Academic Library Director’s Experiences and Perspectives in the Changing Library Environment: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The changing library environment into the Commons in higher education has affected the academic library director’s role. This phenomenological qualitative study was to analyze directors’ experience of transforming the library’s traditional space into the Commons (2009-2019) through the analysis of data. Dewey’s theory of experience provided the framework for analyzing the reorganization in these libraries. It also provided the framework for the director’s responses to changes during the given period that uncovered evidence of any fundamental restructuring. The study is based on Dewey’s theory of experience. Dewey’s theory of experience ascends from two principles interaction and continuity. The experience of the situations can have a positive or detrimental outcome for the individual. Data collected and analyzed from the research revealed the library director’s experiences and perspectives concerning the libraries’ transformation from their traditional space to the Commons. The theoretical framework used for this study was social constructivism. It provided an opportunity to understand the essence of shared and personal meaning of directors’ experiences that varied and involved several elements. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used for this study to understand the experience of academic directors during a period of transition. The study examined the challenges of directors, the effects of library resources and services, library staff, and the students. The research design relied on the participants’ view of their situations, which resulted from the directors’ interaction with others and the process. Data collected was through semi-structured questions during open-ended interviews with directors. The findings may be useful for guiding future directors for transforming their library space into the Commons. Directors need to remain abreast of changes that directly affect how information is shared, stored, and communicated. The library has to support multiple learning modes to include social and academic modules. The Commons has emerged as a flexible space to accommodate social and academic needs.