HIT, SEC: Designing a School Library

["Judith J. Lozo" <jjlozo@USWEST.NET>]

Fellow LM_Netters,
     Last week I posted a request to secondary school librarians
asking
for their thoughts about the design of a high school library.  I had

given consideration to a study area, teaching area, tech area,
reading
area, stacks, librarian's office, work area, and check-out area, and

asked what I was overlooking and what pitfalls awaited the
unsuspecting.  Several librarians replied, each contributing
excellent
advice.  Here are the replies I got:
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Beth in Florida:  It is critical that your shelving be
purchased
from people who do library shelving as a business, NOT A CABINET
MAKER!!!!  You need to have standardized shelving that can be
re-arranged if you ever need to and I don't know anyone who has not
wanted to change the shelving arrangement after a few years.  Our
needs
don't stay static for very long.
     In selecting colors, think of how you will decorate.  Wood
grain is easy
to decorate around but some colors do not lend themselves to signs,
posters, etc.
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Joyce in California:  Get as many electrical outlets as you can

before putting in furniture -- you'll always want more!
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Jane in Texas:  Number 1 suggestion....no free standing
shelving
more than counter height.  Use shelving to divide library into
separate
class spaces with enough tables and chairs for 32+ students.  That
way
each teacher can control his/her own students.
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Jeannette in Arizona:  One area you may wish to consider is a
Brainstorming/Study room.... lots of windows for you to monitor the
room/ white board/ conference table/ lots of outlets (to roll in a
TV
cart, or use laptops/video camera, maybe even shelves for special
collections).  This room comes in handy for students who need the
space
to collectively work on a project yet be comfortable in gathering
resources without disturbing the rest of the library.  It can also
be
sued for small teachers' meetings, for previewing materials, for
videotaping announcements, and even for spreadaing out book
processing
when you need to.  But the important thing is that it allows
students to
be creative without disturbing the rest of the library.  And it
becomes
a quiet place/study area for other students ... when you need to use
the
library to teach a class of 60 freshmen how to do research...
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Ginger in South Carolina:  Lighting -- You need different types
of
lighting for different areas to avoid glare on computer screens, to
avoid dark shadows obscuring lower shelves, to allow for dimming
lights
when using some projectors, and to create good reading areas.
     Electrical and computer wiring -- Figure what you need and
double it.
Maybe even triple it.  I foresee a day when our students will be
carrying laptops the way they carry notebooks now.  Do you need to
provide for a coin-op copier?
     Display areas -- Where will you display new books?  Do you want
bulletin
boards?  What about maps?
     Storage -- Secure location for small equipment.  Space for all
the odds
and ends, like extension cords and overhead lamps, that libraries
need.
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Holly in New York:   My key contribution, after designing one
new
library myself and moving into another that was only 3 years old
(besides retooling 2 "old" facilities) is that everything must be
planned to admit of change.
     Nothing built in.
     Nothing built to measure.
     Electric outlets all over.
     Everything carpeted, wall to wall.
     Lighting sufficient for study tables--everywhere.
     The one sure point you can count on is that needs, priorities,
and
opportunities will change over the lifetime of the facility.  You
will
need to be able to (say) enlarge the computer area by reducing the
size
of the (you name it) and reconfigure the study area so that two
groups
can work with maximal separation (maybe the reference shelves...).
Yes,
of course, you will design the perfect arrangement for what you need

today---but next year is coming, and the year after that.
     One of my favorite libraries was built for a high school--but
after 25
years, the building became an elementary school.  Suddenly, I needed
a
storytime corner.  Suddenly, the tall shelves around the walls were
so
tall that the top half had to be used for display!  But there was
plenty
of space and good windows--and I was able to move almost everything
to
fit the new use.
     Now, I'm in a newish high school library where everything was
built to
measure, where the shelves from one adjustable bookcase won't fit
into
another adjustable bookcase.  There's very little I can do to change
the
room, though we need to be able to have 2 classes work at a time,
now.
I've had to do crazy things to adapt the layout for computers (and
who
would want to run a hs library without 'em?).
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Kate in Florida:  The librarian needs to be able to SEE - no
high
shelves except around the walls, no closed off corners......OPEN,
shelves angled so the person at the circulation desk can see down
the
aisles, aisles wide enough for a wheel chair....
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Mary in Florida:  1.  A sink and running water!
2.  In floor plugs.
3.  If you can afford it, lights that dim for AV/Computer
presentations.
4.  Bathroom.
5.  Storage space--there's never enough.
6.  Storage space for posters so you can lay them flat.
-------------------------------------------------------------
From Georganna in Missouri:  An area for professional material that
is
also a work area - copy machine, computer, etc.  And a storage area
for
things such as back issues of magazines, and media equipment.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Many thanks to each of you for your insights!  To those of you who
wrote
indicating they need these ideas for their own upcoming projects, I
found additional ideas in the LM_NET Archives as well as several
high
school library web pages.  Some notable ones are: Redwood High
School
(http://redwood.org); Kentridge High School
(http://www.kent.wednet.edu); and Hanford Secondary School
(http://revolution.3-cities.com).  I'm sure many other school web
pages
also have text, photos, or drawings that will spark ideas.

Judy Lozo
Substitute Librarian (K-12)
Spokane, WA
e-mail: jjlozo@uswest.net

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