Monash South Africa opens new Library and Learning Commons

28 February 2007

A new three-story Library and Learning Commons building was officially opened on the Monash South Africa campus, on Friday 23 February 2007, by the Honourable ME Surty Deputy Minister of Education and His Excellency Mr Philip Green, Australian High Commissioner.

This new Library and Learning Commons building is the second of its kind to be opened on a Monash University campus over the past year – the first was on the Berwick campus in Melbourne which was opened in May of 2006. A third is being planned for the Monash Malaysia campus.

According to Professor Tyrone Pretorius, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Monash South Africa this building represents an investment of approximately R65 million. He added that: “The opening of this impressive new Library and Learning Commons building is a milestone in the development of the campus. It has been designed and positioned to be the focal point of the campus in the future.”

The idea of a Library and Learning Commons represents a different concept from the traditional library facility as it seamlessly combines traditional library services and IT services and resources, with a user-friendly learning and teaching environment. It is an area where students - when not in lectures or tutorials - will gather to research, learn, make use of student development services and socialise.

This facility offers an exciting range of new and improved services for users.
Among the revolutionary innovations is a “self loans” checkout facility giving users the ability to process their own library loans.

There are more that 100 new computer workstations with full internet access giving students access to on-line tutorials as well as the Monash on-line library - which subscribes to more than 300 electronic databases and over 12 000 electronic journals. There is also a discussion area with tables where students can sit and share ideas.

On the first floor a quiet study area has over 89 study carrels, two discussion rooms, three meeting rooms and a seminar room. On both floors there are photocopying facilities and soft seating areas where students can relax and read or chat in comfort.

Specialist staff will be available in the Library and Learning Commons to assist users with information searches and technology queries. Information on loans, resources services, services and accounts will be provided by a combined IT services and library and learning commons team.

The campus bookshop will be situated in this building and the Monash Student Association will have its own office and a student lounge facility. Other new facilities include indoor and outdoor eating areas to accommodate about 200 people.

Student support services located in this building include Student Development, the Centre for Language and Learning and the Monash South Africa Foundation Programme.

Importantly, this building also provides room for expansion into the future, although the Library and Learning Commons currently occupies two floors of the building, there is room for it to expand to the third floor as student numbers grow in the coming years.