Establishing Library Learning Commons in Universities of India: A Case Study of BHU Library System

Traditional libraries have recognition as a physical space, as a physical collection, and as a traditional scribe in the era of industrial society and before. At present, the paradigm shift due to the advent of computer technology, information technology (IT) and information communication technology (ICT) has changed the way of information seeking, reading habits, learning methods, and even social connectivity and interactions of the society. Furthermore, these changes can be seen in the reading habits, information search, learning and teaching methods of students and faculty members engaged in higher education and research works. These transformations in users laid academic libraries to adopt new collections, services, tools and techniques, and more skilled staffs. It has also forced academic libraries to redesign their existing services, resources, and physical spaces with the addition of digital services, digital resources, and virtual spaces. All these tend to transform service delivery models and to reshape the reading areas according to the learning and reading habits of the users, especially digital native and net generation users. The Learning Commons (LC) is one of the new services which came into existence due to these transformations. Library Learning Commons (LLCs) are collaborative learning spaces in libraries for both students and faculties which provide a convenient, comfortable, flexible and more productive environment for learning, reading and research work. The purpose of this article is to provide a perspective on informal library learning commons developed in BHU Library System and to find the feasibilities to acquire new techniques and services to cope with the continuous paradigm shift towards the digital environment