Innovation community: Constructing a new service mode for academic libraries

The purpose of this paper is to put forward a completely new academic library service mode called “Innovation community” in light of current information environment, social background and user demands. “Innovation community” is a mode especially suitable for academic libraries, aimed at supporting the cultivation of innovation ability, encouraging user participation, joint construction, interaction and communication, designing different theme communities and organizing supporting services and activities so that both libraries and users can become entities of independent innovation. At the same time, this paper seeks to elaborate on the development of ideas on constructing this new mode of “Innovation community” by taking the IC² mode and its auxiliary innovation support plan put forward by Shanghai Jiaotong University Library as a practice case.

The paper adopts the research methodology that combines situation analysis and theoretical explanation, model exhibition and case study.

It is found that “Innovation community” is a kind of library service mode especially suitable for learning and research groups with a demand for innovation. Under an e‐science and e‐education environment, libraries construct an environment and platform for promoting communication and cooperation and supporting interdisciplinary study and research innovation, and more effectively promoting knowledge discovery, research innovation and exploitation of tacit knowledge through individualized design and service of theme communities.

IC²@SJTUL, the practice case of “Innovation community”, has only constructed an environment at present, and the first term of this plan has not been completed. Therefore, evaluation of the actual operation effect cannot be made until later, and its actual effect has to be tested after a period of operation.

From a new perspective, this paper elaborates on the intention, elements and primary characteristics of “Innovation community” and studies a typical practice case.