Evaluating Group Use of the Information Commons

Evaluating the effectiveness of an information commons has been discussed in many venues since the concept was first implemented. The Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University confronted this same struggle. After two years of activity, the information commons had not been assessed to see whether the purposes for which it was planned were being fulfilled. This paper describes its first assessment. Measuring the number of groups who used the information commons over the period of two years, the assessment showed that indeed the commons is being used to a great extent for group work, one of the goals set for the creation of the information commons.