A Historical Perspective: Learning from the Past, Shaping the Future
The evolution of the library is a fascinating story. From the ancient libraries of Alexandria and Pergamum, to the monastic scriptoria of the Middle Ages, to the Carnegie libraries of the early 20th century, libraries have always been at the forefront of knowledge dissemination and cultural pervation. (Drawing on the historical context you requested).
Early Libraries: Focused on preservation and access to manuscripts.
19th Century: The rise of public libraries and the democratization of knowledge.
21st Century: The digital revolution and the emergence of the learning commons.
Understanding this historical trajectory is crucial for informing our planning process. We learn from the successes and failures of the past to create libraries that are not only relevant today but also prepared for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
Our Historical Experience:
Library Facilities Planning Workshops and Training Programs
Workshops and Programs Before 2010
2006
Millennials, If you build it, will they come?
ALA Annual Conference
Collaborative Learning Environments
Northeastern University
The Visual Scan & the Design of Future Oriented Libraries
The Tampa Bay Library Consortium, State Library and Archives of Florida
2007
Library as Place - Federal Library and Information Network
Library of Congress
Aaron Cohen Associates and Michael A. Keller, University Librarian
Stanford University
Visual Scan for Future Orientated Libraries
Illinois Library Association
Aaron Cohen's Library Planning Guidelines
New England Library Association
A Visual Scan at Long Beach Public Library -- Space Planning for Libraries
California Library Association Annual Meeting
2009
ACRL 14th National Conference
Massachusetts Library Association
Library as Place
Metro / Baruch College
Space Planning for Libraries
California Library Association Annual Meeting
"The Visual Scan" for Future Orientated Libraries: Full Day Conference
Midland Hotel in Manchester, UK
More Workshops and Seminars
For past workshops, click here for past workshops from 2010-19 and click here for recent workshops from 2020 to the present. Click here for our other past projects.
If you are looking or planning to have a library workshop, please contact us here.