Enhancing the Teaching and Learning space at the Auraria Library with a large scale Digital Wall

Document Type

Conference Presentation

Conference Title

Re-think it: Libraries for a New Age

Organization

Grand Valley State University

Location

Allendale, MI

Conference Dates

August 10-12, 2015

Date of Presentation

8-11-2015

Abstract

A trend is emerging in large-scale visualization and digital wall installations in academic libraries, typically offering an image resolution and size not commonly seen with standard projection systems. Drawing inspiration from Google’s Liquid Galaxy and video walls at some of the academic libraries, Auraria Library designed and installed the Discovery Wall, a unique large-scale video wall, in December 2013.

The Discovery Wall was originally developed to showcase and disseminate academic content created by the three institution on Auraria campus; University of Colorado of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the Community College of Denver. Over the past year and a half, use of the space has evolved to encompass a much broader scope of activities. The Discovery Wall has been leveraged by campus faculty for formal teaching activities and utilized by student organizations as a technology-enabled meeting space. The library’s central location on a diverse, urban, and tri-institutional campus positions it as a neutral space to host community-building campus events. In addition to acting as a teaching and meeting space, the Wall area has been used by campus organizations to hold events, including international guest speakers and film screenings. In this context, the Discovery Wall functions as an agnostic space that encourages faculty and student interaction among the three institutions on the campus.

The presentation will discuss Auraria Library’s approach to implementing a video wall with moderate budget and staffing resources—completed on a more conservative, albeit impactful scale compared to other visualization initiatives in higher education. It will examine the challenges inherent in technology selection, staffing, programming, and evaluation of such emerging, innovative spaces in an academic library setting.

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