The Ethereal Library: Thinking Creatively When You Have No Space To Think

Abstract

When a library loses its physical space (where we provide our community a place to work, interact with patrons and manage physical materials), it is not the end of the world. While the library does not always control its physical space, it does manage it’s “ethereal” space. This is where we connect with users, provide outreach, and where our value is revealed. And in the best case scenario, a library has these two spaces to operate from. As the University of Michigan’s Kresge Business Library went through a major contraction in 2014 (losing 80% of their space), they changed from a physical library to an ethereal one. Among the topics to be discussed are expanded reference, embedded librarian programs, and the adoption of new services that were possible and desired by the school. The presenter will showcase how you can move from a physical library to an ethereal one, while retaining services, people and your connection to the school.