Is the current study space big enough? How many classes need to be able to use the library at once? When I've designed school libraries in the past we provided space for quiet study as well as a more "computer lab" type space where a teacher could bring a class of students to use the library. Also consider different types of seating areas- tables and chairs, soft seating, small group seating, etc. The library space can be divided with low shelves, this can separate areas but also allow the librarian to survey the whole space. Breakout rooms should have some sort of transparency to the main space.This will allow for surveillance and can also help borrow light from different spaces.
By joeyfavaloro, Architect at 03:38 pm, 12 September 2012
One of the biggest complaints about our library is the relative small size of the study area; during break and lunch periods the tables are filled with students trying to do some project or another with many others also needing table/study space. If you don't get to a seat or table early enough there is no room for your work or even if you want to just sit and read a book. As for classes, the library can fit about two classes of thirty something students by splitting them up between the study space you see here and the reference or computer lab room. Two is about the max because the teachers sign up in advance with the librarian to use the space and there is no room to fit a third class. This can become troublesome during times of large projects that several classes do at the same time because then the classes compete for space to do research and use the computers. It would help if we could provide space for three or even four classes to use at once. As for the computer lab; well as mentioned in our overview the computers right now don't all fit in the computer lab and are spread out into the reference room and the main study area. We'd like to provide a larger space; one that is big enough to fit all the computers in the lab so a teacher could have the entire class inside. Thank you for the suggestion on transparency in the different rooms; this could help solve lighting issues, and your suggestions on surveillance will help greatly. We'll see about incorporating this into our design.
By urbanfusion, Student at 09:08 pm, 14 September 2012
Comments
Is the current study space big enough? How many classes need to be able to use the library at once? When I've designed school libraries in the past we provided space for quiet study as well as a more "computer lab" type space where a teacher could bring a class of students to use the library. Also consider different types of seating areas- tables and chairs, soft seating, small group seating, etc. The library space can be divided with low shelves, this can separate areas but also allow the librarian to survey the whole space. Breakout rooms should have some sort of transparency to the main space.This will allow for surveillance and can also help borrow light from different spaces.
One of the biggest complaints about our library is the relative small size of the study area; during break and lunch periods the tables are filled with students trying to do some project or another with many others also needing table/study space. If you don't get to a seat or table early enough there is no room for your work or even if you want to just sit and read a book. As for classes, the library can fit about two classes of thirty something students by splitting them up between the study space you see here and the reference or computer lab room. Two is about the max because the teachers sign up in advance with the librarian to use the space and there is no room to fit a third class. This can become troublesome during times of large projects that several classes do at the same time because then the classes compete for space to do research and use the computers. It would help if we could provide space for three or even four classes to use at once. As for the computer lab; well as mentioned in our overview the computers right now don't all fit in the computer lab and are spread out into the reference room and the main study area. We'd like to provide a larger space; one that is big enough to fit all the computers in the lab so a teacher could have the entire class inside. Thank you for the suggestion on transparency in the different rooms; this could help solve lighting issues, and your suggestions on surveillance will help greatly. We'll see about incorporating this into our design.