Open Culture at the Heart of the University: Libraries as Multicommons (slides)

The university library can be reconceptualized as a powerful engine for open culture. A generative and regenerative center that naturally brings disciplines, cultures, and generations together, the university library can expand its role in open culture far beyond sharing institutionally-produced research and data through open repositories. Drawing on the experience of a public polytechnic university, this presentation documents the emergence of a university library as a system of open culture programs and as a place where a speeding culture can stop to dialogue, think, and create: generating collective interactive learning; fostering collaboration with open data; cultivating open conversations and learning communities; integrating open education into courses and informal learning; and furthering peer-to-peer learning. The presentation also introduces the topic of organizational learning about processes that invite community engagement.