Studio@Butler, a New Collaborative Space in Butler Library, Opens This Week


Studio@Butler is designed to support emerging practices in pedagogy and digital scholarship.  It is inspired by hacker spaces, maker spaces, meetups, and other arenas of collaborative innovation.  The Studio will support digital labs connected to Columbia classes, host training for instructors who are adopting new practices into their teaching, and facilitate collaboration between scholars, librarians, and technologists engaged in digital research projects.

“Studio@Butler is an exciting example of the Libraries’ active engagement with teaching and learning and leadership in supporting digital scholarship at Columbia,” said James G. Neal, Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian.  “It also represents an important, growing partnership between the Libraries and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.”

Located in 208b Butler Library, Studio@Butler is furnished with moveable tables, chairs, and a projector, and can accommodate up to 40 people.  While the Studio offers some means to capture ideas and techniques (white boards, video camera, microphones), users are encouraged to bring their own technology devices.  The Studio@Butler website offers a description of upcoming events, along with request forms for Columbia faculty and graduate students interested in scheduling on-demand workshops, researchathons, presentations, evaluations, and more.

Fall semester offerings include: hands-on labs run by pedagogy or research experts; informal gatherings for instructors to collaborate and share information; clinics for scholars interested in leveraging digital applications to build a scholarly reputation; and a range of seminars and workshops centered on pedagogy and research.

“The Graduate School is pleased to support Studio@Butler, which promises to promote innovation across disciplinary boundaries, provide a communal area for graduate students, and facilitate interaction among graduate students, faculty, and librarians,” said Carlos J. Alonso, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor in the Humanities.

For more information, please visit the Studio website or email studio@library.columbia.edu.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Teaching Center promotes best practices in teaching and communication within a fast-changing academic landscape. Administered by Columbia’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Teaching Center presents workshops, activities, lectures, and discussions that facilitate the cultivation of pedagogical skills. The Teaching Center also works in collaboration with Columbia research centers and institutes to assist GSAS students in integrating teaching, research, and scholarly communication. An overview of Teaching Center resources and programming is available on its website: teachingcenter.wikischolars.columbia.edu.

Columbia University Libraries is one of the top five academic research library systems in North America. The collections include over 13 million volumes, over 160,000 journals and serials, as well as extensive electronic resources, manuscripts, rare books, microforms, maps, and graphic and audio-visual materials. The Libraries employs more than 400 professional and support staff and hosts over 4.7 million visitors each year.  The website of the Libraries is the gateway to its services and resources: library.columbia.edu.