Community-Based Learning Environments: Looking Back on Five Years in the OCAD University Learning Zone

Abstract

Now that constantly-evolving technology systems fulfill many of the tasks that used to occupy library staff, many academic and research libraries are exploring new ways to contribute to their institutions’ learning communities. The OCAD University Library’s Learning Zone is one of these experiments: an inclusive, open, creative space with the mission of enriching the student experience through collaborative, hands-on learning, meaningful extra-curricular programming, and useful training opportunities. This article examines the best practices and approaches Learning Zone staff have developed in the five years since the space launched.