A Beautiful Space, a Usable Space: The Balance of Library Design
We are often asked "what are the best libraries in the world?" This is a difficult question to answer, because libraries must be both beautiful and functional. An attractive space…
Library Coding Classes / Crowdsourcing Fundraising Ideas
Transformative learning environments can make a big impact on struggling youth. As technology continues to advance, libraries are now offering coding classes to support the next generation of education. They…
Environmental Scan and Impact Assessment for Academic Libraries
Library impact assessments can be self-studies. They can come in three forms: Lib Quals (created by the Association of Research Libraries), visual scans and/or environmental scans. A visual scan is…
What Makes a Great Library for Today and Tomorrow
The library is operating in a very different world today. Technology is constantly evolving within an environment that is increasingly smart, flexible and mobile. Though so much is available on…
Makerspace and 3D Printing: the Future is Here
The newest frontier in library service is the development of a MakerSpace, which can include access to 3D technology. Mick Ebeling at Not Impossible Labs provides an inspiring example of how 3D…
Posted inLibrary Planning Research
Rethinking your library space? Start with a Plan
The term "library collection" is always subject to interpretation; today, it can mean many different things. A library with no books? It's not impossible anymore. Even within a traditional library, learning…
Posted inLibrary Planning Research Space Planning
The Library Touch Point
According to Elaine Cohen, a user touch point affords direct and in-direct contact with library services. It can be a physical or digital connection. Upon entering the library, a touch…
Posted inLibrary Planning Research
7 spatial modes for planning libraries
According to the American Library Association, there are 120,096 libraries in the United States. Although the U.S. is a complex and dynamic country, too many libraries are housed in out-dated…
The Library; long lived and adaptable
As libraries come to understand their need for collections, they must recognize that the book can be in many different formats. In a recent article by the Economist, the transformation…
Posted inLibrary Planning Research
Planning to Transform Your Library
Innovation has long been the backbone of library science practitioners. We are a library planning firm dedicated to organizational development, space planning and technology programs. Our project research results from…