Shawna Sadler
Associate University Librarian, Digital Library and Research Technologies
University of Calgary
John Brosz
Visualization Research Coordinator
University of Calgary
The Visualization Studio at the University of Calgary’s central library is a state-of-the-art secure room created to support advanced visual and audio research by faculty and graduate researchers. The Studio’s primary feature is a high-resolution wall that displays 34.5 million pixels, 6 feet high by 16 feet wide. This allows for insight and overview that is impossible to achieve with a desktop monitor or standard projector. The library had a new vision for service, where dedicated space and staff enable researchers to embrace digital research, collections and collaboration in new ways. This opportunity was supported by faculty members across the campus, which became the basis for their participation in designing the room, selecting the technologies and hiring the room’s manager. In two years of operating the Visualization Studio, researchers from various disciplines have had breakthroughs in the Visualization Studio, which has made it a valued asset on campus. This is a successful new service model for research libraries to bring unique value to campus. The presentation will include technical information, case studies, policies to enable success in the Visualization Studio and a concise environmental scan of similar facilities.