In the last four years, the OSU Institute of Technology Library has undergone several interior changes as technology and the way students learn has evolved.

The OSUIT Library has completed a four-phase renovation project that saw traditional library furniture and layouts make way for more modern and technology-driven learning spaces.

Jenny Duncan, director of the OSUIT Library, said she and her staff have worked with workplace furniture company Scott Rice during the project to create different spaces within the library.

“They reached out to me recently to see if they could host an open house, and I loved the idea, particularly since the library looks very different from what it did when I arrived 14 years ago,” Duncan said.

The open house will be Thursday, Sept. 21, from 2 to 4 p.m. with light hors d’oeuvres and drinks. There will also be a short presentation on how space impacts student success conducted by Steelcase Education, a company that partners with Scott Rice, at 3 p.m. in The Center.

“Libraries have gone from information-centered to user-centered over the past several years,” said Duncan, so four years ago she reached out to Scott Rice with the idea of rethinking and recreating different spaces in the OSUIT Library.

“Information can now be accessed much easier than before and learning can take place essentially anywhere; therefore we wanted to create spaces that allowed for a more learner-centered space that is an extension of the classroom— a space for exploration, collaboration and discussion,” she said.

The library now has computer pods that are more conducive to collaborative learning, Duncan said. There are also Brodys, mini work lounges that provide a more private space for students to read, study or work on a laptop.

“Our library is fairly small so we’ve tried to create different spaces to reflect different types of learning,” she said, and hopes through the open house that those on campus will see the options and opportunities available to students at the library.

“Faculty and staff are essentially our best advocates. They are with students every day, and if they know what the library has to offer, they can pass that information on to students,” she said. “I also see it as a collaborative effort. If we know more about what and how they are teaching, then we can create spaces around that as well.”