OU is one of only two universities nationwide selected as an “education futurist” for development of the OU Libraries’ NavApp and one of only 11 universities in the nation to be recognized as a leading organization in innovation.
OU Libraries also recently has been recognized as a leader for academic innovation for the Peggy V. Helmerich Collaborative Learning Center. In 2015, the New Media Consortium, a community of research and cultural institutions, awarded the Center – one of five – and the only American institution, as an example of excellence in rethinking library spaces. Additionally, the Peggy V. Helmerich Collaborative Learning Center was honored with the 2015 Great Inspirations Award for advancing Oklahoma’s creative economy by Creative Oklahoma at the 2015 Creativity World Forum.
“OU Libraries is one of the first educational institutions in the nation to adopt a navigation application for mobile devices, helping to ensure that students, faculty, staff and visiting researchers have ready access to resources,” said OU President Boren. “Technology, coupled with the new Peggy V. Helmerich Collaborative Learning Center, ensure that OU Libraries remain a robust, highly used resource.”
The Campus Technology Innovators Awards annually recognize exemplary colleges and universities, along with their visionary project leadership and technology vendor associates that have used technology in innovative ways to solve campus challenges.
The OU Libraries' NavApp provides turn-by-turn directions throughout the Bizzell Memorial Library, navigating users to resources, service desks, event spaces, and more, as well as guiding users to the libraries' branches and special collections. At each location, the NavApp can provide prompts to direct users to additional information.
“The NavApp helps alleviate the feeling of intimidation some people may have when first arriving on campus,” says OU Libraries dean, Rick Luce. “OU is a large campus, and the Bizzell Memorial Library is a seven-story building that has been expanded and renovated, which has created navigational questions for first-time visitors. The NavApp ensures that visitors are empowered to explore the library, knowing help and access to resources and services are at their fingertips.”
OU Libraries and the other Innovator Award honorees will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the 2016 Campus Technology Conference held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Aug. 1 through4, and will be featured in the July/August print edition of Campus Technology magazine.
The University of Oklahoma Libraries has its main office in the Bizzell Memorial Library, located in the center of the Norman campus. University Libraries comprises five locations and numerous special collections. University Libraries represents the collective knowledge of the university and provides research and study assistance to facilitate knowledge creation.
