Gone are the days where you were shushed in a library. Today’s libraries are about community. They are a hub – a gathering place, a place to get inspired, learn, innovate, and experience. In order to facilitate all that, the library of today should be set up for it. The library needs to be inviting, inspiring, empowering, and safe.
The ideal library is welcoming. This should be felt even before you step inside. The building and grounds should be inviting – it should be a place that you just want to step into to see what it is all about. Once inside, the environment should make you feel comfortable. It should create a desire in you to explore. It should have meeting places to gather, both socially and for classes or workshops.
The library where I work is set for a remodel in about 3 years. I will be tasked with creating a new library space – with a very small budget. The building is about 40 years old and it is beginning to show its age. The building is not old enough to be ‘cute vintage’ or historically important. It is just old enough to be outdated. With new paint, new flooring and moving things around, I think this space can become a more inviting place. My goal is to try and create a library that is about “experience, empowerment, involvement, and innovation” (Laerkes, 2016). In the meantime, I need to figure out what that looks like and how to create it in the space and budget that I will be working with. One way to find out is to really observe how the space is being used. I can move things around and see if it attracts or distracts. For example, in our YA corner, I added a high, pub style, table and chairs. This has become a favorite place for young people to hang out with their computers or phones.
One place that my library really needs work is the foyer, or entryway. It is a room about 10 feet by 20 feet with all glass walls. It currently houses all the brochures and forms that we give out – tax documents, DMV manuals etc. While the community relies on the library to have these documents and forms, it isn’t very nice looking or inviting. My goal is to move these documents further inside the library. I would like to turn the entryway into an atrium of sorts. Although there is no natural light in this area, I can add grow lights and fill the room with trees and plants making it more inviting. I think it will also be fun to include seasonal blooming plants to add color to the existing green, making it a space that always has something new and interesting to see. The only information I would like to add is a sign with the day’s events so patrons can see at a glance what programs are happening. With this minor change, I think the whole atmosphere in the library would change. I see the entry way as a first impression moment and with it cluttered with paper-work, we are missing out on a great opportunity to say “welcome, come in and stay a while.”
It will take more than an appropriate decoration theme and a few plants to create an inviting, inspiring, and safe library. The environment is about perception, a sense of belonging. The place must radiate with welcoming, acceptance, and safety. No amount of fresh paint and new carpet can do this. It will take the right attitude by staff. It will take housing a collection that meets the needs of everyone. The events and programs need to be varied and should encourage participation and growth. Only then will the library become a hub for the community where everyone feels welcome and not a depository for books.
Casey, M. E., & Savastinuk, L. C. (2007). Library 2.0 : a guide to participatory library service. Information Today.
Laerkes, J. G. (2016, March 29). The four spaces of the public library. IFLA Public Libraries Section Blog. https://blogs.ifla.org/public-libraries/2016/03/29/the-four-spaces-of-the-public-library/
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