Informal learning space: Digital Media Commons University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
The Digital Media Commons (DMC) in Jackson Library provides the space and resources for UNCG's students, faculty and staff to create and refine their multimedia projects, including web pages, digital images, digital video, digital audio, PowerPoint and more. Patrons can receive assistance selecting, using, and citing media resources, as well as consult with experts on the rhetorical, aesthetic, and technical aspects of developing and communicating their ideas through media.
From left to right: The Ottoman Empire; DMC User in Media Editing Suite; Presentation Practice Room
Features
Six Media Editing Suites - From left to right: The Ottoman Empire; DMC User in Media Editing Room; Presentation Practice Room
Four Consultation Rooms - Groups or small classes can sit around tables and view videos or documents on a large shared screen, with a remote keyboard and mouse. Multi-Literacy Center Consultants use these rooms to assist students with their digital presentation needs.
Group Study Room - Large space with white boards and network access for groups to work in quiet, or loudly without disturbing others.
Presentation Practice Room - Patrons can practice and record their presentations, then play back and critique the video on the big screen -- or save the video to a flash drive to view later.
Flex Seating: - Wide array of group and individual seating options are available to accommodate different study needs, including scheduled and impromptu classes.
Technology
The Digital Media Commons features twenty new 64-bit Windows workstations, each with dual monitors, and a full menu of productivity applications including Adobe Premiere, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Flash, as well as Audacity, Windows Movie Maker, Microsoft Publisher and the full Microsoft Office suite.
Also available are three touch-screen flat-bed scanners, which scan in hi- and lo-resolution, color, and black and white to multiple formats including PDF with Optical Character Recognition. Patrons can scan directly to Google Docs, their Gmail account, or a flash drive -- at no cost. Patrons may also scan directly to a printer for a nominal fee.
Staffing
The DMC is staffed by a combination of: Technicians from the University Libraries; Digital Literacy Consultants from the University Undergraduate Studies Program’s Multiliteracy Center; and Graduate Assistants from both the Media Studies and Library and Information Sciences departments.
Innovative features, uses
The Digital Media Commons is one of the most technology-rich collaboration spaces on UNCG’s campus. The DMC staff work closely with the Jackson Library technology lending program to provide patrons with video cameras and audio recording support. The DMC also provides high-quality group presentation space in our flex areas, informally dubbed “The Ottoman Empire” and “The Nook”. These two spaces have no fixed furniture, so can be – and frequently are – reconfigured to serve as temporary or impromptu classroom and presentation practice spaces.
Contact
Digital Media Commons
Lower Level, Jackson Library
P.O. Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
Phone: 336-258-1381
Email: libdmc@uncg.edu
Profiled by Armondo Collins and Richard Dilworth, Digital Media Commons, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro University Libraries.