Before a project becomes a podcast, poster, video, 3D object, or digital story, it often begins as something less defined: a research question, a sketch, a file, a fragment of sound, or an image waiting to be clarified.
At the University of Miami Libraries Creative Studio, part of the Learning Commons at Otto G. Richter Library, students, faculty, and staff find tools, instruction, and guidance to move their work from inquiry into creative practice.
The Creative Studio provides consultation in digital audio, video, graphic design, web development, image creation, printing, 3D printing, equipment lending, and specialized creative software. That includes guidance with Adobe Creative Cloud applications, a suite freely available to University of Miami students and employees for creative, academic, and professional work.
More than a technology service, the Creative Studio is a place where students can experiment with new forms of communication and receive help as their projects develop.
“At the Creative Studio, we support students, staff, and faculty with multimedia and audiovisual projects, whether they are beginners or more experienced creators,” said Vanessa Rodriguez, head of the Creative Studio. “A traditional paper is not always the most effective way to communicate an idea. We ask what they are trying to create and what they want to communicate, then guide them through that process with our resources and services.”
The Creative Studio is one of several services within the Learning Commons, a hub for academic support conveniently located within Richter. Through the Learning Commons, students can connect with expertise and programming from the University Libraries and campus partners, including the Camner Center for Academic Resources, Academic Technologies, the Writing Center, the Math Lab, and others, including offerings for mindfulness and well-being.
“The Learning Commons brings together services that students often need at the same time: research support, writing, tutoring, technology, spaces for collaboration,” said Jose Rodriguez, director of Access Services and Learning Commons. “The Creative Studio adds an important creative dimension to that work by helping students move from ideas and assignments into digital, visual, and multimedia projects.”
In that setting, the Creative Studio functions as the Learning Commons’ “create” area, a center for creative and multimedia work. Its services extend beyond Richter Library to include the Weeks Music Library, the Rosenstiel School Library, and the Architecture Research Center, making creative technology support available to students working across different academic settings.
The Studio’s work is grounded in both staff expertise and peer support. Its team brings experience in media production, emerging technologies, XR, design, and consultation. Creative consultants (current student assistants) contribute perspectives from fields such as architecture, health sciences, interactive media, public relations, and marine biology. That range of backgrounds reflects the variety of projects that come through the studio, from class presentations and podcasts to digital stories, printed objects, and multimedia research assignments.
Equipment lending is one entry point into that work. Current University of Miami students and employees can borrow multimedia equipment from several library locations, and consultations help users determine which tools best fit the project in front of them. A camera, microphone, tripod, or recorder may be the starting point, but the work often continues through editing, design, printing, or presentation.
The Creative Studio also supports instruction, workshops, student tutoring, virtual consultations, and project-based learning. Those services respond to a familiar reality across disciplines: students are often asked to communicate research and coursework through media as well as writing. A research project might become a short documentary. A class assignment might take shape as an exhibition poster, podcast, digital story, or 3D object.
Vanessa Rodriguez’s work with the Creative Studio also connects to a larger conversation taking place across academic libraries.
She is one of five co-authors of “A Complete Guide to Creative Technology Spaces in Academic Libraries: Media Labs, Makerspaces, and More,” published in 2025 by ALA Editions in collaboration with Core Publishing. Written for libraries developing, expanding, or sustaining creative technology spaces, the guide covers topics such as recording studios, makerspaces, gaming labs, extended reality studios, data labs, equipment circulation, accessibility, staffing, instruction, policies, budgeting, and long-term planning.
The book was co-authored by Emily Thompson, Vanessa Rodriguez, Eric Johnson, Kelsey Sheaffer, and Oscar K. Keyes. For Vanessa, the publication reflects work that is both local and international. At the University of Miami, she provides instruction in multimedia software, hardware, copyright, design, and emerging technologies, and teaches Introduction to Visual Design in the School of Communication. She also serves as librarian liaison to the Department of Interactive Media and manages library collections related to interactive media, graphic novels, and video games.
At the Creative Studio, that expertise remains close to the daily needs of students. Someone may arrive with a file that will not export, a poster that needs refinement, an audio recording that needs cleanup, or a project idea that needs a path forward. The work is practical, but it is also exploratory.
By bringing together technology, instruction, and human guidance, the Creative Studio helps position the Libraries as a place where research can move beyond the page and into forms that can be seen, heard, tested, and shared.
