Library design - community access

Eagle Lake Elementary School, Eagle Lake, MN (Mankato School District) showing library entrance to the building.

Fewer than 25% of our community's households contain children who attend public school. Schools must market themselves as community assets, available for public use during the hours and days school is not in session.

Along with cafeterias, gymnasiums and auditoriums, school libraries are wonderful public spaces. Some of the techniques above (outside entrances, etc.) allow the library can used even when the rest of the school is closed.

Community groups ranging from adult education classes to clubs to Scouts to, well, to almost anything should think of the library as "their" space. In smaller communities, the computers in the school library may be the only access some adults have to the Internet and productivity software.

How do we make our libraries "community spaces?"