Library Spaces

Rebecca Johnson and Michael Kaminski

November 4, 2010

History

“Gone are the days of the formidable edifices that could have been construed as a prison or hospital as easily as a library.”

Toledo Pubic – erected 1890

Seattle Public

“Library as Destination”

“Library as destination” is a catchphrase used in recent years

Furnishings, materials, colors, and lighting are just a few of the design elements in a building that make it an inviting place to be

Low or No Cost Improvements

Interior layout - rearrangeSignageDisplayAdd color Weed

Interior Layout

A comfortable library is one in which materials and services are arranged in a logical manner and there is clear and consistent sign system.

Carol R. Brown

Interior Design for Libraries

Space should have a clearly defined purpose There should be clear traffic flow Resolve conflict in multi-use space

One Space – Different Needs

NoiseCalm

Popular materials Study materials

EntertainmentEnlightenment

Self-servicePersonal serviceGroup activitiesSolitudeLeisureLearning

Public libraries must provide a balance between the different expectations of the users.

Different User Expectations

There are different demands for various groups -materials, ambiance and scale

There can be antagonism between different user groups

Various groups may need physical separation such as adult, teen, and children’s spaces

Ask yourself: Who are my users? Does my library space meet their needs?

Layout Considerations User groups – Are large print items near audio

books for seniors? Are holds near the self-checkout machines for self-serve users?

Security – Does the staff have the ability to easily monitor and assist people in the children’s and teen areas? Are audiovisual materials in an area that can be monitored?

Noise – Place noisy areas such as the children’s area, circulation desk, and audio visual section together. Children should not have to walk through adult spaces to get to the children’s area. Study areas should be located away from noisy areas.

Self-Serve Users

Teen SpacesIn a series of focus groups held in communities across the United States between October 2006 and January 2008, teens were asked what they would like to see in libraries. The top ten common responses were:

1. More space for teens 2. A separate, distinct teen area 3. Comfortable furniture 4. Warm, welcoming environment 5. More technology such as computers and gaming

equipment 6. Teen-only computers 7. Areas for talking and socializing as well as quiet study 8. More natural light and better, “cooler” artificial light 9. More up-to-date materials such as graphic novels, music,

DVDs, popular books, magazines, and video games 10. Good signs that look nice and make it easy to find

things

Children’s Spaces

North Village Branch Library, Austin Texas

Seating in the Library

Are you serving groups, single users, or both? Do you need study tables, lounge, or single user

stations? There is increased awareness of and demand for

learning spaces within libraries. Seating numbers must be increased and seating for collaborative technologies and interactive learning must be made available

Signage

Good signage is simple, positive, and non-judgmental

Staff should not post a sign out of frustration An insulting sign does more damage than good and

can make library staff look out of touch Too much signage is visual clutter. There are

many messages that libraries need to communicate to their patrons, libraries need to be pay special attention to this idea.

No sign is better than a bad sign!

Library Signage on FlickrThe good…

St. Joseph County Public LibrarySouth Bend, Indiana

Estes Park Library Trail SignEstes Park, Colorado

…the bad…

Hand written sign No DVDs?

Do Not Reshelve

(see footnotes 1 and 2)

Keep it simple!

…and the crazy.

DO NOT CHEW… Library staff should proofread misspellings and unclear message (What will not longer be provided - the children or the headphones?)

Displays

Toronto Public Library - Dufferton St. Clair Branch Library

“Eyes tire after scanning a shelf and need a visual "break" every 18 inches and less full shelves are more attractive and easier to view than fully loaded shelving.” - Tish Murphy

Flexible Use of Space

“The fixed spaces and outdated furnishings of many libraries conceived in the 20th century were not designed for the mixed and flexible uses of the 21st century.”

Henry Myerberg

Keep Excitement High, Costs Low

Future of Library Spaces

“Increasingly libraries are being persuaded to be meeting places, people friendly, communal spaces, places to hang out, to get away from the solitude of computer use, and to enjoy a cup of coffee with others.”

Michael Dewe

Planning Public Library Buildings

Flexible use of spaces Better amenities – cafe, gallery space,

theater, and shop.

Flexible Use of Space

Few load bearing walls to accommodate unknown technologies of the future

The new infrastructures allow for movement of computers, stacks, and furniture – colorful partitions, partial walls, and shelving are used to separate spaces

Furnishings include mobile work stations, task chairs,

mobile shelving, interactive tables.

Side Note:Changing Discourse of the Library

Digital technologies should not be seen as a threat to libraries

Retooling library spaces to incorporate new ways of using technologies legitimizes libraries as purveyors of knowledge in the information age

Through architecture, the library “comes to speak the language of hybridity” to reassert its relevance and reposition itself

Better Amenities

Other Recurring Themes

Natural lighting or LED lighting (great reading lights, long life, low heat, low voltage fixtures, does not require hardwiring)

LEED certified buildings

Bibliography Impact Library Access with Bold Use of Color and Space. Clark, Rosey. Library Media Connection, Oct 2008, Vol. 27

Issue 2, p16-18.

Planning Public Library Buildings: Concepts and Issues for the Librarian. Micheal DeweAshgate Publishing, Ltd., 2006

Interior Design for Libraries: Drawing on Function & Appeal. Carol R. BrownALA Editions, 2002

Keep Excitement High, Costs Low Myerberg, Henry. Library Journal, Fall 2009 Library by Design Supplement, p14-15

Designing Space for Children and Teens in Libraries and Public Spaces. Feinberg, Sandra; Keller, James R. American Libraries, Apr2010, Vol. 41 Issue 4, p34-37

Signage: Better None Than Bad. Leah L. White. Amerian Libraries Magazine Online. 07/12/2010

Remodeling on a Budget American Libraries Magazine. Paul Signorell. Amerian Libraries Magazine Online. 04/12/2010

Managing Facilities for Results: Optimizing Space for Services. Cheryl Bryan. Public Library Association. American Library Association, 2007.

Library By Design Spring 2010 Library Journal Supplement

Library by Design Fall 2010 Library Journal Supplement

Teen Spaces, Second Ed. Kimberly Bolan 2008 ALA Editions, 2008

Lessons for Libraries from Retail Space Planners http://webjunction.org/space-planning. Tish Murphy. Accessed 11/1/10.

Information, Architecture, and Hybridity: The Changing Discourse of the Public Library. Teena A. M. Carnegie; John Abell Technical Communication Quarterly, 1542-7625, Volume 18, Issue 3, 2009.

Bibliography Cont. Esprit de Place, Demas, Sam. Scherer, Jeffrey. American Libraries April 2002. Vol. 33. issue 4 p.65-69. Three Perspectives on Libraries as Public Space. Leckie, Gloria J. Feliciter. 2004 Issue 6 p.233-6. In the Interims Cooper, Ginnie Library by Design Fall 2010 Supplement p.1-6. Library Space, the Next Frontier Crawford, Walt Online March/Apr 1999 p61-66 These Lavish Edifices Marsh Catherine. American Libraries Jan2007 Vol.38 Issue 1 p.50-53