Extreme Makeover or Gentle Remodel?

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Jan - Mar 2006

Your library building is bursting at the seams. New programs and collections are vying for valuable space and the current facility can no longer meet the librarys service goals. Your dream library is at least five years away. Can your existing space be reorganized to maximize its capacity?

Or...library use is down. Attendance at programs is low. The library is no longer an after school destination for teens. Young families are using the local bookstore for family outings and recreational reading needs. Can a remodel regenerate interest in your services?

Or...with budget cuts, your facility has suffered from years of deferred maintenance. The avocado and gold carpet and furniture define its decade. The carpet is soiled, torn, held together with duct tape. If a library says a lot about a city, what is yours saying?

If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, this workshop will help! You will learn how to determine whether a renovation is in your future, how to evaluate and maximize the use of your existing space, how to calculate the space requirements for new programs and collections, and how to make tough, facility-related choices. You will also learn about library finish materials and lighting and explore ideas to give your building a magic makeover.

Workshop Description: This all day workshop will provide tips on maximizing use of existing space, tools to identify facility requirements to meet service goals, and formulae for calculating space needs for new programs, collections and services. Students will also learn how to set priorities, plan, budget and survive a renovation project, and add a little charm to their facilities. Through individual and group exercises students will learn to prepare a simple space plan, measure architectural plans, calculate shelving requirements, evaluate functional requirements for specific spaces, and specify finish materials and lighting. Students will evaluate the floor plans of an existing library and identify space saving measures and appropriate renovations. The instructor will provide floor plans; cheat sheets, a photo CD packed with great examples, as well as practical, useful tips that can be applied immediately.

Pre-workshop assignment: Pre-workshop assignment: Please bring a calculator with you to the workshop and a list of five areas where your library needs improvement, and five things (services, collections) that your library does well

Preliminary Course Outline:

  • Getting Started
    • The problem statement
    • To remodel, or not to remodel
    • Facility assessment
    • Information gathering
  • Information Analysis
    • Identifying the need
    • Space planning simplified
    • Planning for collections
  • Evaluating Options
    • The value of space
    • Finding space
    • Making trade-offs
    • Brainstorming good ideas
  • The Details
    • Measure for measure: using a scale
    • It's more than location, location, location
    • Pitfalls and red flags
  • The Nitty Gritty
    • Renovation project phases
    • Much ado about moving out
    • Service delivery during renovation
    • The temp
    • All's well that ends well: Moving In
  • Special Spaces
    • Teen space
    • Retail
    • Carving out spaces
    • Community room
    • Service desks
  • A Little Lipstick on the Pig
    • Roll out the carpet
    • Stacks and end panels
    • Lighting and ceiling treatment
    • Finish materials
    • Make a little magic

Who Should Attend: "Anyone from the California library community or library design professional with an interest in facility renovation or library space planning."

Prerequisites: None

Check-in: 8:30 to 9 AM Instruction: 9 AM to 4:30 PM

Available for contracting: 
No