Library design - flexibility and the future
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 07:30PM 
A computer lab on the floor of Dakota Meadows Media Center, supported by in floor computer wiring and electrical outlets.
Red indicates under-floor conduit though which wiring can be run through the floor or the library.
About the only safe prediction about the future is that technology will change. Resources will change in format. Learning activities will change. Good school library design dictates that spaces are designed to be as flexible as possible. Running plenty of conduit and putting electrical outlets through spaces are still good practice. Try to place classrooms or other spaces adjacent to the media center so that they can be incorporated into the library if space needs increase. Or try to make sure there is an outside wall where an addition can be built if necessary.
At the same time, it's a mistake to design for technologies that do not yet exist, no matter how tantalizingly close they appear. E-books are not replacing print materials at this time. Wireless network access remains too slow, insecure and unreliable to replace Ethernet. Presentations are still given in physical space as well as virtually.
This "design principle" is probably the most important, but most difficult to practice. How have you seen library spaces made flexible and future-friendly?
Reader Comments (7)
Doug:
Excellent guidelines -- but how do you convince princiPALs to follow these princiPLEs?
OK, OK. I fixed it. I was in a hurry to finish so I could watch Jon Stewart. Thanks for the gentle hint.
How do you get your princiPALs to do anything?
I've generally found incriminating photos to work best.
Thanks, Alice.
Doug
Doug,
I'm no expert, but one thing we did was listen to a point a parent on our Vision committee made--"future proof" your spaces.
So a few things we did to accomplish that--we created a few "moveable" walls in our library--with big wide glass doors or sliding doors so that we could open up labs and make them part of the library in the future(or present) or close them for other uses. We created some small spaces for production work, or studying or students to gather--and larger spaces. We built the front wall of the computer lab glass, so if we don't need a separate lab some day, the wall would be easy to move.
We didn't buy any "specialized" shelving designed just for one thing, like dvds, because what if we have all digitized things a year from now--then that shelving would be useless.
We also tried to use some green materials and be a good role model for the campus.
We also put in as much power as possible, because it seems like no matter what, we're headed for more devices carried by students and most likely for the near future, they'll need to be charged.
The last thing was we're trying to rethink the signage so it's more student friendly and less "Dewey-ish," less of a barrier, so to speak, and more bookstore like.
But you are right that it's terrifically hard to predict too far out. So we just tried to design a flexible, relaxing, comfortable gathering and learning space for students.
Thanks, Carolyn. These are great ideas - and practical.
The librarian and tech staff had our "focus" group meeting with the architects yesterday. I hope they will listen to our requests/ideas. When I presented my "principles of library design," one fellow sort of sniffed and said, "All these ideas have negatives associated with them too."
The real secret, I believe, in a successful design is mutual respect between the architect and the people who have expertise in the functions of the spaces. What's that called - synergy?
Well, I've managed to survive the design process for new schools and libraries a half dozen time and felt proud of the end results. I am sure we will get a great facility in the end.
Thanks again for the ideas,
Doug
Doug,
My experience was that we had to work out the relationship piece as we worked together. And you are right that the professional working relationship and trust is really key to getting the design you want.
Sometimes one is lucky and it begins that way, and sometimes that trust has to be "earned." But it is really key.
I also find it somewhat astonishing still how often the key player(the end user) of the space (classroom, library, school) is not included in the design or planning process. Sometimes tenacity is needed, clearly!
Good luck on the process, and hope the space is beautiful!
Doug,
Thanks for another timely post. We're in the early stages of a full review of our Main Library at ISB with an eye to recreating our library program, services - and then the facility "from the ground up". We're pulling out all the stops to create the best learning environment we can for the next 5-10 years, and we are, of course, looking for all the good ideas we can.
I think the most important point in your post is the issue of built-in flexibility, and some of the comments to the post speak eloquently to this need. Carolyn Foote's "future-proofing" ideas are great additons to the initial post.
I will disagree with you on one point. We've run a wireless program in our area for three years now, and although there are, indeed, times when network logons fail or the bandwidth's not up to our needs, the benefits far outweigh the problems, For my money, we'd never to back to a wired "lab" environment.
In our untethered Main Library, kids can take a laptop whereever theyr'e comfortable, teachers can put together groups that best meet their learning needs, and many different types of productivity work can be happening throughout the area, rather than just where the computers are. We've got 72 wireless laptops available from either the Circ desk (for drop-in users), from laptop carts (for class bookings) and in our conference room (for more structured teaching/learning experiences). If we had the budget (and the bandwidth) I'd replace every desktop machine in the school with a wireless laptop!
Hi Rob,
I share your enthusiasm for a wireless solution in the library. We do have wireless throughout the district and the new school will have it as well. It is the configuration of the future.
Our need here is that our state and local online test require more speed and robustness than wireless can currently deliver.
For it won't be a matter of wired OR wireless, but wired AND wireless.
Appreciate your comments and good luck at ISB!
Doug