ABSTRACT
Libraries by design have been centres for collecting and archiving of published knowledge and consequently for personal study and learning. The library has always been a key part of the university and a place usually for quiet and solitary study amongst the collections of the printed word. This chapter focuses on the development towards informal learning spaces at Carleton University, a mid-sized Canadian university, located in the Ottawa, Ontario. The main learning space was a large open floor area, with good natural light from a side of windows and on the other side of the space were the three rooms. One important point of note is that the renovated library and especially the Discovery Centre did stimulate more of a discussion on campus about learning spaces and the development of different types of learning spaces. The linking with the Teaching and Learning Centres to study the impact and efficacy of the informal learning spaces will grow.
