making things easier: new design ideas for better library services

Making Things Easier: New Design Ideas for Better Libraries

Presented at the Marina G. Dayrit Lecture Series with the theme “Library of the Future: Changes and Challenges, at the National Book Stores-Cubao’s Superbranch, on 22 February 2013.

Why Design Better Libraries?

• To make it a meaningful place for the 21st Century Customers

• Competition with the Internet

• Competition with Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.

• Competition with the times

The Information Environment

• Blended: Digital and print• Online vs. onsite access• 24x7 access vs. limited access• Available in the Internet

– Credible sites– Social Networking sites– Direct access to peers

Why do Students go to Starbucks or McDonalds to Study?

• They provide– Access to the Internet via mobile devices—

Wifi– Food, coffee

• They allow – Individual study– Group study

• Many are open 24/7

The Challenge to Libraries

• Making the customers come to the library to use the physical space by meeting their library visit meaningful.

• Retaining customers—Keeping them satisfied

What do Libraries have that are not available in places where customers hangout?

• Books—Print and e-books• Journals-Print and e-journals• Multimedia collection• Online databases • Facilities for quiet study• Competent and customer oriented library staff

Libraries Must• Examine those places where members of

the community hangout• Plan to provide an environment that would

engage students to come to the library instead of to those areas.– Internet Access via LAN or Wi-fi– A good collection—Print and e– Individual and group study areas– Customer oriented and competent library staff– If possible, Food/coffee

New Paradigm for Library Design

• “What is needed is acceptance of a new basis of academic and research library design that speaks to the needs of users, is energy efficient, and assumes zero-growth collection of physical collections. Such a building will have a future on any campus.” (Loder, 2010) .

Design Considerations

• Respect different styles of learning• Provide facilities for access to digital

resources• Provide rooms for librarians/teachers to

hold learning activities• Make the library areas and facilities diverse,

flexible, convertible, multipurpose, accessible, pleasant and inviting and memorable.

Other Design Considerations

The accreditation standardsUser size and seating capacityCollection size and shelving capacity –

Think digital tooLibrarians office—accessibilityFunctional areas

Green technology principles—Energy cost

The key to Design

• Make it easier for the customer to – Create content– Share content– Collaborate--Share ideas, expertise– Study– Discuss

The key to design

• Making it easier for the library staff to– Provide good efficient service – Sustain operations through green technology

principles

Importance of Benchmarking

• Actually seeing how other libraries did it and adapting best practices to one’s environment

• Become aware that in designing libraries, there is no need to build a new facility but you can work on existing space.

Individual Carrels

Individual Study Space

Group Study Area

Discussion area

Learning in Twos

Relaxed seating

Relaxed Seating

Other Seating Spaces

Presentation rooms

Group Presentation Space

Wi-fi Access

Wi-Fi Access

Internet Access Laboratories

Pleasant Atmosphere

Convertible Space

Applying Green Technology Principles

Green Environment

Individual & Silent Study Cubicles

Accessible One Stop Transaction Counter

Accessible OPACs on all floors

Accessible and easy access to study areas and stockrooms

Today’s Students eat on the go: They need access to food

Printed books and Journals

Competent and Customer Oriented Staff

04/12/2023 Ateneo de Manila University 38

Role of the Library Staff

• Library staff play a key role in making the library experience pleasant.

• Library staff should be friendly and approachable. Gesturesand tone of voice areimportant

04/12/2023 Ateneo de Manila University 39

Library Staff today must

• Build a strong working relationship with customers by treating them in the manner that you want to be treated.

• Have good product knowledge. • Have good professional Attitude. • Be Adaptable and Flexible• Be Relevant to the community. •

“Satisfied customers tell three friends, angry customers tell 3,000”

(Blackshaw, 2008)

Good Experience Bad Experience

Thank You!

• Lourdes T. David• Director, Rizal Library, Ateneo de Manila

University• Contact Numbers

– Tel: 4266001 ext 5550; telfax 4265961– Email: ltdavid@ateneo.edu;

lourdesdav@gmail,com; lourdestenmatay@yahoo.com.ph

– Facebook

References

• Blackshaw, Pete (2008). Satisfied customers tell three friends, angry customers tell 3,000: running a business in today’s consumer-driven world, N.Y: Doubleday

• Freeman, Geoffrey (2005). “The Library as Place: Changes in Learning Patterns, Collections, Technology, and Use” in Library as Place: Rethinking Roles, Rethinking Space. Council on Library and Information Resources Washington, D.C. p. 1-9

• Loder, Michael Wescott (2010). “Libraries with futures; How are academic library usage and green demands changing building designs?” College and research libraries, July 2010 vol 71 #4, pp348-359.

• Mulford, Sam McBane and Ned A Himmel (2010). How green is my library? Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.