Future Learning Centers: A Study on Libraries' Role Reorientation, Function Reconstruction, and Practical Innovations

Abstract

[Purpose/Significance] A future learning center (FLC), a ground-breaking novel education model crafted in response to the burgeoning demands of a rapidly digitized and intelligent society, will undeniably spearhead the new wave of intelligent construction in contemporary university libraries. As this evolution unfolds, libraries urgently need to clarify and solidify their roles in the meticulous construction of future learning centers. Doing so will promote vibrant knowledge exchange, robustly stimulate cross-disciplinary cooperation, and also guide and embolden libraries to proactively seize unprecedented development opportunities and to collaboratively face the emerging challenges ahead. [Method/Process] To comprehend the genesis and potential of the FLC, this research undertakes a meticulous examination of its foundational concepts, overarching objectives, inherent tasks, and structural framework. It delves deep into the libraries' pivotal role in nurturing these centers, especially through the lens of role delineation and functional metamorphosis. Gleaning insights from real-world examples such as the Beijing Institute of Technology Library and the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics Library, this investigation seeks to capture a snapshot of the current operational landscape, along with its associated tribulations and challenges. Through this way, the research hopes to chart a roadmap, offering invaluable reference and actionable guidance for libraries poised to embark on their journey of creating FLCs. [Results/Conclusions] The future learning center encompasses an intelligent learning environment that melds information services with learning and teaching support. Such spaces are poised to emerge as novel grassroots learning organizations underpinning evolution in learning techniques and the genesis of knowledge. Crafting these future learning centers necessitates a systematic approach, calling for collaboration from various stakeholders. Within this context, libraries serve dual roles as both initiators and active contributors. While libraries' involvement in developing future learning centers remains in nascent stages of growth, the core challenge lies in pioneering a human-centric model that harmoniously fuses space, resources, and services to offer students an enriched, tailored, and novel learning journey. As educational paradigms shift, libraries must capitalize on this momentum, drawing from their foundational expertise in intelligent library development, to resonate with the evolving criteria of talent development. Confronted with myriad challenges-ranging from role definition, conceptual alignment, and overcoming educational reform resistance to enhancing professional acumen and navigating spatial constraints-libraries are suggested to strategically assimilate educational assets, reconfigure spatial methodologies, and proffer intelligent solutions. They should aim at fostering students' proficiency in autonomous, participatory, and investigative learning through diverse resources. In essence, libraries should evolve into hubs for information services, focal points for student learning, and pillars for teaching assistance.

Keywords

• future learning center|digital transformation|university library|spatial construction