2013 national competition project | Library Redesign #160

05/14/13
While I liked my idea of using tablets in my multipurpose classroom, the idea of having their charging stations in drawers underneath tables presented many problems. First, the tables would have to be electrified and have extension cords that would need to be plugged in (which would be hard to implement). Also, tablet technology is relatively untested, expensive, and hard to find. I developed two solutions to these issues. Instead of having tablets and keyboards stored in the tables themselves, I added shelves for them on one side of the room. This way, tablets or laptops could have a charging station without a tangled mess of cables or the addition of floor outlets. In one case (shown), laptop computers would be stored in these shelves, used in the classroom when necessary, and also could be moved into the media center when needed. This would solve both the tablet-keyboard logistical problem and alleviate a computer shortage my new design created (I am 4 computers short of the current capacity of 40). Teachers could use the computers in class and stow them when not needed; students could use them while sitting at tables for added comfort and productivity. Our school currently has these laptops on carts; thus this would be a cost-effective option. The other option is to stay with my tablet idea, using tablets in place of the laptops in the previous proposition. These would play similar roles; they are also more mobile and more 'up-to-date' than the current laptops, which the school will need to replace eventually. Tablets can also hold e-books and magazines, which would extend the capacity of the library to include virtual resources unavailable in its shelves. If this solution were implemented, the librarians would have their choice of options. This layout could even accommodate future technological advances, since it simply provides charging ports and storage space. (I also removed an extra table, since storing the laptops/tablets in shelves made it irrelevant - this is not reflected in the next section, since I made this change after I did the renderings)