The Media Commons, http://www.library.illinois.edu/mc/ is located on the north and east side of the upper level of the Undergraduate Library, is a collaborative campus effort that provides students, staff, and faculty opportunities to experiment with emerging technologies, with expanded opportunities to learn of best practices in educational technology. In addition to a robust loanable technology program, the Media Commons is a service space that offers faculty, students, and users the ability to create, disseminate, use, and curate digital media. The goal is to meet the need for broad access to media creation tools, information technology training in multimedia hardware and software, and instruction in media literacy.
The Media Commons opened in 2013 and began as a Partnership between The Library and Technology Services, with support from the Library IT student fee program to provide faculty, students and staff a space to create digital media projects.
- For faculty and staff, it is a space to discover effective ways to integrate digital media into their curriculum and to demonstrate to their students the equipment and techniques used by professionals.
- For students it is a space to facilitate the creation of both basic and advanced projects and to explore creative ideas.
Support is the cornerstone of this endeavor. Technology alone is not enough. The Media Commons provides support and education using either an individual’s media and technology or equipment available through the Media Commons or the Undergraduate Library. Current technology support offered in the Media Commons and video production studio is provided by the combined efforts of Media Commons staff, staff from Technology Services, and other technology partners from around the campus.
An important mission of The Media Commons is to help train and educate those affiliated with the University on techniques and best practices for creating and editing video, as well as the basic usage and implementation of production studios.
Space: The large open area is 11,000 square feet, the Video Production room 295 is 530 square feet
Media Commons in the News/Publicity
- Fall 2016 The Library, Emerging Technology… and a Monastery (featuring Eric Kurt of the Media Commons) Library Friendscript https://www.library.illinois.edu/friends/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/FriendscriptV38N1.pdf
- August 28 2016 UI Library system has so much more to check out than books by Julie Wurth of the News Gazette http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2016-08-28/ui-library-system-has-so-much-more-check-out-books.html
- April 29, 2016. An Interview with Eric Kurt, a podcast about the Media Commons from CARLI (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois. https://www.carli.illinois.edu/products-services/contentdm/ccc-podcasts
- July 5, 2015 The best study spots on campus by Steffie Drucker https://dailyillini.com/special-sections/2015/07/05/the-best-study-spots-on-campus/
- February 28, 2015 University Library sees less physical borrowing, more online usage, by Jason Smith. http://dailyillini.com/news/2015/02/28/university-library-sees-less-physical-borrowing-more-online-usage/
- July 26, 2014. Get the most of C-U on a student’s budget by Sarah Soenke https://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2014/07/26/get-the-most-of-c-u-on-a-students-budget/
- June 30, 2014 by Abrar Al-Heeti Undergraduate Library Renovations Underway http://dailyillini.com/news/2014/06/30/undergraduate-library-renovations-underway/
- April 22, 2014 “An abecedarian amble through C-U: R is for reference librarian. Smile Politely article by Cope Cumpston. Quite away done on the page is a section by Dan Tracy which highlights the Media Commons http://smilepolitely.com/culture/an_abecedarian_amble_through_c_u_r_is_for_reference_librarian/
- March 3, 2014. “Library Tip of the Month”, University of Illinois Library, featuring the Media Commons Library Tip of the Month Media Commons
- February 20, 2014 New Media Commons studio opens, provides professional audio equipment https://dailyillini.com/news/2014/02/10/new-media-commons-studio-opens-provides-professional-audio-equipment/
- September 4, 2013. Media Commons expands to include video, audio studios. http://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2013/09/04/media-commons-expands-to-include-video-audio-studios-2/
- June 20, 2013 Media Commons is library’s latest big production by Mike Helenthal Inside Illinois (Illinois New Bureau) https://news.illinois.edu/blog/view/6367/209406
- March 15, 2013 Undergraduate Library opens professional video production studio http://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2013/03/15/undergraduate-library-opens-professional-video-production-studio/
- February 22, 2013. UGL and CITES provides more loanable technology, support for students https://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2013/02/22/ugl-and-cites-provides-more-loanable-technology-support-for-students-3/
- December 2012 Chancellors Season’s Greeting video done in Media commons Click here to watch the video
- September 5, 2012. Illinois library services start building new media centers, by Steven Vazquez.. http://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2012/09/05/illinois-library-services-start-building-new-media-centers/ Includes information about mobile apps developed at the UGL and the creation of the Media Commons.