which serves the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver and the Community College of Denver) collaborated with the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado to offer a studio course called "Reinventing the Auraria Library." The students worked with data provided by the library to produce designs that would help renovate the building originally designed by Helmut Jahn. Campus and schol planners, the original designer of the Auraria Campus Jacques Brownson and other local architects became involved. This created momentum behind the idea to actually renovate the library. It was an inspirational experience for all involved.

1. Students Help Redesign the
Library:
Auraria Library and the University of Colorado
School of Architecture and Planning
Meg Brown-Sica
Associate Director of Technology Strategy and Learning Spaces
Auraria Library
Rick Petersen, AIA,LEED AP
UCD Architecture and Planning Lecturer
OZ Architecture

3. Inspiration

5. Erika Rogers
Erika Rogers is a retired Professor of Computer Science at California
Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA, and the former Director
of the Cal Poly University Honors Program. She is currently doing research
and consulting through ChezVous Technology. Her background includes a BA
in French from University of Western Ontario and a BMath in Applied Math and
Computer Science from University of Waterloo. She received her Masters in
Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology in the area of
Computer Graphics, and completed her Ph.D. at Georgia Tech in the area of
Artificial Intelligence.

6. Research Workshops Summer
2009
• Data Collection Studio I
• Data Collection Studio II
• Participatory Action Research Workshop
• Data Analysis Studio

7. "Essentially Participatory Action Research (PAR) is research which involves all
relevant parties in actively examining together current action (which they
experience as problematic) in order to change and improve it. … Participatory
action research is not just research which is hoped that will be followed by
action. It is action which is researched, changed and re-researched, within the
research process by participants. Nor is it simply an exotic variant of
consultation. Instead, it aims to be active co-research, by and for those to be
helped. Nor can it be used by one group of people to get another group of
people to do what is thought best for them - whether that is to implement a
central policy or an organizational or service change. Instead it tries to be a
genuinely democratic or non-coercive process whereby those to be helped,
determine the purposes and outcomes of their own inquiry."
- Wadsworth, Y. (1998)

8. Placemaking:
The Project for Public Spaces

9. Learning Landscapes Project
Bambi L. Yost

13. Research

15. 60%
Furniture Preference
% Prefer Furniture
51% (Prefer = rating of 8 or higher)
50% 48%
42%
40%
32%
30%
22%
20%
10%
0%
Soft Lounge Group Study Booths Flexible Modular
Floor
Half of all patrons prefer Soft Lounge Furniture, followed closely by Group Study
Furniture.
Among those who prefer the Soft Lounge Furniture, half also indicated that they
linked the Group Study Furniture equally well.
There is no difference in furniture preference based on technology used by patrons
or class requirements (e.g. group study).
Follow-up questions should determine furniture preference by floor of the library (first
or second) or activity (individual study, group study, café use, etc).

16. Technology Used
100%
88%
90%
80% 77%
70%
60%
50% 47%
40% 34%
30%
21% 21%
20% 15% 13% 12%
8%
10% 5%
0%
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88% of all survey respondents use a laptop.
Of those who use a laptop, over 80% also use a cell phone, Smartphone or PDA.
Those who use a Smartphone are more likely to also use other technology, such as
scanners, audio devices, and video equipment.

17. Potential Services
80%
73%
Offered
70%
59%
60% 55% 54%
50%
43%
39% 38%
40%
31% 29% 28%
30% 25% 24%
18%
20%
10%
0%
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Almost three-fourths of all survey respondents would like to have more laptop plug-
ins available.
Those who would like a Writing Center were significantly more likely to also want
Tutoring services.
Follow-up questions should determine preference for services based on age, student
type, frequency of use, etc.

18. Class Requirements
90%
80%
73% 71%
70%
60%
50%
39%
40%
32% 32%
30% 24%
20%
10%
0%
Group Presentations Audio/visuals in Use of citation Statistical Use of social
work/study assignments software analysis applications
Of those who engage in group work/study, 87% also give presentations in their
classes.
For students in classes that require presentations, they were not more likely to want
a presentation practice area in the library than other students.

19. Favorite Study Location
• Favorite Location for Studying • Why Favorite
The Auraria Library is the preferred
Reasons for choosing a favorite
location for study and research among
respondents. study/research location include:
One-fourth of respondents specifically Less noise
mentioned the 1st floor of the library. Availability of computers
Good Lighting
120 160
107
137
140
100
120
80
100
59
60 80
60 49
40
40
26
20 16 14 12 16
20 10
5 7
0 0
Auraria Home Computer Study Restaurant Office Less noise Computers Light Space to Coffee Electrical
Library Lab Room available spread out available outlets

20. Technology Needs for
Group Study
Open-ended Question
No other technology 4
Scanner 1
Printers 2
Computers 3
Specialized Software 3
Whiteboards 5
Electrical outlets 5
Wireless Access 8
Projector/Monitor 12
count of responses
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Respondents are most interested in having a projector available for group study
sessions.

21. Desirable for Group
Study Average Rating
1=least desirable, 12=most desirable
12
9.9
10 9.3
8.4 8.1 8 7.9 7.6
8 6.9
5.7 5.5
6
4.5
3.7
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Respondents gave the highest rankings for Laptop Plug-ins and Closed Rooms.

22. “Re-Imagining the Auraria
Library”

24. Kickoff Meeting
• At the Library
• Invited the Original Library Planner
• Invited Campus and College Planners
• Toured the Library
• Presented Data

26. Auraria Library Program Essentials
and Design Priorities

27. Auraria Library Program Basics
• Learning Materials Collection
• Access and Discover Library Resources
• Learning Spaces and Computer Resources
• Services for People with Disabilities

28. Auraria Library Facility Design
Priorities
• Library as Service
• Library as Resource
• Library as Place

29. Architecture Student Work

30. Precedent Studies

35. Programming

36. Student Proposals