At LJ's Design Institute Atlanta, Challenges Seen as Opportunities
Event focuses on flexibility, sustainability, and usability in library design
Raya Kuzyk -- Library Journal, 05/06/2010
- Atlanta-Fulton Public Library hosts LJ's latest Design Institute
- Economy, technology, and learning behavior all impact design
- Full report will be in fall 2010 issue of Library By Design supplement
On April 30, 2010, over 110 librarians and library board members knocked heads with notable architects and vendors at the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s (AFPLS) Central Library (top photo, below) for LJ’s Design Institute (DI), a daylong seminar on sustainable building and design that had previously been hosted at central urban libraries in New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Illinois, California, and Texas.
The downturn in the economy, advancements in technology, and changing learning behaviors, concurred DI panelists, are all influencing how our libraries are being rendered and built. “We’re starting to see libraries that can’t sustain themselves because of the funding issue,” said James Mumby of Fanning Howey, “so we’re thinking more about downsizing and being more mission-focused.”
Panelists generally encouraged attendees to view media stations, video conferencing, and virtual networking as opportunities to break down traditional paradigms of classroom and study space.
“Today it might be laptops, tomorrow smartphones, then something totally different,” said Peter Bolek of Holzheimer Bolek + Meehan Architects. “You really don’t know where technology is going, so flexibility is key.”
John Szabo, director, Atlanta-Fulton County Library System, added that, while librarians should certainly have flexibility in mind when renovating or building, they should also “be cognizant of the fact that people come to the library with varying skills and technologies.”
Another important consideration is retaining a library's identity. "You can design flexible buildings," said Malcolm Holzman of Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture , "but you don't want to be walking into an airport."
Green is a given, can also be an agent of change
Green considerations, too—what David Moore II of Craig, Gaulden, Davis said are “almost in the DNA of what architects do”—are impacting the look of libraries.
“We used to design more square footprints,” said Rick McCarthy of PSA-Dewberry. “We’re now making them more rectangular to use as much natural light as we can, and we’re installing smaller, more efficient mechanical systems.”
Dennis Humphries of Humphries Poli Architects noted that such measures increase a library's "humaneness value," while Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Coordinator for Library Growth and Sustainability, Mid-Hudson Library System, NY, further proposed that green buildings can serve as models "to show users what can happen in their own homes."
Charles Forrest, director, Library Facilities, Emory University, agreed: "In building green," he said, "we have the opportunity to position the library as an agent of change, as a demonstration."
Echoing this emphasis on user experience was the day's takeaway theme: libraries are increasingly being designed and built with their inhabitants, not so much their contents, in mind.
“We [recently] designed our space around the people and their activities and then the books had to fit around that,” said Pam Sandlian Smith, director, Rangeview Library District, Adams County, CO. “In the past, the reverse was true.”
A day of brainstorming and idea sharing
Of AFPLS’s 32 branches, 25 are slated for renovation or expansion, and there are plans for eight new libraries to be built. The Central Library itself was the subject of one the DI’s six breakout sessions on challenges submitted by attendees and selected by LJ in advance.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)–accredited architects from each of the aforementioned sponsor firms led the breakout sessions.
In addition to the breakout sessions, the day’s events included panels on the future of library spaces and best practices in sustainable design; a vendor panel and product showcase; a lunch headlined by speaker Steve Nygren, who co-manages a local 900-acre environmentally conscious community named Serenbe; and a networking reception.
Held in partnership with Lyrasis, DI Atlanta was sponsored by Agati Furniture, Brodart Contract Furniture, DEMCO Library Interiors, Eustis Chair, LucaLight, Spacesaver Corporation, and Tech Logic, as well as the above-mentioned architectural firms.
For more comprehensive coverage of DI Atlanta and a discussion of products, trends, and case studies relating to various aspects of library design, see LJ’s Library by Design supplement, to publish with the 9/15/10 issue of Library Journal. The spring 2010 LBD supplement, with ideas on green library operations and leadership, appeared with the 5/15/10 issue of LJ.
