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This case study aims to describe the renovations and intended functions for rooms; explain the different design approaches implemented for the different end-user populations; provide an overview of traditional, new and non-library services for which spaces were designed; briefly explain training and planning; and describe the spaces and services that function well and those that do not. Indiana University Libraries completed two significant renovations in late 2014. They renovated the Learning Commons, which is a 27,000 square feet (SQF) facility designed to meet the needs of undergraduate students, and they created the Scholars’ Commons, which is a 15,000 SQF facility supporting graduate student and faculty research.

Both spaces were thoughtfully designed to support new and traditional library services, as well as services supported by non-library units. Staff training and service planning took place during the construction process, with the goal of having outstanding services operating on opening day.

The goal of creating flexible space was achieved, but it presents organizational and staffing challenges. Libraries seeking to create multifunctional environments must consider the practical implications of daily operation and use of such spaces.

This case study describes two library environments that are in their first year of operation and the assessment of the use and impact is underway. The stage of the work limits the research to be reported upon.

The spaces described provide very practical information for other academic libraries that seek to renovate spaces and provide innovative services.

Academic libraries that are in the planning stage of a learning space should take note of the variety of spaces, strategies for working with cavernous spaces, use of natural light and “bring-your-own-device” interior designs. In addition, the service hub model implemented in the Scholars’ Commons is a unique approach for digital scholarship centers.

This paper describes the services offered in an information commons that primarily serves undergraduate students at a large research university. This paper provides background information on the implementation of a learning or information commons and describes the effect of the commons environment on reference services and environment and highlights the importance of a strong relationship between libraries and information technology providers in developing successful public services in an information commons.

This article describes the transformation of an Undergraduate Library into the Information Commons and describes the implications for library services in a public services partnership.

The information commons environment is one part of a library system that is evolving in response to and in anticipation of user needs.

This paper documents a successful partnership in creating an information commons that primarily serves undergraduate students at a large research university.

The partnering approach in developing an information commons can result in a cohesive suite of services that support students. The implications for reference services provide insight for other libraries that are planning information or learning commons.

We aim to understand what happens when larger social and cultural myths become the incarnate understanding of consumers within the firm. This paper uncovers the varied myths at play in one Finnish company’s status as an inadvertent cultural icon.

Through a qualitative inquiry of Finland’s largest dairy producer and by employing the theoretical lens of myth, we conceptualize the entanglement of broad cultural, social, and organizational myths within the organization.

Macro-mythic structures merge with everyday employee practice giving consumer understanding flesh within the firm (Hallet, 2010). Mythological thinking leaves organizational members inevitably bound up in a form of consumer knowing that is un-reflective and inadvertently effects brand marketing management.

Working through a nuanced typology of myth (Tillotson & Martin, 2014) provided a deeper understanding of how managers may become increasingly un-reflexive in their marketing activities. This case also provides a cautionary tale for heterogeneous communities where ideological conflict underscores development and adoption of contemporary myths.

Growing up in a small (l,000) Nevada town in the l930s and 1940s, I acquired a neophyte's sociological eye and sensibility, though, of course, not an analytical framework from which to make sense of that social world. The everyday life in that little town encouraged perception of subtle, but nevertheless very sharp social, cultural, economic, racial, gender, and class differences among its residents.

The present study aims to understand how a culture associated with proximity to the Mediterranean Sea transcends political boundaries fostering common values and beliefs across three countries.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Italy, Spain and France to assess similarities and differences between respondents. The qualitative data were augmented with the literature pertaining to Mediterranean identity, culture and the influence of contextual factors on its development.

The three geographically proximate countries all border on the Mediterranean Sea. The interviews revealed common cultural elements that transcend political boundaries suggesting that the common context fosters similar cultural elements. At the same time, there are important cultural elements that are uniquely associated with each country.

The geographic composition of the sample limits the generality of the results. By design, it focuses on three countries to limit other sources of variation such as affluence and religion. A sample across additional countries would have provided greater confidence in the results, although the selected countries are representative of a large portion of the Mediterranean area, especially in terms of values. Inclusion of respondents from countries with different levels of wealth, religious and political ideologies would likely uncover additional facets of Mediterranean identity.

A key implication relates to the extent that similar values and beliefs appear to cut across political boundaries suggesting the existence of transnational segments. It also suggests the importance of considering contextual factors when developing an understanding of consumer behavior.

The paper provides insights into the concept of Mediterranean identity, through an examination of the literature and respondents’ perceptions and attitudes about the sense of belonging and attachment to Europe, their country of birth and about being Mediterranean. The notion of a Mediterranean culture has been examined conceptually, but not empirically. This study begins the process of establishing the degree to which Mediterranean identity and the extent to which it exists across multiple countries.