Digital Scholarship Supports, Dissertation Defenses in the Libraries

I’m attending a new first for me, a dissertation defense in UF’s Library West. I’m familiar with departmental conference rooms as spaces for dissertation defenses, but this is the first I’ve attended in a library. This dissertation defense is in the library because it’s digital scholarship, and so needed a different presentation and display space than the traditional conference room with small/mid-sized screen. Plus, the larger space means that more people can attend, including colleagues from the libraries, and some have never attended a dissertation defense until now. We now have 20 people in the room, 19 in person and 1 via Skype, and the defense is about to begin!
When the Scott Nygren Scholars Studio was being created, we saw it as a collaborative space for the libraries across the libraries, across campus, and beyond. We didn’t immediately consider dissertation/thesis defense needs, but what a great opportunity and collaboration!  This is a really nice way to support the academic process, and to be part of the academic process.