A Library of Design: Electronic Collections Inspire Modern Research Spaces

Abstract

The Xavier University of Louisiana Library Resource Center was built in 1993.  After Hurricane Katrina filled the library with 18 inches of water in 2005, its first floor was re-carpeted, its bookshelves refurbished and the reference room was returned to its original state.  In 2013, the Xavier Library began acquiring electronic resources to replace the majority of its print reference and print journal collections.  As more virtual resources were purchased, less shelving space was needed, inspiring Xavier librarians to seize this opportunity to create a more inviting library that students could use for research, gathering, and studying. This article describes how discarding items formally collected in print and currently collected electronically, gave new life to the research spaces at the Xavier University Library.