Library Design

Crompton, Marc

Sullivan, M. (2011, April 1). Divine Design: How to create the 21st-century school library of your dreams. Divine Design: How to Create the 21st-century School Library of Your Dreams. Retrieved October 14, 2012, from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/889642-312/divine_design_how_to_create.html.csp

I know that I've read this before.  Not sure if it was in 250 or when it was first published in print.  Either way, it doesn't matter, it's a good piece to stimulate thinking about the design of the Learning Commons' physical space.  Sullivan, who works in sales with a library furnishing company, presents 5 design considerations for anyone who is looking at renewing their space.  Concepts such as flexibility of space and tech-friendly thinking are some that we've discussed in our own class discussions already.  Interesting are thoughts about the "Starbucks" feel of some library spaces.  Sullivan cautions that we should think about the long-term use of these spaces and compares them to the relationship of the living room to a kitchen in most homes.  The kitchen is where folks spread out at a table, coffee at their side to get work done.  While a living room is comfortable and often the most "beautiful" room of the house, it is not usually conducive to productivity.  There is a fear of spilling on the expensive furniture and tables are not at convenient heights.

I also reflect on the bookstore model that she discusses for the library.  This is not a new idea, but is is popular.  I wonder, though, how effective it is.  Bookstores are built for selling books.  They decide which books they want you to buy and display them in prominent ways.  Libraries are, primarily, designed to allow learners to find information quickly and easily.  I know that when I have to find a biography in my local bookstore, it can take forever.  Dewey decimal is getting a bad rep these days.  While it is far from a perfect system, it does allow an organization that makes it easy to walk to a shelf and quickly determine if the book you need is in and what other books on the same topic are available.  Every try to find a specific book on a "bargain table?" 

I also find the seven resources at the end of the article and the comments (with some posts from our very own Dr. Loertscher) to be particularly valuable.  Off to explore some of those now!