Session Number
10
Description
An active embodiment of the concept of the Civic University, The Hive in Worcester is the UK’s first fully integrated public and university library. This paper will explore the partnership and dialogic approaches that led to its creation and subsequent success and examine to what degree Calhoun’s assertion that universities should “educate citizens in general, to share knowledge, to distribute it as widely as possible” has been fulfilled and whether that has resulted in a contribution to the public good. To do this I will explore the literature of the public good of universities and the civic university. This alongside customer data, and staff and customer feedback gained from 7 years of service delivery and public engagement at The Hive. It can be shown that through dialogue and partnership, significant beneficial outcomes in relation to health, learning and employability have been experienced by all our communities, including the students of the University of Worcester and the wider community of staff, volunteers and customers. The Hive is more than a bridge between the university and society. It puts them in the same space, in dialogue with each other, bringing communities and knowledge together for mutual good.
Included in
The Hive: A Love Story or When Two Libraries Become One
An active embodiment of the concept of the Civic University, The Hive in Worcester is the UK’s first fully integrated public and university library. This paper will explore the partnership and dialogic approaches that led to its creation and subsequent success and examine to what degree Calhoun’s assertion that universities should “educate citizens in general, to share knowledge, to distribute it as widely as possible” has been fulfilled and whether that has resulted in a contribution to the public good. To do this I will explore the literature of the public good of universities and the civic university. This alongside customer data, and staff and customer feedback gained from 7 years of service delivery and public engagement at The Hive. It can be shown that through dialogue and partnership, significant beneficial outcomes in relation to health, learning and employability have been experienced by all our communities, including the students of the University of Worcester and the wider community of staff, volunteers and customers. The Hive is more than a bridge between the university and society. It puts them in the same space, in dialogue with each other, bringing communities and knowledge together for mutual good.