This year was worthy of note for our library consulting firm, librarians, academic provosts, city managers, academic colleagues, preservationists and building facility managers for good reasons and bad. It’s been a year in which many libraries have suffered from a lack of planning. Certainty, there have been governments that don’t understand the services libraries bring to the community (see guardian view on support for public libraries). They restrict economic activity and hamper efforts for small businesses to be nurtured. Its been a year of celebrations for rural libraries – In November, the FCC announced it will spend 1.5 Billion to be spent on schools and libraries.
There were impressed by new innovations including new libraries — Birmingham, UK central library and the digital BiblioTech in San Antonio, TX opening their doors to new customers.
In 2015,we see libraries expanding new territories with mobile printing (envisionware) and e-resources sharing with the (Orbis Casade Alliance). Of course, there will be contrasting energies to save older print volumes and bring digital preservation into the norm.
And whiles its been a successful year for Aaron Cohen Associates, LTD, its important that we don’t judge the past year solely on our best practices / building achievements (incl. library design standards and development). This was a year in which we had to dig deep into new planning techniques ranging from digital preservation to the five modes of learning. More and more libraries are part of a larger educational goal(s). They are being combined with cafes, centers for student success, tutoring, math, writing, science and honors labs. Public libraries are being combined with the marketplace of knowledge, art, children’s education, makerspaces and museums experiences. This great expansion of functional programs requires new leadership; we are ready to help.
Whether we’re thinking about the libraries space or their evolving services with limited funding, or whether we’re helping librarians develop their collections for the future – we are crafting our studio to dig deeper into innovative solutions. Look out for our notes on this blog through out the year; these will be greater occasions to plan your library to adapt to the future.
