Voices: Dan Gjelten

"The Information Commons at St. Thomas will not be a separate place or a subset of the library as it so often is on other campuses.  We understand the Information Commons in the largest sense – as encompassing the libraries and inclusive of a range of other academic services, creating an environment which supports teaching and learning in both physical and virtual space. 

The Information Commons will be unique in its blending of traditional library services and resources with the newest digital resources to provide a hybrid learning and community space.  It will create a new kind of teaching and learning space – a functionally 'unassigned' space where students can meet other students or faculty, where informal teaching can take place, and where group and active learning will occur.

It will reside in what is thought of as the 'heart' of the university – the library – attracting students and faculty to a 'village square' for conversation and the exchange of ideas."

– Dan Gjelten, Director of St. Thomas Libraries