Type of Presentation
Poster Session
Conference Strand
Outreach and Partnership
Target Audience
Higher Education
Location
Common Area
Relevance
Explains how teaching and learning methods can be integrated into the library through the "third space" theory.
Proposal
Academic librarians are adept at teaching effective information seeking skills using innovative technology and instructional methods. However, students and faculty are increasingly seeking these resources elsewhere, or not at all. In fact, library usage, information literacy, and enrollment are all in decline. This is the reality many librarians, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities throughout the United States are facing in a post-covid world.
The question then becomes: How can the academic library reengage with students, increase usage, and champion information literacy?
Public libraries are addressing declining usage by embracing the theory of “third place,” a term first coined by a sociologist in the 1980s, meaning a space outside of home (first space) and work (second space) where people can find comfort and conversation. Rather than marketing themselves as the traditional book repository, public libraries are redefining themselves as dynamic hubs of information, meeting spaces, events, and access to community resources—essentially, turning themselves into a “third place” for their communities.
Considerable literature exists on how to apply the third place theory within public libraries, but less exists on how this theory might be applied to academic libraries. Academic libraries are poised to be a third space to students, as a neutral space between the academic pressures of the classroom and the personal responsibilities of home.
This presentation will define the idea of the “third space” and argue that academic libraries can and should redefine themselves as a “third space” for students and faculty alike, both physically and virtually. It will discuss what a physical and virtual third space academic library might look like, how information literacy can be factored into it, and provide practical tips using real world examples from academic libraries throughout the United States.
Short Description
How can academic libraries reengage with students, increase usage, and champion information literacy? By redefining themselves as a “third space” (or a space outside of work and home where individuals find comfort and conversation) for students and faculty alike, both physically and virtually. This presentation discusses what a physical and virtual third space academic library looks like and provides practical tips for academic libraries looking to reengage with students both on and off campus.
Keywords
third space, student engagement, information literacy, virtual library
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
White, Stephanie, "Embracing the Third Space: Elevating Student Engagement and Information Literacy in Academic Libraries" (2025). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 18.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2025/2025/18
Embracing the Third Space: Elevating Student Engagement and Information Literacy in Academic Libraries
Common Area
Academic librarians are adept at teaching effective information seeking skills using innovative technology and instructional methods. However, students and faculty are increasingly seeking these resources elsewhere, or not at all. In fact, library usage, information literacy, and enrollment are all in decline. This is the reality many librarians, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities throughout the United States are facing in a post-covid world.
The question then becomes: How can the academic library reengage with students, increase usage, and champion information literacy?
Public libraries are addressing declining usage by embracing the theory of “third place,” a term first coined by a sociologist in the 1980s, meaning a space outside of home (first space) and work (second space) where people can find comfort and conversation. Rather than marketing themselves as the traditional book repository, public libraries are redefining themselves as dynamic hubs of information, meeting spaces, events, and access to community resources—essentially, turning themselves into a “third place” for their communities.
Considerable literature exists on how to apply the third place theory within public libraries, but less exists on how this theory might be applied to academic libraries. Academic libraries are poised to be a third space to students, as a neutral space between the academic pressures of the classroom and the personal responsibilities of home.
This presentation will define the idea of the “third space” and argue that academic libraries can and should redefine themselves as a “third space” for students and faculty alike, both physically and virtually. It will discuss what a physical and virtual third space academic library might look like, how information literacy can be factored into it, and provide practical tips using real world examples from academic libraries throughout the United States.
