M-libraries and Information Commons: new spaces, new practices

Abstract

Computational technologies have become increasingly embedded in the information, communication and education universe, bringing about the reconfiguration that this multifaceted universe is currently undergoing. In a synchronous movement, there has been the convergence of knowledge production, information demands and technological apparatus. Regarding the latter, we are witnessing the breathtaking development and continued improvement of mobile devices, which store and make accessible information at any time, any place. In this same moment, there has been a reconfiguration of physical spaces for research and knowledge access, as is the case for many public and university libraries worldwide, many of which are now called “Information Commons”. These spaces have been architecturally remodeled to optimize and enable more flexible quality interaction between users, technology and knowledge. In this context, the present article aims to delineate some foundational concepts and initiatives traditionally articulated in the sphere of Libraries for learning, which are now undergoing formidable transformations via their mediation by mobile phones, iPads, smartphones – to become M-libraries. We place these mediative transformations in the context of the aforementioned emergence of the Information Commons, as a perceptible trend for pragmatic and interactive contemporary libraries. We finally discuss the re-positioning of information professionals in the light of these current scenarios that are centered on information mobility.