Collections Are for Collisions: Let Us Design It into the Experience

We talk about collections all the time: how to build and share them; how to provide access; how to enlist the community in selecting; how to prove the value of collections; how to use collection statistics. We even talk about collections that are hidden and how to get rid of the ones we no longer need. What we infrequently discuss is how to get community members connected with the collections. A hot topic of conversation, particularly in the design of work environments, is how to create collisions that lead to good outcomes. In this plenary session, Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian at Temple University, shares insights into why we need to start talking about designing our libraries, both physical and virtual, with collisions in mind. If the whole point of collections is to facilitate interactions with discovery, research, and learning, then we have to come up with better ways to design it into the library experience.