Space Assessment as a Venue for Defining the Academic Library

Purposeful assessment of space for the understanding and improvement of the academic library is a relatively new area of inquiry. This essay offers a framework to consider different factors affecting such an assessment and insights for undertaking a meaningful inquiry about the relationship of space to an academic library’s evolving purpose as accumulator, service provider, and collaborative partner in learning and knowledge creation. The purpose of the assessment will vary according to the perspective of the library under examination. Paths for approaching such assessment include consideration of the assessment’s purpose, types of questions posed by it, data-gathering methodologies, and reporting strategies of results. These paths are useful to gain insights into the evolving role of the library and its contribution to the academic enterprise. Not surprisingly, the inquiry turns as well to changes in the identity of librarians as separate from the building where they work.