Innovations in Learning and Research

Libraries Continue to Transform Learning, Research, and Scholarship

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, will host a discussion entitled “Innovations in Learning and Research” on Sunday, October 28. Guest speaker Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and the Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of the University of Rochester (NY) Libraries, will talk about how innovative programs, spaces, and technology lead to transformational learning and research experiences for students and scholars.

Mavrinac underscores the importance of university libraries on college campuses. “The role of libraries will always evolve in relation to the context in which they exist—especially in an increasingly digital world—but they will always be the heart and soul of a university. With their unique and diverse expertise, collections and spaces, libraries provide transformational experiences for students and faculty to achieve their scholarly aspirations.”

Mavrinac should know. Since joining the University of Rochester in 2012, she has overseen the evolution of its campus library system, known as its River Campus Libraries. With 3.5 million volumes and myriad electronic resources, databases, and journals—including everything from a 15th century Thomas Aquinas book to one of the latest video games—the libraries provide scholarly resources, expertise, spaces, and technologies that help students and faculty hone their critical thinking abilities and expand their pursuit of knowledge.

During the discussion, Mavrinac will note some of the ways the libraries have grown and leveraged technology to advance learning and scholarship. For instance, the libraries recently opened Evans Lam Square, a vibrant “town square” for the university, providing:

· Easy access to librarians for research consultations;

· Comfortable seating to foster conversation and collaboration;

· Flexible areas for “pop-up” programming to showcase collections, student research and new services; and a

• “Tech sandbar” to encourage students and faculty to discover and use new technologies in their coursework.

Says Evans Lam, a University of Rochester alumnus from the class of 1983 and the Square’s benefactor, “Evans Lam Square is transformational and gorgeous. My wife, Susanna, and I hope that our support will lead to more interest and investment in the modernization of libraries in general.”

Lam worked in the library as a student employee, and spent many hours studying there as well. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Lam earned an MBA from the university’s Simon Business School in 1984. Today, he is managing director –wealth management at UBS Financial Services in Pasadena, California.

In October, the University opened its newest library space: the Barbara J. Burger iZone—a creative problem-solving space as well as a program and a community. It is designed to empower students to explore and imagine ideas for social, cultural, community, and economic impact.

Mavrinac says that at the core of iZone’s mission is that everyone has the power to solve problems that keep them up at night. She adds that iZone offers a variety of programs, workshops, and services to support students as they grow and explore their ability to make a difference in the world.

To learn more about the University of Rochester and its libraries, visit www.rochester.edu. For more about the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, visit huntington.org.