Meet the Innovation Commons: A New Sherrod Space
by Sarah Bull on 2024-08-21T14:21:00-04:00 | 0 Comments
Guests visit the welcome table
On August 7, 2024, faculty, staff and administrators from across the university gathered on the second floor of the Sherrod Library to tour the former periodicals area, now dubbed “Innovation Commons.” Since last year, the library has worked to reinvent this space as a multipurpose tech and creativity hub. It currently features an audio recording studio, a computer lab loaded with editing software, a makerspace, and a VR set-up. This technology is freely available to students from any major, whether they are interested in career exploration, digital design, sewing, or whatever else (we’re taking suggestions!).
The main, guiding principle behind the Innovation Commons is that it should be an area where any student can drop in and explore something new. If a computing major wants to try out the sewing machine, they are welcome to do so. If an English major wants to learn how to 3D print, there will be staff as well as student workers who can help make that dream a reality. This space is designed to make broadly available the technology and creative outlets normally only available to students enrolled in relevant programs.