The changing role of library buildings

Library buildings have to accommodate a remarkable, and occasionally unreasonable, range of demand. Increasingly, this is a result of a desire for them to be, or be part of, multipurpose community hubs, one-stop shops, or satellite outreach facilities, aimed at audiences who might otherwise never think of going to a library, or who are unable to access the service in any other way.

This places further pressure on the manager seeking to maximize the use of what is often already inadequate space for library stock and staff, but is only the latest in a long series of challenges facing those charged with designing library spaces.

Godfrey Thompson's detailed and pragmatic guide to library design (1989) makes it clear that the responsibility of planning a building intended to be adaptable to all of the changes likely over the next 60 years has always been a heavy one. Sometimes, this is because of the competing requirements of the architect, wishing to produce a building that makes a ‘statement’, and of the librarian, who may sympathize with the architect's objectives but hopes that it will nevertheless still be possible to change the light bulbs without having to hire tower scaffolding.

Such situations are not uncommon, and have been a feature of library design since the two professions began working together. However, the challenges created by changing technology and demand are currently both more pressing and fundamental. Thompson's design guide was first published in 1973, but by the time of its third edition in 1989 computerization had begun to have a significant and disruptive influence on library planning.

The impact of computerization

Some of this was perceived as beneficial: electronic union catalogues not only gave library users much better service – customers were no longer limited to the resources of the building they were in; they could see at a glance whether what they sought was immediately available; and if not they could instantly place a reservation – but they also did away with the need to find space to accommodate thousands of 5 x 3 cards.