IRA/Library

By IRAfirm | L Redesign your school library with new spaces for community groups

Overview
Collect Info
Brainstorm Ideas
Develop Solutions
Final Design

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The goal of this project is to design a library that will serve the students and the community around our school.

Comments

Looking forward to your project. Best of luck for the month ahead.

By jcliggott, Architect at 08:21 pm, 06 September 2011

Thank You, we really appreciate you giving us your time to help with our project.

By IRAfirm, Student at 12:16 pm, 08 September 2011

Collect Instructions

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Gather more information about your existing school library by taking photos, sketching, conducting interviews, and doing additional research.

Think About:

What are all the different functions / activities that currently take place in your school's library?
Do you enjoy working and reading in this room now? Why or why not?
How is the library different than a typical classroom?
When you study at home, where and how do you read? (On the couch, on the floor, on your bed, outside, at the kitchen table, at a desk in your bedroom?) Could similar comfortable places be designed for your new school library?
Will you redesign the interior of your existing school library or will you build a new addition for these spaces?
How do students collaborate around technoloyg with other students? Where do you do this now?
In what ways could your school building become a small community center for residents after school hours?

Try This:

Take photos of your school's library, the media center, the study hall, or any other space where students are hanging out.
Measure the overall size of your school's existing library. Is it crowded now or does it have empty space?
Measure the number of linear feet of book shelves in your school library. Ask the librarian if they feel your library should contain more or less space for bound books?
Take photos of where students are studying at school - either independently or in a small group - throughout the school day.
Ask your school's administrator about any types of community groups that may already use your school building in the evening.
Interview your school librarian and several classmates. What do they think about the existing library? What changes would they make if they had a choice?
Make a list of all the different functions / activities that currently take place in your school's library.
Make a list of all the things you like about your library. Ask several friends and your teachers their opinions.
Several new public libraries have opened recently around the world. What can you learn from these? Investigate... (links to come)
Some of the most impressive historic libraries provide an awe-einspiring place to learn. What can you learn from these? Check out...(links to come)

IRAfirm's work for the Collect Information step:

Summary

The library in Mira Loma is designed to provide students with different resources and a peaceful environment to complete their homework, classwork, and projects with their group members.

This photo depicts the Mira Loma library as it can be seen from the outside. The library is located...

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This picture shows the extent to which the librarians have to go to find a place to store books and...

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As it can be seen the text books are stored on the shelves, all through out the library. This...

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This is the libraries main desk, which is also very crowded and cluttered with stuff that need...

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This is another example of how cramped and crowded the library is. The tables in the picture are...

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These books are stacked on the floor in the reference. This photo also points out the lack of space...

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Brainstorm Instructions

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Develop preliminary sketches to help you puzzle through new ideas and solutions.

Think About:

Many libraries just have rows of book shelves and a few tables and chairs for students. But is this the best way for students to access, learn, and share information today?
How does collaborative learning occur in a library?
How can you provide both quiet and noisy learning spaces in a library?
Does the library have a separate entrance so community groups can enter/exit in the evening without having to walk through the entire school building?

The library will need to include four big types of spaces and furnishings:

a reading room / study loungue (tables with computers, chairs, couches, etc)
book storage and a circulation book check-out counter (shelves, work counters)
librarian's office and workspace
meeting rooms (tables, chairs, technology options)

Try This:

You'll need to decide where will this new library be located in your school. Are you redesigning the exsiting space or building a new addition?
Walk around the exterior of your school building and take photos of your existing library and / or a possible location for a new library addition.
Use Google Maps to view and print out an aerial photo of your school. Identify a location for the library.
Contact your school's building or maintenance department. They may already have a floor plan of your school to use as a reference.
Sketch bubble diagrams to figure out the spatial relationships between the various rooms and spaces in your new or redesigned library. Which spaces will be next to each other? Which spaces should not be next to each other?
Make lots of sketches to get your early ideas down on paper. Learn from each different idea.

Your design or redesign of a new library might include the following types of sizes of spaces. These are just suggestions. Feel free to revise this and incorporate other spaces you think may be needed.

Library space planning rules of thumb:

space	800 students in your school	1200 students in your school	1600 students in your school	2400 students in your school
Reading Room / Study Lounge with computers	1,400 square feet	2,100 square feet	2,800 square feet	4,200 square feet
Book storage and book check-out counter	1,400 square feet	2,100 square feet	2,800 square feet	4,200 square feet
Librarian's office / workroom	120 square feet	120 square feet	240 square feet	240 square feet
Meeting rooms	1 room at 250 square feet	2 rooms at 250 square foot each	3 rooms at 250 square foot each	4 rooms at 250 square foot each
TOTAL	3,170 square feet	4,820 square feet	6,590 square feet	9,640 square feet

IRAfirm's work for the Brainstorm Ideas step:

Summary

Our Director of Interior Design will design the interior to be a more efficient use of space and to create a better learning environment.

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Proposed location of the new site.

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Develop Instructions

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IRAfirm's work for the Develop Solutions step:

Summary

After bringing into consideration of the suggestions and comments presented by teachers, students, and architects we decided on a final design for the library.