I want to shift tone in discussing libraries. Instead of looking at what students and faculty want from a library, or what successful vs unsuccessful libraries look like, I want to step back. If there were no budget issues or politics involved, describe your dream library.
See it take shape on the edge of your imagination. Does it provide open access to all information? Is it a community gathering point as well as a node in the network? Is it light-filled and comfortable? Are the staff friendly, knowledgable, and professional?
This is an invitation to be ridiculous, to dream big, to not let the normal cynicism hold you back. Sidestepping reality for the moment, help us map out the blue sky library. What’s your vision?
How about Blue Ice Library?
It looks a bit like an iceberg, turned on it’s side. The entrance (tip of the iceberg) is a glass structure filled furniture and people, nothing else but signage and plenty of outlets. Beyond the tip of the iceberg is a spread of mass that goes as wide as it does deep. As you continue through the building it is filled with group spaces, service desks, and technology, and the farther you go back the more “traditional” the library becomes, with bookstacks dividing spaces that are intended to be quiet. (I think this requires a napkin sketch.)
Much like this thought exercise, we should let go of historical models to actually achieve our mission: provide resources and information services that promote scholarly and cultural contributions to a wider audience. If it means erasing and redefining our idea of acquisitions, do it. If it means IT and library staff merge, do it. If it means changing how our classification systems are exposed to users, do it. If it means a library shaped like an isometric iceberg flipped on its side, do it.
Please, provide a napkin sketch. 🙂