Both Sides of the Coin: Supporting Postgraduates and Researchers in Dedicated Spaces at CPUT and Stellenbosch University

The idea of a space dedicated to supporting research at the university housed within the library is not a new concept. These spaces, often called Research Commons, have been written about widely in literature since 2008. However the impact of these spaces is something that, a decade later, warrants investigation as these spaces have also had to evolve to both meet clients changing needs and to reflect the new trends within libraries.

In South Africa, the Research Commons is a well-known concept within university libraries. Both the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the Stellenbosch University Libraries offer such dedicated spaces in the libraries for postgraduates and researchers to work in. This paper looks closely at these spaces in the two institutions, specifically looking at the commonalities of a research support space, both in set-up and use, from the perspective of a research intensive university and a teaching and learning focused University of Technology. In addition, the differences and suggested causes for the differences are also discussed, with a special reference to the evolution of these spaces from the time of inception until the current day. Particular attention will be paid to the actual usage and services of the different spaces.

This study, comparing the approaches to providing excellent spaces for postgraduates and researchers in the libraries of two different styles of University, will resonate both with librarians from research traditional universities, as well as Universities and Universities of Technology aspiring to become more research-focused.