Input from students, faculty, and others has directly informed all renovation decisions. With user feedback as the driving force behind the renovations, the new main floor is set to reflect what the UW community wants.
In preparation for the renovations, the Renovations Team has solicited feedback in a number of ways, including through:
In collaboration with Walter Fedy, the Renovations Team coordinated a "visioning exercise" that involved students, faculty, and other members from the UW community. The exercise asked participants to vision "who we want to be at our best," deriving short and long term strategies from the responses.
Members of the Renovations Team conducted informal interviews with undergraduate and graduate students to find out what they currently like and dislike about the Library, as well as what services, equipment, and resources they would like to see more of after the renovations.
In addition to the above interviews, the Team also consulted with two students registered with the Office for Persons with Disabilities, who described what services, equipment, and considerations they would find useful in the renovations.
Students in Systems Designs 348 worked on a 6-week "mini case," providing the Renovations Team with informal ideas for the renovations, as well as accompanying drawings for how these ideas could look when implemented.
Members of the Renovations Team visited a handful of recently renovated libraries across Ontario, including two visits to McMaster University, as well as visits to Seneca College, the University of Toronto at Mississauga, the University of Guelph, and Wilfrid Laurier.
The Renovations Team attended the 1st Canadian Learning Commons Conference held at the University of Guelph in June 2006.
Students provided feedback via a main floor comment card survey. Surveys were conducted in summer and fall of 2007 and asked students to provide feedback on seating, study rooms, and equipment. The survey also asked students to describe what they currently liked about the Porter main floor, what they would change, and what they would like more of with the coming renovations.
The Team chair participated in workshop Uncommon Commons sponsored by the NorthEast Regional Computing Program that showcased examples of creative uses of learning commons spaces and resources.
Students provided input on the furniture layout in three areas of the main floor using to-scale floor plans and cut-outs of the intended furniture. Students were also asked to provide general feedback about the floor.
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