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. -- By-Katz. Wi/lim A-. Ed.; Swartz. Roderick C.. Ed- - - - : - -- - . -. . ,-Problems in Planning Library Facilities. Consultants. Architects. Plans 'arid Critiques: Proceedings of the

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LibraryBuildings Institute. (Chicago. July 12-13.1963)-_. -

American Library Association. Chicago. Ill. -

Spons Agency-American Library Association. Chicago. Ill- Library Administration Div.Pub Date 64Note 208p-Available from-American Library Association. 50 E- Huron Street. Chicago. Illinois 60611EDRS Price ME -$1-00 HC Not Available from EDRS.Descriptors- =Building Plans, College Libraries. *Library Facilities, *Library Planning. Medical Libraries. PublicLibraries. School Libraries

Library facilities and the inherent planning problems involved are discussed interms of--(1) the library building consultant. (2) college and university libraries. (3)public libraries. (4) school libraries. and (5) hospital and institution libraries. Floorplans. architectural renderings_ and photographs of various facilities are includedalong with critique discussions. (RK)

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Problems in PlanningLibrary Facilities

Consultants, Architects, Plans, and Critiques

U.S. DEPARTMENT Of HEALTH. EDUCATION E WELFARE

OFFICE OF EDUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BIEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE

PERSON OR ORBAIII/A1108 ORIGINATING A. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS

STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OTFICE OF EDUCATION

POSITION OR POLICY.

Proceedings of the

LIBRARY BUILDINGS INSTITUTE

Conducted at Chicago, July 12-13, 1963

Sponsored by the

LIBRARY ADMINLSTRATION DIVISION

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

Edited by

WILLIAM A. KATZ and RODERICK G. SWARTZ

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONChicago, 1964

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS COPYRIGHTED1.%ItttIAL BY MI CROF I HE ONLY HAS J GRANTED .BY 11 br .4 bOitTO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OP ATING UNDER

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FURTHER REPRODUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM

REQUIRES PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER."

LHElevt. 1:_lin.riCc,R.Z.51tS a.vus Per nA.Z.9->lotts, Rug

Copyright ©1964 by the American Library Association

Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 64-19851

Cover:

University of California Library, RiversideArchitect's renderingof ultimate library facilitiesGeorge Vernon Russell & Associates

Foreword

The Library Buildings Institute, sponsored by theLibrary Administration Division and meeting priorto the general conference of the American LibraryAssociation, has proved to be a well-receitred en-deavor. Although ten building or equipment insti-tutes have been held in the last twelve years, inter-est still seems to be high. This year's attendancewas the highest on record with a total number of 528.Another first for the 1963 Institute was the fact thatfor the first time the Hospital and Institution Librar-ies had a major program.

The audience for these Institutes is composed ofthree groups. First, there are the architects andlibrarians who are presently engaged in the advancedplanning or construction of a new library. Secondly,librarians and architects who have has., a greatamount of experience in planning library buildingsattend as a service to their profession. Finally,there is that group which is desirous of increasingits knowledge with the hope of planning a building inthe near future.

Besides those individuals mentioned in the text,acknowledgment should be given to Raymond G.Erbes, Frank Gibson, Morrison Haviland, EdwardHeintz, Virginia McJenkin, Ruby Martz, MiriamPeterson, and Howard Rovelstad, who chaired vari-ous sessions of the Institute.

Alphonse F. TrezzaExecutive SecretaryLibrary Administration Division

American Library AssociationLibrary Administration Division

Buildings and Equipment SectionThelma Reid, Chairman

Chief LibrarianCity Schools LibrarySan Diego, California

Edward C. Heintz, SecretaryLibrarianKenyon College LibraryGambier, Ohio

CommitteesArchitecture Committee for Public Libraries

Robert H. Rohlf, ChairmanLibrarianDakota-Scott Regional LibraryWest St. Paul. Minnesota

Buildings Committee for Collegeand University Libraries

William H. Jesse, ChairmanDirectorUniversity of Tennessee LibrariesKnoxville, Tennessee

Buildings Committee for Hospitaland Institution Libraries

Mrs. Elsa Freeman, ChairmanLibrarianU.S. Housing and Home Finance AgencyWashington, D.C.

Equipment Committee

William S. Geller, ChairmanLibrarianLos Angeles County Public LibraryLos Angeles, California

Planning School LibraryQuarters Committee

Richard L. Darling, ChairmanSchool Library SpecialistLibrary Services BranchU.S. Office of EducationWashington, D.C.

Alphonse F. Trezza, Executive SecretaryRoderick G. Swartz, Assistant to the Executive

Secretary

Contents

INTRODUCTION, 7

THE LIBRARY BUILDING CONSULTANTFive Questions, Keyes Metcalf, 9The ConsultantA Panel Discussion, 12

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESFrancis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard

Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 16San Diego State College Library, San Diego, Cali-

fornia, 28University of Waterloo Arts Library, Waterloo,

Ontario, Canada, 36University of Illinois, Chicago Campus, Library,

Chicago, Illinois, 46State College of Iowa Library, Cedar Falls, Iowa, 57Musselman Library, Bluffton College, Bluffton,

Ohio, 65Western Kentucky State College Library, Bowling

Green, Kentucky, 75Asbury Theological Seminary Library, Wilmore,

Kentucky, 84Memorial Library, University of Notre Dame,

Notre Dame, Indiana, 92University of California Library, Riverside,

California, 103

PUBLIC LIBRARIESThe Program, 111

Programming before Planning, Hurst John, 111Federal Aid Programs for Public Library

Planning and Construction, H. A.Fagerstronz, 114

Role of the Architect, Engineer, and Librar-ian in Library PlanningA Panel Discus-sion, 117

The Libraries, 122Manitowoc Public Library, Manitowoc, Wis-

consin, 122

Lake County Public Library District, LakeCounty, Indiana, 129

Ogden Public Library, Ogden, Utah, 146

SCHOOL LIBRARIESThe School Library and the Architect, 153

The Architect, Charles J. Benda, Jr., 153The School Library Program: What the

Architect Needs To Know, John L.Cameron, 155

A New School Library Planned for a Program,Blanche Janecek, 158

Remodeling To Fit a Program, Mildred L.Krohn, 161

The Departmentalized School Library, 164Departmentalizing the School Library,

Mrs. Georgia Rankin Cole, 164A Departmentalized School Library: Two-

Floor Plan, Myrtle Ellis, 169A Departmentalized School Library: One-

Floor Plan, H. F. Alwin, 173The Elementary School Library, 177

The Elementary School Library Planned asan Instructional Materials Center,Alice Lohrer, 177

An Elementary School Library: LauderdaleManors School, Mrs. Jo E. Dewar, 183

An Elementary School Library: ChantillySchool Library, Gloria Brown, 186

HOSPITAL AND INSTITUTION LIBRARIESPlanning a Special Library in a Federal Office

Building, Mrs. Elaine Woodruff, 189The Pursuit of Flexibility, Helen Crawford, 192Mobilizing for a Reasonable Future, Edna Voigt,

195Some Random Thoughts While Thinking about Li-

brary Planning, Alderson Fry, 195A Pharmaceutical LibraryThe Planning Stages

and Six Years of Use, Alberta W. Brown, 199

Space Planning Criteria for Hospital. Libraries,Clayton S. Childs, 203

Planning a Library in a Correctional Institution,Carl Hertensteiner, 205

Architectural Barriers and the Handicapped, theInfirm, the Elderly, and the Physically Lim-ited, Donald E. Fearn, 207

This document contains many plans and drawings

which may not be completely legible in repro-

duction. We feel the total document to be of

sufficient importance to reproduce, taking this

fact into consideration.

Introduction

Five hundred and twenty-eight registrants werepresent for the Library Buildings Institute, spon-sored by the Library Administration Division,American Library Association, in Chicago, Illinois,on Yu ly 12-13, 1963. Not only were there 474 li-brarians, including 170 from colleges and univer-sitils, 217 from public libraries, 67 from schools,and 20 from hospitals and institutions; there werealso 41 architects and designers and 13 suppliers.Of this number, 75 were involved as program par-ticipants.

The Waldorf Room of the Conrad Hilton Hotel

was the setting for the first meeting on Fridaymorning, which was a general session chaired byThelma Reid, San Diego City Schools Library, chair-man of the LAD Buildings and Equipment Section.

Speaker for the morning was Keyes Metcalf,Librarian Emeritus, Harvard University, who dis-cussed the library consultant. While he placed spe-cial emphasis upon the duties of the consultant, he

also mentioned the reasons for hiring a library con-sultant, the way to select him, when he should be

brought into the planning, and how much he shouldbe reimbursed for his efforts. The consultant, saidMetcalf, can be of value at the time of the prelimi-nary investigations and can continue to advise until

the final details of equipment selection.The place of the consultant in the building team

was discussed further by a panel moderated by

Ralph Ulveling, Detroit Public Library. The panel-istsCharles Mohrhardt, Detroit Public Library;Robert Muller, University of Michigan Library;Robert H. Rohif, Illinois Public Library Develop-ment Project, now at the Dakota-Scott Regional Li-brary, West St. Poal, Minnesota; and Donald Thomp-

son, Wabash College Libraryfelt that the consultantshould know the language of both the librarian and

the architect so that he could act as arbitrator and

adviser for the other members of the building team.He should be amiable, yet willing to express and

hold his opinion on matters he felt were pertinent.7

Beginning with the Friday afternoon session, thepartik.ipants split into four groups. These groupscollege and university, public, school, and hospitaland institutionaleach followed a different pattern,but emphasized the building team and its develop-ment of the building program.

The college and university session devoted itstime to the presentation and critique of individuallibraries. In two sessions, plans and critiques oflibraries at various stages of planning were pre-sented. These included the Francis A. Countway Li-brary of Medicine at Harvard; San Diego State Col-lege Library; University of Waterloo Arts Libraryat Waterloo, Ontario; Musselman Library at BlufftonCollege, Bluffton, Ohio; Western Kentucky State Col-lege Library; and the Asbury Theological SeminaryLibrary at Wilmore, Kentucky. In addition, presen-tations we4.e made of libraries at the Chicago cam-pus of the University of Illinois, the State College ofIowa, the University of Notre Dame, and the Univer-sity of California at Riverside, where buildings areeither under construction or completed.

The public library section led off its individualmeetings with a talk by Hurst Sohn, architect, ofColumbia, Missouri, on "Programming before Plan-ning," and a discussion by H. A. Fagerstrom, of theHousing and Home Finance Agency, Chicago, on thepossibility of federal aid for public library construc-tion. Mr. Sohn emphasized the importance of pro-gramming before building so that the mistakes anddisagreements could be made on paper before theywere immortalized in brick and mortar. Mr. Fager-strom outlined the various government grants opento qualified public libraries for construction.

On Friday evening, after dinner with the otherthree groups,, the public library group came back tohear a panel discussion on the "Role of the Architect,Engineer, and Librarian in Library Planning." Li-brarians A. Chapman Parsons, of the Public Library,Alliance, Ohio, and Lester Stoffel, cf. the Oak Park(Illinois) Public Library, and architects WilliamFyfe, of Perkins & Will. Chicago, and James Ham-mond, of Hammond & Roesch, Chicago, moderatedby Frederick Wezeman, Associate Professor of theLibrary School, University of Minnesota, outlinedand developed the role of the various members ofthe building team.

The rest of the session was spent in presentationand critiques of individual libraries. These includedthe Manitowoc. (Wisconsin) Public Library, the LakeCounty (Indiana) Public Library at Crown Point, andthe Ogden (Utah) Public Library.

Programming for effective buildings was thetopic at the first meeting of the school librariessection. Sohn L. Cameron, U.S. Office of Education,Washington, D.C., told what the architect needs toknow in regard to the school library program, whileBlanche Sanecek showed how the High School Lab-oratory School at the University of Chicago had been

planned and developed according to a program. Mil-dred L. Krohn, Shaker Heights City School District,Ohio, completed the afternoon's meeting with a talkon "Remodeling To Fit a Program." In the Fridayevening period, following a talk by Mrs. GeorgiaRankin Cole, School of Library Science, Universityof Kentucky, on the pros and cons of departmentaliz-ing the school library, two examples of departmen-talizationYork Community High School, Elmhurst,Illinois, and Homewood-Flossmoor High School,Flossmoor, Illinoiswere presented.

Saturday morning's program evolved around thecentralized elementary school library and its placeas an instructional materials center, the main talkbeing given by Alice Lohrer, Graduate School of Li-brary Science, University of Illinois. The Lauder-dale Manors School at Fort Lauderdale, Florida,and the Chantilly Elemer.:.ary School at Charlotte,North Carolina, were the elementary schools pre-sented.

The hospital and institution librarians, which forthe first time had a complete section devoted to theirinterests, outlined through a series of talks many ofthe building problems relevant to their libraries.Helen Crawford, of the University of Wisconsin Med-ical Library, and Edna Voigt, of the Remington RandLibrary Bureau, New York, expressed the need forpreliminary planning and the use of a consultant indeveloping libraries in buildings constructed for non-library purposes. Mrs. Elaine Woodruff, U.S. CivilService Commission; Alderson Fry, West VirginiaUniversity Medical Center Library; Alberta W.Brown, formerly with the Upjohn Company; ClaytonS. Childs, Hospital Division, Bureau of the Budget,Washington, D.C.; and Carl Hertensteiner, StateTraining School, Redwing, Minnesota, discussedalso the problems of plannir.g, building, and re-modeling libraries within federal office buildings,correctional institutions, business firms, or federalhospitals. The group closed its session with a talkby Donald E. Fearn, of the National Society for Crip-pled Children and Adults, on the architectural bar-riers which face the elderly and the handicapped.

Program coordination, registration, and general.arrangements were handled by the headquartersstaff of the Library Administration Division.

I l'

II-

The Library Building Consultant

Five Questions

KEYES METCALFLibrary Consultant

This discussion on library building consultantswill center upon five questions: (1) Why have a con-sultant? (2) How do you select him? (3) At whatstage in the planning should he be selected? (4)What do you pay him? (5) What should he do?

Why have a consultant?

In spite of the large number of libraries thathave been planned and constructed since the war,the average librarian rarely has an opportunity toparticipate in the planning of more than one buildingduring his career. Until very recent years, com-paratively few architects had specialized in libraryplanning. An institution may well appoint a consul-tant in order to place at the disposal of its planningteam knowledge and experience that would not other-wise be available.

The institution may have special planning prob-lems which make a consultant particularly desirable.There may be a trustee who wants what his grand-father wanted, and only a monumental or a Gothicbuilding will satisfy him. There may be a professorwith a German background who believes in seminarrooms for his advanced classes, in which the basiccollections in his special field are shelved. Theremay be a science professor who is convinced thatno library is going to be needed in the future becauseof technological developments. The institution thathas the over-all responsibility for the building, orits representative, will find that an outsider canprovide the needed ballast.

In most cases, however, a consultant is wantedbecause of the realization that special knowledge isnot locally available. Since the cost of a library

building is very greatsometimes double the invest-ment in the librarymistakes would be extremelyserious. Before the use of a library consultant,which is a development of the last twenty years, li-braries were generally planned with the librarianhaving little to say about the details. Since the ar-chitect was primarily interested in the aestheticside and knew little of library problems, resultswere not satisfaccnry functionally.

The chief reasons for a library building consul-tant, then, are to make available special knowledgeof the functional needs and requirements in a li-brary building, and to have an effective voice on itsplanning problems.

How do you select a consultant?

Experience is a most important consideration.Ralph Ellsworth says never to take a man who hasnot already had least three assignments of thiskind.' This sound: ft %ittle like trade unions that donot want to admit young workers. It is easier to de-mand higher wage rates when there is n^ competi-tion. Experience is desirable, but how .1s a newman get his apprenticeship and training? It is im-portant for those of us who are now doing consulta-tion work to bring in younger men to help us so thata new crop will be available in the years ahead. Thesame rule applies to administrative work of any kind.One of the most important things that a head librar-ian can do is to train others to take his own or an-other administrative position.

Yet, it is desirable to select a consultant withexperience. Investigate the results of work that hehas clone elsewhere. Keep in mind his knowledge ofbuilding planning, and his ability to influence the

1. Ralph Ellsworth, Planning the College and University Li-brary Building: A Book for Campus Planners and Architects(Boulder, Colo.: Pruett Pr., 1960), p.24.

9

10 Problems in Planning Library Facilities

people with whom he deals and to make them under-stand the basic problems involved.

He should have the ability to explain the reasonsIc.r his point of view, and to persuade those withiteaoni he works of the importance of carrying out his

ggestions. He must be a good salesman who isfearless in expressing his views. He must avoid un-dta aggressiveness and not be overly dogmatic.

While you cannot expect the consultant to be anIt t..hitect and an engineer, he must understand theirp. ablems well enough to avoid unsuitable and im-p:;actical suggestions. He must also keep in mindt1 present situation and prospective future librarydeielopments as well.

The right consultant should be picked for theparticular job at hand. A man wider considerationfor the position may be very suitable for one insti-tution and not for another. The proper qualificationsf-,7:r a good librarian do not necessarily make a good.:ibrary building consultant. ou should not pick azmilding consultant because he is the successful ad-ministrator of a large library. Neither should youdo so just because he is in the same city or state.The fact that he may have worked successfully on apublic library building does not necessarily meanthat ne can do the same on a college library, or viceversa. Pick a man who you think has the knowledge,experience, and broad-gauge mind that will enablehim to understand your particular problem and tohelp in the places where you need help. If you needsomeone to influence the governing board, the li-brary committee, or your administrative officers,rather than a person to help with the details of thebuilding planning, pick someone who you believe cando this job.

At what stage shouldthe consultant be selected?

If you are going to have a consultant, select himjust as soon as possible. He can be of use in decid-ing whether you should erect a new building or addto an old one. He can help select the site. He canproperly give advice in connection with the selectionof an architect. While he will not be in a positionspecifically to recommend the firm to be selected,he can offer suggestions for the qualifications of theman to be chosen. He may be able to prevent vari-ous mistakes if he is appointed before important de-cisions have been made which it will be impossible,embarrassing, or expensive to change. This doesnot mean that it is unwise to have a consultant un-less he is chosen at the beginning. A situation mayoften develop which makes the appointment impera-tive and better late than never.

What do you pay the consultant?

There is no accepted schedule of payments forlibrary consultants as there is for architects. The

latter are almost always employed on a percentagebasis, the percentage varying with the type of build-ing and its location. Library building consultantsare not in an organized and accepted profession asyet and may never be. Yet, they may properly con-sider themselves to be like physicians, who adapttheir charges to the patient with whom they deal.

There are three fairly definite methods used incharging. One is a percentage basis, the percentagevarying according to what is expected of the consul-tant. Is he to follow the procedures through frombeginning to end, as the architect does, supervisingthe com=tzuction as well as making the preliminaryplans, the working drawings, and the specifications?Or will his assignment be completed when workingdrawings are authorized? The answer makes a dif-ference in the percentage.

The second method is an agreement by which thework will be done for a definite sum. Ralph Ells-worth very modestly suggests that for a $1,500,000college library one tenth of 1 percent, or $1,500,might be budgeted for the consultant.

The third method is for the consultant simply tosay that his charges will be so much a day plus ex-penses. The per diem rate may vary from $50 up,according to the experience of the consultant and thejob at hand. As an illustration, a small college li-brary or a branch library costing $200,000 mightneed a consultant. A tenth of 1 percent r.t: ..he total,or $200, would not be adequate, but $150-$200 a daywould be too much if too many days were involved.On the other hand, a man with a great deal of experi-ence might feel that in a situation where there couldbe complications, $200 or more a day would not beunreasonable. Also, a team of consultants, workingtogether and contributing between them expert khowl-edge in various fields, might require altogether alarger percentage of the total cost but perhaps lessper day per person.

Consultant work is not sufficiently well organizedor established at present for us to say that a definitescale for any of th, se methods can or should be pro-posed. Some consultants do a great deal without anycharge except for expenses, particularly with insti-tutions in which they are interested.

There are two definite suggestions in connectionwith charges. The institution should not base its se-lection primarily on the cost, but on the person thatit wants. The consultant should not try to bargainand charge as much as traffic will bear, but shouldset his rate for the particular job and let the institu-tion accept or decline.

What should the consultant do?

The consultant should do everything that he canto bring about a better building. He should makeavailable his knowledge and experience to those con-cerned, moving ahead when necessary and holdingback temporarily or permanently, if he believes that

someone else's voice on a particular point at a par-ticular time can be more valuable. He should deferto the specialist in the field for which he is not qual-ified, although if he has a definite opinion based ongood authority, he should state his case as quietlyand persuasively as he can.

To be more specific, if the consultant is hiredat the very beginning, as his first task he should goover the whole situation in general terms. Thismeans that he must learn enough about the institu-tion, its history and background, and its objectivesso that the framework of the library's requirementsbecomes reasonably clear. Then these require-ments should be translated intc approximate squarefootage.

A consultant may have basic formulas for use inthis way. Different formulas are required for dif-ferent types of institutions. In a small academic. li-brary ten to twelve volumes can be shelved in 1square foot of gross floor space. In a larger libraryup to fifteen may be a safe figure. Fifty square feetor a little more will accommodate a reader. This50 square feet will provide not only space for thereading room but also space for the staff to servethe readers, the processing work space, and the ar-chitectural space as well. The two added togetherthe space for books and readers, and that for ser-vices to readerswill give the gross square feet ifno unusual special facilities are required. Featuressuch as an auditorium, audio-visual areas, an ex-hibition room beyond normal lobby space, class-rooms, more than a limited number of seminars orfaculty studies, and special lounges are extras andmust be added to the previous figure.

Other important factors to be kept in mind arethe special features that the institution wants to in-corporate, such as all-night study areas, open orclosed stack access, seminars and studies, smokingrooms, lounges, exit controls, auditoriums, exhibi-tion areas, and the like.

With an approximate total of space requirementsavailable, the present building should be carefullyinvestigated, the consultant asking himself whether,with rearrangements, the space required could beprovided for a few years more within that building,or a wing could be added without leaving the build-ing in an undesirable position aesthetically or func-tionally. The possibility and advisability of an addi-tion should always be considered so that no interestedperson can say that such a plan has been left out ofconsideration. It is necessary at this stage to decidefor how many years in the future the plans are to bemade, since it is not only the present but the futurerequirements which are of interest.

After the decision has been reached as to thetotal space reouirements, the site problem shouldbe settled. Do not permit this decision to becomedefinite until you know what is needed, and can beassured that a building of the size required can be

The Library Building Consultant 11

placed on the plot selected. Also, if the long view isto be taken, thought must be given to the next stagewhen the new bpilding will outgrow its space.

The next step is to return to the program andcomplete it for the architect. It should provide, ifnot the exact size of each area, an indication of therequired size in terms of readers, staff, and collec-tions to be housed and the desired spatial relation-ships between the different areas.

The program should be written locally by the li-brarian or his building committee. It is almost im-possible for an outsider to obtain the required in-formation in a short time. The consultant can,howeverand generally shouldtake a leading partin the program writing, primarily by asking ques-tions that should be answered and by seeing thatimportant points are not omitted. In other words,he should be the guide and critic rather than theauthor. If the program is written by those who haveto live with the results, it should be more satisfac-tory. The building committee and the librarian willunderstand the program better if they have writtenit, and will then be able to explain it more success-fully to the faculty, students, the governing boards,and the public in general.

Help in selecting the architect after or before theprogram has been completed can, in many cases, beprovides' by the consultant. The consultant generallyconfines himself to suggestions on the type and thecharacteristics of the architect to be selected, ratherthan to the recommendation of a particular architect.

The consultant or the institution should ordinarilynot prepare schematic drawings cm preliminarysketches for the architect beyond those which indi-cate desired spatial relationships. It is important,however, for the consultant to see and discl..s withthose concerned the drawings that the architectmakes, particularly those that have to do with spa-tial relationships and function. Comment should bemade by the consultant on the adequacy of the spaceassignments proposed and whether they fulfill theprogram requirements. He certainly should be in-volved with equipment layouts and traffic patterns,floor loads, floor coverings, lighting, acoustic prob-lems, ventilatiya, and related problems. All of thearchitect's proposals should be studied. Furnituredesign, particularly sizes, are within h5s province,and, to a limited extent, color and finish.

During the planning stage, if the architects andother members of the planning team visit variouslibraries to learn how and how not to solve planningproblems, this can often be done under the sponsor-ship and cirection of the consultant, who can suggestlibraries to be visited and points to be kept in mindduring the visits. Finally, the consultant should beavailable by telephone and by letter as questions andproblems arise throughout the working drawingstage and during construction as well, even if hedoes not appear on the scene himself.


The ConsultantA Panel Discussion..10derato7 Ralph Ulveling, Director, Detroit Public

Library, Detroit, Michigan

Panel Members: Robert H. Rohlf, Director, IllinoisLibrary Association, Public Library Develop-ment Project, Aurora, Illinois

Charles Mohrhardt, Associate Director, DetroitPublic Library, Detroit, Michigan

Robert Muller, Associate Director, Universityof Michigan Library, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Donald Thompson, Librarian, Wabash CollegeLibrary, Crawfordsville, Indiana

MR. ROHLF: The consultant not only represents thelibrary but he has to represent a particular sideof the architect. Too often librarians have ab-solutely no comprehension of the problems whichconfront an architect. Sometimes a consultantends up in the same situation as the architectdoes. Once construction begins, he is an arbi-trator between the architect and the librarian,whereas the architect is more or less the ar-bitrator between the owner and the contractor.

When you are seeking a consultant, in addi-tion to his qualifications for his specialty, se-lect t,ne with whom you can get along. If youcannot establish a rapport with your consultantin the sense that you disagree easily, then youwill have a building project which becomesrather strained toward its conclusion. Pick aconsultant whose time schedule will fit yours.All of them are busy, but it is best not to fit yourschedule to his; rather let his schedule fit yours.

Many times the term "consultant" is used tomean both "critic" and "consultant.' The consul-tant is the one who works on the project from be-ginning to end. The term "critic" designatessomebody called in for just one part of that proj-ect. Often the consultant is presented with anestablished fact and he is supposed to do some-thing about it. He is presented with somethingthat is ill-advised, but there is nothing he can doabout it except to say that it is ill-advised.

A consultant offers one great advantage inthat he speaks, or at least understands, the lan-guage of both the librarian and the architect. Theproblem of communication is really the greatestproblem in any building project. All of us usethe same words, but cften with completely dif-ferent meanings. This is not realized until whatwas said to the architect orally or in writing istranslated into a plan in a completely differentway.

A consultant has a double obligation of pro-tection. First, he has to protect the communityor the library from an overdesigned and non-functional building. Since public libraries usuallyare built only once in any architect's lifetime ina city, the architect has a tendency to leek tsp,..,his commission as a prestige assignment. Also,it is the consultant's job to protect the architectand the library board from a one-man library,from a library which can function only under theadministration of one librarian in the future. Thereal goal of the consultant is to produce a func-tional building, which is not only aestheticallyattractive but also one which the community canafford to maintain in the future.

MR. ULVELING: There is often a situation wherethe librarian says, "I want my office here so thatI can do so and so." You then say to him or herthat this is not a good practice, that it should benext to something else where she can do certainother things. Yet, she still wants her officehere. She is the owner and, therefore, it is hardfor any outside person to come in and dictate.You can attempt to persuade, but if you do notpersuade, you are going to have to take it andlike it.

Question: When the library board looks to the li-brarian, who is really the specialist, it feelsthat over these many years she ought to be ableZo project into that building program the char-acter and the needs of the community. It hasbeen emphasized here that there are particularproblems in a particular community of whichonly those people in that community are mostaware. What about this problem as to the pro-jection of the librarian into the contest with theconsultant?

MR. MOHRHARDT: When we talk to our clients, wepoint out that they should be thinking about or-ganizing on a completely different basis in thelarger building than the one they were operatingon in the smaller building. One of the most dif-ficult things to realize is that the new buildingis going to be very much larger, the space isgoing to be greater, and the distances for truck-ing books and so on are going to be greater.

The time to make any organizational changesis long before you get into the new building. Forexample, on the loan services, changing to atransaction system automatically reduces re-quirements for large control. If, however, thischange is not made prior to moving into the newbuilding, then you have a tremendous desk, butwhat are you going to do with it?

Placement of the librarian's office shouldalso be considered well in advance. In our ownexperience there was a case where the librarianwished to have her office adjoining the referencearea, with a glass wall so that she could be li-

brarian and reference librarian. This was pos-sible in the old building, where the space waselbow to elbow and there was not a great dis-tance to travel. But in the new building, we hadto face the fact that there was going to be alarger staff. Much more service was to be givento the public, and there would be many moreproblems and patrons.

Each member of the library staff should at-tempt to project himself into the new situationand solve the problems before he moves into it.He should question every routine that he is fol-lowing as to whether or not he could do it in abetter way. He should question whether it iseconomically sound to do it this way, or whetherit would be better to do it some other way.

MR. MULLER: If the librarian intends to transposethe old pattern into the new building but thenfinds it does not turn out right, what is the re-sponsibility of the consultant? Should he at thispoint introduce some disturbing ideas? Maybewe ought to think in terms of a different pattern.Maybe some other libraries have tried new 1. at-terns, which seem to work well. How can vie getthis element of novelty into a detailed scheme?

MR. ROHLF: Recently I asked a librarian LI writedown very roughly her ideas as to how the pro-cessing should work in a new building. She cameup with an absolute carbon copy of what wasbeing done in the old building. As a result, shehad a vast array of materials going back andforth and around because, after all, this is whatthe staff were used to doing in the old building.

MR. ESTERQUEST: Planning a building, to the li-brarian who knows what he or she is doing,should provide the necessary stimulus to a verycareful analysis of what the functions of the li-brary are and what systems are going to beused. We have often listened to talks by librar-ians in which the librarians had all the answers.Yet, is it possible that the architect could bringin fresh ideas and stimulate us to some newthinking about our functions?

For example, there is the individual who in-dicates she does not need a workroom becauseshe sits down at the reference desk. In this casea consultant ought to put his finger on the prob-lem and say, "Look here, that may be the wayyou do it now; you may have been living with thisprocess for the last five years. However, yoursuccessor will condemn you for the next twenty-five years for freezing into this new structuresomething which is simply a working habit ofyour own? The consultant and the architectcould play a very important role in pointing outto the librarian that he should think not only ofhimself but of his successor.

MR. CERNY: A doctor generally sits on a hospitalboard and he, likewise, is the worst possible


person to discuss a hospital plan. As an archi-tect, I feel that the people who run back and forthall day long in a building are the ones who knowabout that building. The janitor also knows abouta building and its problems. Therefore, a goodarchitect should visit buildings, research andstudy them, and listen. It should not take himlong, because he does this all the time, to spotthe negative qualities or negative points of viewof the transferal of working operations to alarger scale.

There should not be any conflict, but whenthere is, the consultant is eminently the bestman to resolve it, because the moment a con-flict occurs between the librarian and the board,then the architect's motives are questioned.Further, the consultant speaks with authority,and the consultant and the architect become firmallies, both being assumed competent, of course.

Qu_stion: Where dces this fourth person fit in whomnone of you have named? You have mentionedthe librarian, you have mentioned the consultant,you have mentioned the architect. What aboutthe business manager? How does the librariandeal with the business manager who is on thespot? After all, the consultant and architectmay be two thousand miles away and very busymen.

MR. MOHRHARDT: We have much the same prob-lem, not only with the business manager but withthe city manager, the mayor, or whoever else isinvolved in planning. Our solution is to geteveryone together, and then place the facts onthe table and fight for the things which we be-lieve are right. Sometimes an architect who isout of town attempts to settle many of thesequestions by telephone. This simply cannot bedone.

MR. ULVELING: In the last analysis it is a matterof persuasion. A strong business manager,strong librarian, or strong architect are strongbecause they are persuasive.

MR. COLBURN: No librarian can proceed withplanning unless he or she deliberately travelsthroughout the countrythe United States andCanadaand studies new buildings that havebeen constructed in the past ten years. Ask thedirectors what they like and dislike about theirpresent quarters. This is a valuable learninglesson.

In addition, take your architect to thesebuildings when possible, or tell him what hasbeen done, where a given building is fulfilling itsfunction, or where it falls down, and then askhim how he would resolve the problem in con-nection with your new building. It is helpful togather a great many drawings from the Ameri-can Library Association headquarters as wellas from the library literature and go over these

14 Problems in Plam2imr Library Facilities

dra.vings with him, pointing out how a previousarchitect attempted to resolve a function whichthe librarian wanted the building to achieve.

Comment: For perhaps a decade or more there willbe a shortage of professional people, and in de-signing the building this factor should be takeninto consideration. Thus, it is better to build arectangular building, where the librarian hascontrol of the entire floor, than an L-shapedbuilding, where he can see only one lane.

MR. STANFORD: I. wanted to raise a question aboutthe open arrangements of buildings as opposedto the traditional stacks. We have all been mov-ing, in recent years, toward more access tobooks, more materials in the open, both in col-leges and universities and also in public librar-ies. Therefore, the question I want to pose isthis: Whether there is a size factor beyondwhich this kind of design becomes economicallyunfeasible?

Inasmuch as we are in the process of build-ing a major structure, I did a little calculationand figured that if we interspersed books andreaders in the way the planners have done atPurdue, we probably would come sp with a four-teen- or fifteen-story building, which, of course,would be economically prohibitive. Isn't theresome point in size where you arrive at what iseconomically unfeasible?

MR. METCALF: There is no definite answer tothat question. Princeton University has felt thatit could turn its whole student body of severalthousand students loose in stack with 2,000,000volumes. At Harvard we found that after wepassed 2,300,000 volumes, to turn a large under-graduate student body loose in the bookstack washard on the undergraduate. He could not findwhat he wanted. Therefore, we started an under-graduate library.

On the other hand, I think it is perfectly pos-sible to mix your books and readers up togetherwithout taking any more space. Of course, youlose control of them and you do not supervisethem. However, if you can check the patrons asthey leave, then you are just as well off as youwere before.

We must get away from the very large read-ing areas, such as the New York Public Libraryreading room with 768 seats. Our students to-day want at least a sen.iprivate accommodation,and the way to give it to them is to mix the booksand the readers. We found that this was a goodmethod of doing so without, at the same time,being extravagant with regard to the space andits utilization.

MR. ULVELING: Is there any way you can tellwhether to build an addition or to scrap what youhave and begin again? This is a very seriousquestion in many libraries, and certainly manybusiness directors raise it.

MR. MULLER: Isn't this a question largely ofavailable funds? Our building is forty yearsold. To build a new library would cost about$15,000,000. Yet the most we can ask for wouldbe $4,000,000. In the university situation therevery often seems to be a sort of traditional limitplaced on the amount a single building projectcan cost, and, as a result, many times there is agreat misuse of lands resulting from this unfor-tunate conception.

Comment: The present library may very easily beadapted to another building for which there arefunds available, and this would be one of themeans of solving the problem. I have seen onelibrary adapted to a very fine administrationbuilding, another one to an art institute.

MR. STANFORD: It seems oversimplified to an-swer the previous question in terms of dollars.Is the present building still usable and func-tional? Does it lend itself to the addition? Doyou have space around it that can properly beused for an addition? Is its location in theproper traffic flow in relation to the other build-ings and other services that need to use it?These are some compelling questions whichneed to be considered in addition to the obviousone of dollars.

MR. ULVELING: In other words, regardless of theinclination about spending money, you are throw-ing good money after bad if you try to add some-thing to an already bad conception which hasbeen getting worse.

MR. THOMPSON: We have heard a great deal inrecent years about the college library being per-haps big enough when it has 100,000, 200,000, or250,000 volumes. In other words, it can throwaway books it does not need, whereas, in a uni-versity, you must keep most books you get. Ifthis is the case, and if the old building is smallin terms of total capacity, then perhaps the ad-dition to it might, in a sense, take nearly asmuch money as the building of a whole newstructure. If a new building will cost only halfagain as much or thereabouts, then perhaps it isa better solution than putting an addition ontoan older building.

Question: In connection with the consultant, therehave been three major people mentioned: the li-brarian, the architect, and the business manager.I can conceive of the consultant doing a majorjob of improving relations between the librarianand his own staff. What experience is there inthat connection?

MR. MOHRHARDT: Insofar as I am concerned,when we speak of the librarian, we likewisemean his staff. It is true that many hours of theconsultant's time go into the resolving of prob-lems between the staff and the administration.A practical example of this is the controversyas to whether children's books are so much dif-

ferent that they cannot be charged out and re-turned at the same desk as the adult books. Youwill find there are many children's librarianswho feel very strongly that this has to be done,and others who feel just as strongly that itshould not be done.

We think that all these routine processingtypes of work should be done by the lowest-paidmembers of the staffthe clerical staff. Thereis nothing unusual, in our opinion, about chil-dren's books which makes it necessary for pro-fessional librarians to charge them out or tosupervise their charging out. We feel strong:4ythat the children's librarian should be on thefloor visiting the child who is selecting a book,and not standing at a desk saying that this bookis too old for him and this is not suitable forhim. We want a staff and a building that will op-erate with professional people doing the profes-sional task they are trained to do and not clericalwork 80 percent of the time.

Question: The fact has been mentioned that oneshould bring the consultant in as early as pos-sible. What time can we figure in our budgetsin building up to a building program? What doyou mean when you say as soon as possible?

MR. ULVELING: You should hire a consultantearly enough to help you frame your program.Obviously, to do this, your consultant should bethe first person selected, long before you call inthe architect. This can be done a year or twoyears before. You can do this whenever you be-come serious about a building. Certainly, youshould not bring in the architect first, have himdraw something up, set up a group of blueprints,and then send them to somebody to review. Atthat time it is too late.

MR. MOHRHARDT: Earlier Mr. Metcar. quotedEllsworth and gave a figure, on a $1,500,000building, of one tenth of 1 percent. Frankly, inthe nublic library field, it would be about tentimes that amount. One should not be misledinto feeling that a good consultant, who is capa-ble of making scale schematic drawings and fol-lows through on the program completely, canever be obtained for that amount of money. Wefeel, in connection with our own work, that wehave saved the library more than our fee in thefirst years of the building's operations with re-gard to staff and operational costs.

In many cases we have been retained by thelibrary board itself, and in other cases we havebeen retained and paid by the architect. Thelatter usually has felt that we have saved himtwo to six months' time in the development ofthe project because we, as a liaison person be-tween the architect, the board, the librarian, thestaff, and others concerned can resolve many ofthe problems which it would be difficult for him,notwithstanding all his research, even to be able


to determine. This is because many of the fac-tors involved are philosophical in relation tohow a library is to operate, where it is going togo, and so on.

MR. ULVELING: In connection with fees nobodyhas mentioned whether there should be a differ-ence between a fee for a new building and thatfcr an addition. You work just about ten timesas hard on an additionin attempting to remakean old plan into something functionalthan if youstarted with a clean piece of land. Therefore, Ithink the fee schedule, just as in architecture,should be different.

Question: What suggestions does the panel make asto the building committee and the relationship ofthe consultant to the members of the buildingcommittee?

MR. THOMPSON: The building committee shouldgenerally include a good cross section of thewhole campus. It ought to include faculty mem-bers, perhaps the business manager, the super-intendent of buildings and groundsat least onsome basisas well as perhaps the dean of thecollege and certainly the librarian-, who willspeak for the staff. In some cases even theboard of trustees is represented.

College and University Libraries

Francis A. CountwayLibrary of Medicine

Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, Massachusetts

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: Hugh Stubbins & AssociatesCambridge, Massachusetts

Type of library: Medical libraryPopulation to be served: 750Area: 153,600 square feetBook capacity: '750,000 volumesSeating capacity: 720Cost: $5,310,000

Building: $4,750,000Equipment: $560,000

Cost per square foot: $30.92 (construction cost)

PRESENTATION OF PLANS

Librarian: Ralph T. EsterquestArchitect: Peter Woytuk, of Hugh Stubbins & Asso-

ciatesCritic: Alderson Fry, Medical Librarian, West

Virginia University, Morgantown, WestVirginia

Rebuttal to Critic: Robert Cerny, Cerny and Asso-ciates, Minneapolis, Minnesota

RALPH T. ESTERQUESTThe Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine,

when completed two years from now, will house thecombined collections of the Boston Medical Libraryand the library which now serves the Harvard Medi-cal School, the School of Public Health, and the

16

School of Dental Medicine. In point of size it will bethe largest medical library in the world associatedwith a medical school. It will be second in size onlyto the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda,Maryland, which occupied its new building within thepast two years.

The Harvard Medical School Library has not al-ways been large. Although the records indicate itwas founded in 1764, for nearly a century it was sim-ply a handful of books serving teachers who lecturedin medicine at Harvard College. About the time ofthe Civil War a separate medical faculty was created,and, somewhat after that, the medical faculty sepa-rated itself geographically and moved from Cam-bridge into Boston.

Over the years, the Medical School occupied anumber of locations in Boston. In 1905 the presentquadrangle of five buildings was erectedimposing,monumental buildings of white marble. This marble,incidentally, was the rejected stone of the New YorkPublic Library, bought up at a bargain price. Thefive buildings had separate departmental libraries,and this was the pattern for many years. There wasno general library for the Medical School until 1923,when some of the departmental libraries werebrought together and formed what is now the consol-idated Harvard Medical Library. As time went on,the improvised space proved to be less and lessadequate.

One reason the library did not become large insizeas, for instance, did the Law Library at Har-vardwas because about a mile away in Boston waslocated the Boston Medical Library, a proprietarysubscription library, established in 1875 by a groupof local physicians. This library enjoyed prosper-ity for two generations, with support from the gen-eral medical profession in the community. However,during the last generation, research around thecountry has become concentrated more and more inthe medical schools, and the opportunity for support

lllWli

Francis A. Countway Library of MedicineArchitect's model

has been diminishing for medical society librariesgenerally as well as for private medical libraries.During recent years there has arisen some uncer-tainty as to the future of the Boston Medical Library,even though it possesses a rich collection of re-search materials, both modern and historical.

Ten years ago the Medical School at Harvard de-termined to improve substantially the quality of itslibrary and to construct a new building to house it.Five years ago a gift of $3,500,000 was used to es-tablish a building fund, and it was determined toproceed with building plans.

Building- program

A rather detailed building program was written.It ran to seventy pages and was widely distributed,.not only in the Harvard medical community but else-where in Boston. Upon studying it, the officers ofthe Boston Medical Library decided that the timewas right to consider the merger of the two librar-ies, a possibility which had been discussed fromtime to time in the past. Now the historic momentwas at hand. Negotiations were carried out success-fully, and three years ago an agreement to combinethe two libraries was signed.

The plan contemplates bringing together in a newbuilding, at the Medical School, the collections, theservices, and the staffs of the two libraries. When

Al .

"

Hugh Stubbins Associates, Architects

reorganization has taken place, books will be inter-shelved, and the catalog and other records will beinterfiled. It is intended that it will function as asingle library. Some features will emphasize ser-vice to students; others, the needs of the practicingphysician.

After the agreement to merge, the building pro-gram was largely rewritten. Significant help wasachieved through another broad distribution of theprogram in the community. A final version wasready in September of 1961, when an architect wasselected.

Selecting an architect

One word about the selection of our architect,because I think this is very important. Ours was therare opportunity in the university-college field whenthe librarian was given every encouragement to lookthe field over and to sel.ect the architect who seemedto him to be best suited for the purpose. I had thepleasure, therefore, of meeting and talking withmany of the first-rate architects in the country. Wedeveloped a list of basic criteria on which the se-lection of an architect was based.

One important qualification was that the archi-tect should never have planned a library. Our feel-ing was that this kind of an architect could bring tothe design fresh ideas. We were immodest enoughto think that we had among ourselves, and amongthose who consulted with us, enough competence


properly to educate the architect and keep onthe track. This confidence has been borne out.

We ultimately selected Hugh Stubbins and Asso-ciates, near at hand in Cambridge. We are fortunatein having an architect with whom we can consult at amoment's notice. Another of the criteria was theability to communicate. Is the architect a personwho can and will listen and understand what you aretrying to say, and translate what you request intofunction and then into design? The twenty-twomonths that we have been working with Mr. Stubbinsand his staff have served to demonstrate that wechose wisely. It has been an effective partnership.

Among other considerations we felt we had anobligation to turn out a building that was more thanjust functional. We assumed it would function, butwe believed that it should be a distinguished buildingas wellone of which we could be proud. The ar-tistry of Stubbins and Associates has thus far indi-cated we will be getting a building that is not just aworking library, but one that will be most pleasantto view.

The site presented a number of small problems.It is in a crowded urban area. Alternative siteswere examined, but none were ideal. Finally, it wasdecided that the library should be built at a pointpreviously occupied by the nurses' residence of oneof the teaching hospitals. Unfortunately this build-ing had to come down. The site turns out to be agood one in being quite close to the majority of po-tential readers.

In connection with the user community, we areconcerned with a group which is homogeneous, inthat it comprises mature people working in medi-cine and related fields, and heterogeneous, in that itranges from students, beginning medical school, toa large number of research people. In round num-bers, our clientele consists of about 750 students inmedicine, dentistry, and public health, and 500 full-time and 1,200 part-time faculty. This is a casewhere the faculty outnumbers the students by abouttwo to one. There are also the practicing physiciansin the community, who will use the library largelyby virtue of the commitment of the Boston MedicalLibrary, which is continuing its service to thatgroup.

Building data

I would now like to present data on the buildingitself. In gross size it is 153,000 square feet. Theprice tag at the moment for construction (and this isan estimate plus or minus 5 percent) is $4,750,000.The cost runs to about $31 a square foot for con-struction. There is a 750,000-volume working ca-pacity for books. Readers are figured at 720. It isan air-conditioned building.

The general design stresses function, and it isnot unlike many recent library buildings. But insome respects we have made bold departures. For

instance, the building has an interior central court.This was rather a shocking idea for me at firstwaste space and all that. But as I have come to studyit, I have seen its virtues. I see advantages that faroutweigh any disadvantages.

Because the site was not large, we could not con-template a horizontal building. At first, I felt that avertical building was not desirable, and that a prop-erly planned library should display for the user, atthe ground floor, the major materials and services:books, periodicals, and staff. My dream, I suppose,before we had these designs, was based on the Cor-nell Library at Ithacato have all of the most-usedfunctions on the ground floor. However, as we beganto look at the number of square feet that these ac-tivities and operations would consume, it becameobvious that such a scheme would be unrealistic.Therefore, we took these materials and functionsand put them one above the other in a vertical plan.The actual distance for readers to travel, getting tothe materials, turns out to be a great deal less thanif they were traveling on the horizontal in an areathat might become as large as a football field.

There are two floors below grade and five abovethe ground. Being a medical library, the buildingmakes a sharp dichotomy between books and jour-nals. The reader who wants to consult journals goesdown; to get books, he goes up. On the floor directlybelow grade are the most-used journalsthose ofthe last ten years. The floor on the bottom housesjournals eleven years old and older. The ten-yearsplit is easy to remember, and in medicine it repre-sents a reasonable point at which one can distinguishbetween the mere-used and the much-less-usedjournals. The same arrangement applies to thebooks. The last ten years ?.re on the second floor,and the books that are eleven years or older are onthe third and fourth floors. On the fifth is the his-tory of medicine suite, with related functions, andon the top floor rented space is provided for the ed-itorial offices of two important medical journalspublished in Boston.

The entrance floor is primarily a floor whichpeople enter in order to go elsewhere. However, onthat floor we do have the card catalog, the circula-tion service, reserve books, reference service, andrelated reader services. Although there are twofloors below the entrance level, thanks to an attrac-tive sunken plaza, the first one down has the benefitof natural light. The lowest level is entirely under-ground. It is primarily devoted to the housing of theolder periodical files, the photocopy and extramuralservices, and the shipping room.

First floorOn the first floor the reserve book service is de-

signed for flexibility; by the locking of one door, theunlocking of another, and the putting up of a differentsign, the area can be quickly changed from a closed

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20 Problenzs in Planning Library Facilities

reserve system to an open reserve system, or viceversa. There is a small reading room for reservebook users. However, users of reserve books arefree to sit anywhere in the building. In the centralcourt there is a stairway from the first floor, downone floor. in the central space there are no furtherstairways, but there are four speedy elevators cen-trally located.

In addition to the card catalog, the reserve books,and the reference service on the first floor, there isalso a service desk to interpret the card catalog andto give on-the-spot reference service. At this deskthere is to be no telephone service. Telephone andmail reference service is done in a nearby refer-ence office. The rest of the floor consists primarilyof work space for the staff: catalog rooms, acquisi-tions, administrative offices, and so on.

Down one level, to the floor which is belowground but still has outside light, are, as I have said,the most-used journals of the past ten years. Themost recent issues are on display rackssome 2,700titles. Immediately at hand are the indexing and ab-stracting tools, together with the staff activity forinterpreting their use.

Readers are seated in alcoves around the out-side wall of this floor, and this is the general planon all floors. Wherever there are books and read-ers, the arrangement is to have a wide ring of booksaround the central, traffic-concentrated core withreaders out on the peripheryin alcoves equippedwith a variety of accommodations. Carrels are pro-vided, as well as tables for two and for four. Thereare two basic principles one concerns traffic.Around the central core, there is always this areaof shelves, or materials on display racks, providingan acoustical buffer. On the outside, the reader isisolatedaway from the movement of people comingand going. Readers pass in various places and di-rections, so there will be no major traffic lanes nearwhere readers are sitting. The second principleconcerns the reader. After he has found his book,he will have a comfortable place to sit immediatelyat hand. A chair will never be more than 23 feetfrom the shelf on which he finds his book.

A rectangular underground floor spreads outover a greater area than the square which definesthe building above ground. It will be used primarilyas storage for the journal collection, eleven yearsold and older, for a photocopying service, extra-mural services, shipping and receiving, a stafflounge, and a public waiting area, with exhibit space.

Second to fifth floors

There will be shelves on the second floor for themost-used monographs and a leisure reading collec-tion. This floor also will contain exhibit space and,again, readers on the periphery in a choice of ac-commodations. Certain reader alcoves can be closed

off. They are acoustically treated so that studentscan carry on a conversation, discuss their studies,comment acrimoniously about their professors, andotherwise contribute in a loud voice to the educa-tional process.

The third and fourth floors are identical. Hereare stacks around the central core, with readers onthe outside. On the fifth floor we are attempting tocreate a facility to encourage the impending upsurgeof interest in historic approaches to medicine. Therewill be a rare book reading room, with a stairway tothe rare book stacks above. This floor will providea physician's reading room for the practicing physi-cian. Here also will be a multipurpose auditoriumand a clubrooma large-sized lounge for the use ofthose groups that have an interest in rare books andthe history of medicine. The floor will be done witha touch of magnificence, perhaps with paneling and afireplace.

On the top floor is the office space for th.? twomedical journals. You may wonder why we are hav-ing this nonlibrary function. It is very simple. Thejournals, as part of their rent agreement, will pro-vide the library with the review books they receive,practinally all the important current monographsand textbooks in English, and also with a "generous"number of copies of their publications for exchangepurposes. These particular journals are muchwanted abroad; we look forward to the exchangecopies as an important part of the library's acquisi-tions program. In addition to this the journals willpay rent. In return, they will have ready access tothe collection for checking citations and other edi-torial purposes. We think it is an advantage to thelibrary to have these two journals located in thebuilding.

PETER WOYTUKThe plaza that is built around the library will be

paved with earth-colored, nonreflecting brick paversover a waterproof slab. This waterproof surfacewill be pitched outward so that storm drainage andrain water will always drain out into the open area.The drain is thus outside of any usable basementspace and, as a result, we have eliminated the prob-lem of leaking roofs.

The landscape of the library site will be keptquite simple and somewhat formal. A combinationof ground cover, ornamental trees, and tall groveswill be used, which will serve also as a buffer alongthe main artery to downtown Boston.

The use of masonry with a limited amount ofglass will pick up many of the characteristics of thesurrounding buildings. The glass areas are kept toa minimum. As has been stated, the building is air-conditioned. This was a very important considera-tion, especially to keep the solar heat gain down.The transparent glass is in the public floors: the

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main entrance and the history of medicine. Both ofthese floors will have a good view.

The building will be clad with limestone in vary-ing textures. The section between the floor panelswill have a rough finish, producing a vertical mark-ing which will be quite rich after a time. The metalparts of the building will be bronze-colored aluminum.

The rooftop view is important; neighboring class-room buildings are planned to be high-rise towerssurrounding the courtway and looking down on therod. We made an effort to integrate and simplifythe roof projections and eliminated all exposed me-chanical equipment above the roof.

The building is 140 feet square. It is laid out ona 24-foot module, which seems to be an efficient onefor bookstacks. There are no interior columns. Thestructure extends from the interior split core to theexterior. This allows for column-free space whichis very flexible and efficient.

The lighting in the typical stack space is ar-ranged in concentric rings, with the bookstacksgoing perpendicular to it, so that book space can bevaried and made flexible without loss of lightingquality. The alcoves, on the other hand, are handledwith a luminous ceiling, which again allows completeflexibility in subdividing the space now and in thefuture.

The periodicals floor is 4 1/2 feet below theplaza surface outside, and we wanted to provide anairy, fresh feeling for the readers. Therefore, weincreased the ceiling height with covered beamstructures and combined luminous ceiling panels.

The leisure reading roam is an extension of thecentral open well. It is defined by furniture andwalls at each end. The parallel beams of lightingcontinue over the space uninterruptedly. This willallow the room to be relocated, changed in size, orwhatever it is desirable to do to it in the future.

ALDERSON FRYWhen I read the preliminary edition of the pro-

gram for the new library to serve the Harvard Medi-cal Center, dated October, 1958, I was impressedwith the many sensible points made, the breadth ofthe description, and the close attention to detail. Therevised edition (March, 1961), called the working ed-ition, gave me the same impression. I thought, how-ever, that ninety pages was too long and that therewas a fair amount of repetition. However, it wasgood. When I first saw the plan, I wondered, in somecases, if the planners had read their own program.

The most obvious case is that tremendous vault-75 feet high, it would seem, from bottom to top. Ithought we stopped doing structures such as thatforty or fifty years ago. My first reaction was todismiss it with a very emphatic statement, "Oh, no,not that." However, after seeing what it did to thewhole library and the main floor in particular, I

could not avoid further comment."Here was murder, most foul, strange, and un-

naturair' Here was an overgrown chimney that con-stantly would burn space. It is most difficult toimagine how it got there. It seems it would havebeen expressly forbidden by the program, whichsaid:

"The Harvard Medical Library must not be thevictim of anyone's wish to create a tourist attrac-tion or a monument. It must be the kind of placewhere the regular users are efficiently served inpleasant surroundings. Accordingly, we must de-sign a building which will facilitate, to an optimumdegree, maximum individual access to knowledge,and it is perhaps unnecessary to say that we do notwant any reading area to be monumental for reasonof its lefty ceiling. Again, we are building a ii'-vary,not a monument. If we build a library that trulyservrs the great ends of librarianship, it will be amommient because of what gees on inside it ratherthan by reason of a high ceiling in a reading area orin a front lobby."

"Monumental" does not mean just Doric, falseflying buttresses, or bastard collegiate Gothic. Thosebuildings we now criticize for being monumentalwere once thought to be beautiful, and the architectwas not wasting money; he was, as he considered it,lifting up the spirit of man, giving a soul to the build-ing, adding dignified beauty to an otherwise dullstructure. We see it now for what it was, Veblenism,an ostentatious waste of space or material, or both.I fear that others, seeing this conspicuous consump-tion, also may be tempted to invidious comparisons.

The general size of each floor, except the bottomone, is 138 feet by 138 feet. The library has 153,600square feet. The "big hole" is 42 feet by 49 feet, or13,706 square feet. Because of the large bottomfloor, that amounts to about 8 percent of the entirebuilding and about 10 percent of the floors it occupies.About one third of the medical school libraries in thecountry serve their institutions with less than 13,706square feet.

The hole, with adjacent area unused, is 70 feetby 76 feet, or 5,320 square feet, which is 35 percentof the main floor. In other words, one third of thatlarge floor is entrance. To look at it another way,at $20 a square foot, it costs $275,000. At the costthat Harvard paid for this building, $30 per squarefoot, it cost $410,000. My library, foi comparison(a new one), serves medicine, dentistry, pharmacy,nursing, and the allied sciences and cost about$450,000; it holds about 350 people and 150,000volumes.

I am sorry to make such a point of this, but Har-vard has long been an example to other schools andthere might be, God forbid, an imitation. The Na-tional Library of Medicine also has a new libraryand clerestory but nothing the size of this one. Letus try not to start a trend backward.

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24 Problem.; in Planning Library Facilities

Ifain floor

Now, let us stay on the main floor a bit longer.Libraries tend to fall into two classes: those whichconfront the new reader upon entering with corri-dors or confusion and with the baffling question,'Where do I go to find the books?" and those whichpresent such a reader with a reasonably clear pic-ture of where to go. Ideally the reader, upon step-ping through the front door, should see at once theseveral important servicesreserve books, newperiodicals, indexes, public catalog, and the likeand know where he wants to go.

The entrance here is one of the most blind I haveever seen. To the left is the reserve room, to theright is the charging desk, and across 120 feet ofspace, the public catalog. Those are the servicesthe reader gets out of a floor of 15,000 square feet.

To get to the public catalog he can go down theright side for 120 feet, past circulation, past coatsand parcels, past the associate librarian's office,the head librarian's office, his secretary, and theacquisition librarian's office; or he can go down the

Francis A. Countway Library of MedicineSecond floor

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left side, past reserve books, the head cataloger,the catalog workroom, and the circulation librar-ian's office.

The program recognized this as a problem be-fore planning. The needs of the reader are servedwhen optimum operation efficiency is realized. Toeffectuate this idea, priorities were set up basedprimarily upon two considerations: frequency ofreader use and high service value. The prioritieswere:

1. Central core area; highest frequency activities2. High frequency areas3. Low frequency areas4. Lowest frequency and lowest service value areas

Under priority No. 3 were given, with less-used pe-riodicaLs and monographs, the administrative officesand book selection office. Under priority No. 4 weregiven the acquisition staff and the cataloging staff.Personally, I have never thought of the main en-trance as that law in priority.

On this floor there is no reader space beside thereserves. Also, if there is retrieval for the individ-ual patron by call system, chutes, or delivery ser-vice, there are few places to wait.

ItASUItt COiAtCSiGN

.011.911S, meN8GeAINS

MOST- USED MONOGRAPHSHugh Slubbins & Associates, Architects

There seems to be a partial corrective, at least,and not a difficult one, for cutting the 120 feet to thecatalog. Take either the left or the right offices,shift them to the back of the library, and put the pub-lic catalog in that space. It would save 50-60 feetper patron and put these low priority functions in amore appropriate place. This should be done any-way in order to follow the program, which says:The circulation desk should be as close as possible

to the public catalog, and it should be a part of thereserve books service area.' The arrangement willput the catalog much closer to the indexes-abstracts,as the program suggests. Incidentally, the indexes -abstracts do not fit the program, Par they "should beset down in a central area not too far from the singleentrance door." They are downstairsa minimumof 60 feet and a flight of stairs from the entranceand even farther from the elevator.

One further item on the main floor. There shouldbe a flight of stairs at the front door serving thedown floor, where the new periodicals and indexes -abstracts are, and the up floor, where the new booksare.

Other floors

After you ge. off the main floor, you are in agood library. The lowest, or storage, floor is goodand, if I read the plan correctly, has a transformerroom to hold the fluorescent light transformerswhich have a bad habit of degrading to an annoyinghum.

The floor above this one is good, except thatthere seems to be a division of the new periodicalsinto two sections, separated by that hole. The re-maining floors are also good. I did not concern my-self with the history of medicine floor and the officesfor the two journals.

There are some small general items I shouldlike to mention. There should be a janitor's closeton every floor. The air movement for a building ofthis vertical size is achieved with a remarkablysmall space. For some reason there are doors tothese conduits on two floors. The tape and record-ings library does not seem large enough for whatthe program requires, and there seems to be noplace to show slides or films. There might be aneed for rooms larger than the usual ones, for sem-inars or conferences.

There are two very fine points to this library.First of all, it has done away completely with themain reading room concept, thus truly achieving aposition of student and book. Secondly, it has mostwisely separated the old periodicals from the newand highly used ones, and does the same with the oldand the new books. This is most commendable.

ROBERT CERNYI think that the record should contain some re-

buttal, because I can see certain weaknesses in the

College and University Libraries 25

criticism and a utilitarian tendency which could mis-lead many of you in the future.

This medics: library has a student or use capac-ity of 700 students of fairly sophisticated groupcertainly a group yo... would think would be moreskilled than any us.ial group. I am not suggesting,of course, that c.ze should design a library poorly orinefficiently, but only that there is a difference be-tween the kind of students who use the library atHarvard and the 5,600 students who flow into the SanDiego Library on a kind of mass education basis.

I noted also in this program the fact that thelarger percentage of the books were owned origi-nally by the Medical Society of Boston and that thesociety continues its interest in the building. It istherefore a joint venture with Harvard. Now, to theextent that this becomes a building partly dedicated,let us say, to the medical profession in Boston, Ithink it has a perfect right to a little higher level ofquality. The danger I see here is that one plight be-gin to apply the same set of standards to two differ-ent buildings.

Now, I would hold out for efficiency in any build-ing, library or otherwise. However, I think thatmany of you may still be suffering from the reactionto the Carnegie type of library, which really did notfunction. You might continue this pursuit of functionto a point where you will achieve a kind of super-market efficiency, but I think this would destroy animportant purpose of a library.

You are, after all, it seems to me, not only deal-ing with books but proposing to foster an interest incultural subjects and good literature, and in thosethings which in the final analysis may not be quitepractical. I am not sure how practical it is to reada volume of Shakespeare. I am not sure how prac-tical it is to walk forty feet more to a card catalog.However, I do think that if an aesthetic effect is in-volved, this has some validity. I think also that ifthe Medical Society has the funds to put a $10,000statue in the middle of a lobby, this is not totallywasteful. Therefore, I believe that the discussionought to be answered and this utilitarian tendencyought to be challenged.

Now, one practical matter. It was suggested thatby having this open court, there were many thousandsof square feet lost as well as thousands of dollarswell, this is not true. This plan does not cost any-thing. You pay for the floor and the roof. I can tellyou from my exTerience in building that courts arenot expensive.

My family has often come here to Chicago duringthe Christmas season to do some shopping, and weinevitably go ever to Marshall Field's where thereis such a court. At that time of year it is decoratedand, as a result, is a joy for all to behold. I don'tthink it would harm anything if a person going to alibrary found it contained a feature that would bringsome joy, some aesthetic quality. Further, if I hae


spent two or three hours in an autopsy ruom or insome other typical medical activitymedicine doeshave some sordid aspectsit seems to me it wouldbe highly desirable to come into an area which hascontrasting quality. Magnificence, if you will.

DISCUSSION

Question: In the light of all these new electronic de-vices, particularly with regard to medical infor-mation, do you provide any room for the futurewhere these can be handled?

MR. ESTERQUEST: Those of us who have beenthinking about this building in terms of the dawnof the new machine day have been groping withthe implications of your question. We have stud-ied it. I have read the literature and I go to theconferences. The best answer that we can giveis that, when we occupy this building, we willstill be in a world of books and journals and cardcatalogs. Our plan has had to be in these terms.However, the building is flexible in respect topartitions, power lines, floor loads, and so on,so that in almost any area we can convert tohousing for machines in locations which will beappropriate for their uses.

Question: Did I understand correctly that there isno stairway down to your basement or up to yoursecond floor, which are your heavily used floors,and therefore you are dependent on elevators?

MR. ESTERQUEST: The most frequently used areain this library will be that housing the last tenyears of journals. We assume that this is goingto account for 60 percent of the total use. If youremember the floor plan, immediately inside thefront door there 'Is a sweeping circular stairthat drops down something like 12 feet into thisfrequently used area. That is one place wherethere is a central court stairway. Serving allother floors are two sets of enclosed stairways,but not part of the central court. We assumethat people want to ride when they go up. Thereare four elevators at convenient locations, serv-ing all floors. When you press one button andthe elevator is busy, then the one next to it auto-matically comes to you.

MR. FRY: Of course, the explanation with regard tothe elevator system is not that simple, especiallybecause of the core. You have available only twoelevators on the one side and two on the otherside.

Question: Do you have provision or need for anykind of call system for the medics? Will it tapinto the house call system or are you planningsome other device? I have in mind the paging ofdoctors.

MR. ESTERQUEST: The scheme that we have evolveduses the Stromberg-Carlson Pagemaster, or asimilar device. A doctor coming in, if he wishes

to be paged, picks up an instrument which he putsin his shirt pocket. It has a number on it. Forinstance, if his instrument number is 21, and atelephone call comes in for him, then all that isnecessary is that the desk attendant press mas-ter control button No. 21, whereupon the doctor'sinstrument will beep. He then goes to the "greentelephone" on the floor where he happens to be,makes his presence known, and receives his call.

Question: Do you have any provision to divide spacein your building to make possible extended oreven all-night use of certain areas and lockingthe rest of the building?

MR. ESTERQUEST: We have not We were influ-enced by the medical librarian at the Universityof Minnesota to consider this, and we listenedcarefully to an explanation of the virtues of anall-night room. However, our final decision wasthat this possibility of use was not needed in oursituation. I cannot remember all of the rationaleinvolved. What we have attempted to do is to de-sign a building which can be operated with a min-imum staff during the late evening hours. Ourpresent plans contemplate our closing all of thebuilding at midnight.

MR. WOYTUK: I would like to clear up something onlevel No. 3. The open court in the floor does nothave the dimensions that Mr. Fry cited. In fact,it is quite a bit less. On this particular level itis only about 20 feet by 26 feet for the entirestair opening. As the reader moves in, he movesdirectly and smoothly to both sides, to the eleva-tors. On the other floors, the circulation areaand galleries are on the inside of the towers aswell. If my figures are correct, about 10 per-cent of the floor area is used for circuation,and I would say that this is very good. Usuallyit is from 25 to 30 percent in buildings of thiskind. Those who read the proceedings of thismeeting would be well advised to check the arith-metic on these dimensions with great care.

There is also a history to the split-core ar-rangement, as we like to call it, and also thecentral well. We proposed three specific alter-native possibilities to the library staff, and aftera great deal of deliberation and analysis it waseasily seen that a solid core in the center, whichwas very tempting because it seemed very effi-cientand, of course, had no distinctionusedup approximately the same amount of space aswe now give to the open central well. The rea-son for this is that the mechanical equipment re-quires more return air ductwork here. The cen-tral well is now used as a return air duct, andthus, to answer Mr. Fry's question, there is in-deed surprisingly little ductwork.

Question: Do you propose to expand this building,and if so, how?

MR. ESTERQUEST: A great deal of analysis was

given to this matter. This plan does not providefor an addition or any expansion other than thepossibility of more burrowing underground inorder to create additional space at the lowestlevel. Three considerations argue against plan-ning for expansion space as such:

First, the New England Deposit Library isonly a mile away, and we can put our least-usedmaterials into that library for storage when wereach the capacity of this building. This is quitea way in the future as we have projected growthpatterns.

Second, our analysis of the medical and sci-entific literature shows that obsolescence setsin fairly rapidly. Even if this building were full,about 90 percent of the collection would be low-use materials. Therefore, it seemed auite inad-visable to me and to my colleagues to presentusers of this library with an increasingly highpercentage of obsolete materials which wouldjust get in the way. It seemed much better toweed out the collection and keep it reasonablyfresh, especially when the older material couldbe close at hand.

The third consideration is the big unansweredquestion cf the nature of the information re-trieval process twenty to twenty-five years fromnow. The assumption is that mechanization andminiaturization will eventually ease the ever ex-panding growth problem. Taking these threefactors together, we felt there was no need tobuild a capacity larger than for 750,000 volumes.

Before we adjourn, I believe it would be use-ful for me to comment on two or three pointsraised by Mr. Fry's admirably forthright criti-isms. I am partly inclined to agree that our

ninety-page building program was perhaps toolong. But I believe it is better to err on the sideof being too long than to leave important thingsunsaid. In our case, we felt it desirable to con-vey to the architect a great deal about the cli-mate of our medical community, the quality cfour educational program, the subtleties of ourlibrary objectives, and many of the intangibles.We devoted space in the program to such mat-ters as "the nature of repose" and "the properenvironment for thinking and contemplation."Harvard's educational philosophy and "how cur-rent journals are used" came into it, as well asdefinitions of "generous space." I am a greatbeliever in a full and adequate program, thatreally communicates to the architect the goalsand purposes of the library.

As to the central court being "waste space,"I will simply report that several of us in theHarvard libraries gave this matter very seriousthought. I could write a book on the ramifica-tions of this discussion. Suffice it to say" thatthere is very little "waste space" actually. Evenconsidered pragmatically, it is a tiny percentage


of the whole. Efficiency and traffic flow are notreduced more than the typical central utility corewould reduce them, and this is literally true. Bythe open court we are gaining truly importantaesthetic values and, in addition, the opportunityfor the entering reader to gain a direct view ofthe library's servicesa feature Mr. Fry hasemphasized. This overview is had by looking upand down as well as to the left and right.

In this matter of the central court, we havenot departed in any significant way from thestated objectives of our building program, which,as has been quoted, called for "pleasant sur-roundings." This element was not lightly re-quested. The floor areas around the open courtare not "waste space"; they are heavily used,horizontal traffic lanes.

It is true that the card catalog is not right atthe entrance door, but in a medical library thecatalog is not the all-important tool it is in someother libraries. Furthermore, we expect soon toconvert to a book format catalog, with copieswidely distributed. At the same time, our pres-ent catalog will not be so remote as Mr. Fry hassuggested. The reader's walk to it will consumea few seconds, and he will pass through, not afactory, not a supermarket, but a pleasant, in-deed a lovely, environment.

28 Problems in Plamzing Library Facilities

San Diego StateCollege LibrarySan Diego, California

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: Division of Architecture, State of Cali-fornia, Los Angeles BranchFrank L. Hope and Associates, ConsultingArchitects' and Engineers

Type of library: UniversityPopulation to be served: 28,000Area: 300,000 square feetBook capacity: 1,000,000 volumesSeating capacity: 5,000Cost: $9,295,000

Building: $7,445,000Equipment: $1,200,000Site: $650,000

Cost per square foot: $23 (construction cost)


Executive Dean: Darrell HolmesLibrarian: L. A. KenneyArchitect: Frank HopeCritic: H. Dean Stallings, Librarian, North Dakota

Agricultural College, Fargo, North Dakota

DARRELL HOLMESI am here to state the obvious. However, it does

need to be said that our faculty, our administration,and our California State College board of trusteesplace the number one priority on the proposed li-brary. We have been working on our library forsome two years. It is now in the planning and dis-

San Diego State College LibraryArchitect's rendering

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cussion stage, where ideas are fermenting and peo-ple are communicating, sometimes in decibels thatapproach those of a high school corridor whenclasses changt . It gets loud but it is, nevertheless,a lot of fun.

We are in the master plan phase of our planning.In other words, we are not going to present any de-tails. We are not in the schematic drawings as yet.They have not been officially approved.

What we really need today is to take a look atthe various items. In other words, we want to takea look at the million dollar items and worry aboutthe thousand and hundred dollar items later on. Weare interested in reactions to our proposals for thelocation of the library on campus and for expanda-bility. We are also interested in any way we canintroduce flexibilityinternal flexibilityinto thecampus library and in the use of equipment in ar-ranging space.

L. A. KENNEYI should like first to summarize briefly from

our building program as it is stated now. San DiegoState College was founded in 1897 as a normalschool. It became a liberal arts college in 1935.After World War II, it began to grow very rapidlyand at the present time adds 1,200 students annually.

The 1963-64 enrollment of 14,000 students willdouble by 1972 and will remain stable at about28,000. Present graduate enrollment of 3,000 willalso double. It will probably continue to be about12 percent of total enrollment.

The present function of the college is to provideinstruction for undergraduate and graduate studentsin the liberal arts and sciences, in applied fields,and in the professions except medicine, law, phar-macy, architecture, and a few others. Teacher ed-ucation is still important. The doctorate may begiven in about fourteen fields during the next tenyears; graduate work, through the master degreelevel only, in about thirty-two fields is offered now.

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Research is not a major function but is part of thecollege program insofar as it pertains to instructionand maintaining faculty competence. In publiclysupported higher education in California, the majorresearch function is still reserved to the Universityof California. A total of 237 master's degrees wasgranted in June of this year, along with about 1,750bachelor's degrees.

Old building to go

The present much-added-to, old library building,with 120,000 square feet of floor space, is to beabandoned. The new library will be organized es-sentially along subject divisional lines, like thepresent old library which contains these four divi-sions: (1) humanities, (2) social sciences and busi-ness administration, (3) education, and (4) sciencesand engineering. Added to the four subject divisionallibraries in the new library will be:

A general reference desk on the main entrancefloor, whose staff will also man the informationdesk at the card catalog

A central periodicals department for all periodicals,both bound and unbound; initially, it will contain55,000 bound volumes and 4,000 current titles

A documents department

The building is to be inviting to both undergrad-uates and graduate and faculty readers. The philos-ophy of library service expressed in the building isthat a library is more a service to students than astorehouse for books. Undergraduate library ser-vice will be separated from the graduate and re-search function about five years after the new build-ing opens, when the classrooms and faculty officeareas will move out. Otherwise, neither the under-graduate nor the research function will be ade-quately served.

The building will be as flexible as possible.This is extremely important, not only because wecannot predict future developments, but because hu-manities classrooms and faculty offices will at firstshare the building. When they move out, the librarywill take over the space. Eventual capacity of thebuilding after the classrooms go will be 5,000 read-ersone quarter of the full-time equivalent enroll-mentand 1,000,000 volumesnearly four timespresent holdings.

A major influence on the planning of San DiegoState College Library is the requirement that thebuilding conform to a pattern set forth by the Fac-ulty Senate in its "Policy Statement on Library De-velopment." The college president has confirmedthat the policy shall govern the organization of thenew library. The policy calls for: (1) a compre-hensive central collection, in one location and inone unified stack area, of more than 1,000,000 vol-umes; (2) a central reference desk; (3) a central pe-riodicals room in which all periodicals, bound and


unbound, are kept with adequate adjoining readingspace; (4) a documents collection shelved in a singlelocation, with a documents librarian in charge.

The policy says there shall be a "forms andprocesses" librarybooks, periodicals, and docu-ments rather than a subject divisional library. Aredeeming factor is the ambiguity of the provisioncalling for a central reference desk, because it doesnot specify that there shall be no other referencedesk. We are assuming we will have the four divi-sions in addition to a general reference room.

San Diego State is planning one of the largestuniversity-type library buildings in America. Nodecentralization of library services or collectionsis projected. The college will be a multipurposeuniversity-type institution.

One complicating factor in planning is the tem-porary inclusion of humanities classrooms and fac-ulty offices in the building. Another has been theFaculty Senate demand that the present subject divi-sional library be discontinued and the old forms andprocesses library be restored with its one centralbookstack, one periodicals collection, and one docu-ments collection. The library staff, however, pre-fers a true subject divisional library, but has com-promised with the faculty by agreeing to having foursubject divisional libraries and, in addition, a gen-eral reference desk and a central periodicals room,as well as a documents department. A provision ofa closed research stack for faculty and graduatestudents is being postponed until the humanitiesclassrooms and faculty offices are moved out aboutfive years after the building has been built.

FRANK HOPEWe have been working on the master plan for

two years. It has been accepted by the board oftrustees and is an official document. San DiegoState College is located along the bluffs overlook-ing Mission Valle;, approximately ten miles infrom the coast line. In this location it is the ap-proximate center of its service area. It drawsequally from north, south, east, and west. The cli-mate is delightful. The sun shines most of the time.It is out of the fog belt. Outdoor activities are pos-sible and desirable in this area.

The topography is another story. The campus isat the end of a mesa area. Splitting the campusproperty is a canyon that has been partially filledand developed. There is very little development inthe south and southwesterly portion of the campus;most of the development to date has taken place inthe north end. The concentration of this developmenton such a small portion of the campus property hasled to several serious problems. Physically gettingstudents, in ever increasing numbers, back and forthbetween the various buildings and particularly to thelibrary building, situated on the north edge, pre-sents circulation problems.

30 Problems in Planning Library Facilifies

North of the amphitheater is the proposed loca-tion for the new library building. The existing li-brary building, now in the life sciences area, willbe completely occupied by tue life sciences division.The core of the campus is seven and a half minutes'walk from edge to edge. This provides that the li-brary can be reached from virtually every buildingon the campus in about three to four minutes ofaverage walking time.

In the upper campus sector there will be ap-proximately 12,000 full-time equivalent students,and in the lower sector approximately 8,000-9,000full-time equivalent students. In the master planwe have achieved a split of this load of students,and, of course, the library then becomes the focalpoint of the campus.

I would like to say a few things about the conceptof the plan. It proposes to relocate from the centralacademic core area those items not necessary tostudents and faculty during their normal daily oper-ations. We are in the process of purchasing prop-erty to the south; relocating the administrationbuilding, the health services building, and the wom-en's gymnasium facilities; and developing parking ata large parking area in order to balance parking onall sides of the campus.

Key features

One of the key features of the master plan is thedevelopment of a pedestrian mall that will start atthe south edge of the campus and extend in a directline to some of the oldest existing buildings on thecampus. Another key feature is that automobilesare eliminated completely from the academic corearea. We have service roads on the perimeter ofthe academic core area and, of course, serviceroads also serving the buildings as required. How-ever, no automobiles will be allowed on the campus.This rule is partially in effect now and is workingquite well.

A forecourt area is designed as a student gath-ering placean important adjunct to the library; italso recognizes that the library will be the centralor focal point of the campus. Quads or courts arecreated wherever possible. The library, togetherwith the speech and drama classroom building andother buildings being undertaken, will tend to framethe image buildings of the old campus. The mall isnow under development and will be completed prob-ably this year or next.

As master plan architects, we cautioned, urged,and advised that this must be the ultimate buildingthere was no chance or possibility to make any ad-ditions to it of any major consequence. This had agreat effect on the design of the building.

The main levels of the library, the one startingat the main level of the campus and the four upperlevels, will be occupied initially and finally by a li-

brary fraction. Still to be decided is whether thehumanides classrooms and offices should be locatedin a group at the lower level, or whether they shouldbe scattered on various floors of the library. Thereare both good and bad points to this arrangement.

Flexibility is of key interest. The initial concepthas been that this library should be designed withthe same type of thinking that goes into the design-ing of a new office building. There should be mov-able partitions, flexible lighting, air conditioning,and access to power and telephone.MR. KENNEY: There will be an access to the hu-

manities classrooms and faculty offices outsidethe building. That is, there will be a pedestrianway, and it will be possible for students to enterthese classroom areas from the outside, usingseoarate entrances. This will be on the lowestground floor.

A difficult problem in planning the main floorwas the traffic and access for a building that iseventually to handle 5,000 readers. It was soonrealized that one entrance, one control pointatleast to the main floorwould not be enough. Atpresent, therefore, there will be access fromthe east, west, and north to this main floor.

The central periodicals room will be on thisfloor, as well as the reserve book room. Sincethere will be control in the reserve book roomand the periodicals room, we have an open ac-cess to the floor. Technical services also willbe here as well as the circulation areas. Theyinclude a central circulation desk area, publiccard catalog, and bibliography room. The con-trol point will be where patrons go to the upperfloors. That will be the only control access toand exit from the upper floors.

On the fourth floor will be the humanitiesdivision, which will serve some 1,400 readersand hold a collection of about 78,000 volumes.One feature will be a music listening area for82 listeners, either in large rooms, where ear-phones would be used, or in small listeningbooths.

We are going to request escalators for mov-ing the large number of students inside the build-ing, as otherwise there will have to be a sizablenumber of elevators. We do not know now manyescalators as yet.

The social sciences floor will be similar tothe others. The central circulation verticalcores will be the same, but a future and specialarea on this floor will be the documents collec-tion. There also will be a considerably largerbook collection, around 140,000 volumes, andseating for about 900 readers.

The top floor will contain two divisional read-ing rooms. There will be the education divisionwhich, at our institution, features a very largecurriculum materials center of more than

40,000 items. It has laboratory-type conferencerooms, where students who intend to becometeachers come and study curriculum materialsof other schools and institutions throughout thecountry. The sciences division will be in theother reading room. The periodicals will haveto be separated from the science books and putinto the central periodicals room on the mainfloor.

MR. HOPE: The mall that we have been talkingabout runs past the library on the west side.The library will be to the right, and the speechand drama classroom building to the left, fram-ing the existing Spanish buildings and the towerfor the campus. We want to see here a buildingwith the inherent dignity that we feel a librarybuilding should have. It is an important buildingand is going to be the most important buildingon the campus for many years to come.

Further, a building of this size, some300,000 square feet, is a rather imposing struc-ture to place right in the middle of the campus.At the present time it will be the front door tothe campus, the first building you see. We feelthat the library, as well as being dignified,should be friendly. We want people to come in-side and to see out. We also want people outsideto be able to see in. We have designed a buildingthat uses a great deal of glass. In fact, otherthan the columns and the areas at the spandrels,it will be all glass. We will use opaque glass.

The materials other than glass have not beendetermined, but I am sure some form of concretewill more than likely be used. The use of glasscreates other problems in connection with airconditioning. However, we have had experiencewith them before in a recently completed largeoffice building in San Diego, and we found thatwe could handle them even in an office building.We are hoping that the design philosophy of thisbuilding will restrict the number of small officesor rooms close to the outside walls. If we do nothave these small offices or rooms, then we canhandle the air conditioning satisfactorily, par-ticularly through the use of Thermopane andprobably glare-reducing glass.

H. DEAN STALLINGSI would like to start out by commenting on the

library program that the San Diego people followed.While the librarian quoted some of it, I would like toreiterate what it includes. There is a description ofthe San Diego College Institutional Program; its fac-ulty, graduate, and undergraduate students; and pro-jected growth. Also it includes the unique factorsconcerning San Diego's institutional and researchfunctions; a statement of generally accepted currentfunctions and regulations of library science; andarchitectural characteristicsspaces, functions,



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and relationshipsdescribed in some detail. 1 thinkthat the architects have done a very good job inthese four phases of the library building program.

I do not know how much criticizing I can do onthis building because it is still primarily in theearly stages. I believe, however, that we mightquestion one or two items. First, I think the collegeis very fortunate in being able to locate the buildingsquare in the middle of the campus. Very few li-braries being built at this stage of development havethat lucky choice. Secondly, the terrain is such thatthe main entry can be put on the third floor. Thisputs the majority of the books nearest to the patronsa very good arrangement.

I would question whether or not the trend is to-ward separate departments or periodicals depart-

ments. It has been my experience that magazinesare used a lot more if they are classified and putwith the books. However, I do know there are defi-nitely two schools of thought on that matter.

Another thing we might question is that mostschools, as they approach 1,000,000 volumes, havestarted thinking about a separate library for theundergraduates, consisting of about only 100,000volumes. Here there is going to be a student bodyof approximately 20,000, about 18,000 of whom willbe undergraduates, and this large a book collectionwill still be furnished. I suppose that this is thetrend and something that we will have to look for-ward to. Last year, for example, the college gaveout some 250 master's degrees and, therefore, itmust certainly be considered as a graduate school.

I believe the college is very fortunate, since Ihappen to be a nondepartmental library man, in that

a rule in the state administrative system statesthere can be no departmental libraries. Therefore,it is not blessed with that little problem.

One thing I do not see is this dimension of 18feet between floor and ceiling. I happen to be a low-ceiling modular supporter and, therefore, I cannothelp but think there is going to be between 5 feet and6 feet of waste space up there somewhere and thatthis space is going to cost a lot of money. The archi-tect indicates there is nothing sacred about the 18feet, and that about 4 feet of that figure will be usedfor ductwork and ventilation. So it is not all quitewasted.

A last thing I would comment on, since I built theonly library in the country without windows, is theheavy use of glass. This reminds me of the experi-ence that the planners had down at Georgia Tech.They put in windows like that in the front of thebuilding. It cost a young fortune to do so, and thenthey later found that they likewise had to spendanother young fortune for draperies to coverthem up.

DISCUSSION

Question: Will somebody allay my fears as to theproximity of the amphitheater to the library?I wonder if, when functioning, the amphitheater


would not disrupt the quiet and dignity of the li-brary facility?

MR. HOLMES: We have a real sacred cow with thatamphitheater. It is used only for graduation andholds 3,500 people. This year we had 25,000 or30,000 who attended graduation, and so it is noteven good for that. There was a movement afootto abolish it. However, since it is reminiscentof the old Work Projects Administration, as wellas has historical significance, I suppose it willremain.

MR. STALLINGS: The only other comment I have,and this is one for which there is no immediatesolution, is the parking. I suppose that, with20,000 students, some 19,700 will own cars, andparking, therefore, is going to be a rough item.However, I am told that shelves are now beingbuilt in those cliffs, and parking will be madeavailable down in the canyons.

Question: If this institution is going to remainprimarily a place for preparation of teachers,why put the collection in education on the topfloor?

MR. HOLMES: This is a historical heritage. Eightpercent of our students are enrolled in teacher

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34 Problems in Flaming Library Facilities

courses. However, we are much stronger in thesciences in terms of numbers, much stronger inbusiness administration in terms of numbers,and so on. Therefore, San Diego State is reallya multifunction college, and we will probably beoffering a Ph.D. degree within the next year.

Question: If the sciences are going to play such animportant role, why punish them by taking thescience books away from everything and puttingthem on the top floor? I think that if the sci-ences cannot have a library in the laboratorybuilding, then they should have their materialeasily accessible in the main library and, ifpossible, on the first floor.

MR. HOLMES: Then your position would lie that theFaculty Senate action which established a period-icals room really works against the interest ofthe sciences. Of course, we will take that underadvisement because we really do not want tobuild a library that is incorrect.

Comment from the floor: I think it is an open ques-tion as to whether you can develop researchfaculties in the sciences unless they can havetheir scientific periodicals and literature and ?rthe same roof with their laboratories. Here, ofcourse, where you have a very concentrated cam-pus, you can do it, but then I would seriouslyquestion as to whether the literature should notbe on the first floor merely to make it as easyfor the users to get to as possible.

We are faced with the similar problem of ascience building. We are groping with it. Thequestion is whether it may not be worthwhilefor you to have seminar rooms for the sciencesnext to the stacks with your major science col-lections. Otherwise you will have a good deal oftrafficprofessors drawing books and studentsdragging books to the classrooms. I am sureyou will have this problem unless you intend toisolate some of the collection in a small depart-mental auxiliary library, especially in connec-tion with areas such as physics. There the fac-ulty are very fussy and sometimes threaten toquit unless they have their collections rightunder their no :es.

I would like to know how you are going toseparate these reference files, such as in chem-istry and physics, from the known authorities.Are those going to be considered journals withyour periodicals? After all, some of these ma-terials are not periodicals, but they are used inconnection with periodicals. Therefore, itseems to me that at least in the sciences youare going to create a great many problems sepa-rating the books and defining the books fromyour periodicals. If there is a logical way ofdividing the periodicals in this particular li-brary, then you would follow this plan. In es-sence, I think you have to abide by the plan.

I do not believe there is a precise answer to thepro Aem that could be given.

I think there is an answer to almost any op-eration in a library. If you think there are bene-fits in staff specializationthat is to say, if youhave a specialist on the staff who is allowed toconcentrate his energies on the social sciencesor on the humanitiesthen in that case he willnot need the periodicals to do his work. Further,if you insist on the policy that the faculty haslaid down here, then you must have a generalreference service. In that case you can prob-ably still develop some kind of specializationwithin that general reference service. However,I still think that the staff is going to be greatlyhandicapped in working in this kind of operation.

I believe that the really important develop-ment on this campus is going to be on the grad-uate level, and your sciences seem to be verywell concentrated. Therefore, why not think interms of a science library that will put the li-brary books near the laboratory?

I can see how, in connection with a campuslike thisone which is going to developyoumight be much better served by having threesomewhat smaller libraries scattered over thecampus in strategic locations, bringing themcloser to the classrooms and to the laboratory.At the same time you will still have a feasibleand fairly economical operation. I don't think,however, that this possibility has ever beentested.

I think I am correct in stating that the Cali-fornia State College system has established 25square feet as the standard for a reader, ratherthan the 30-plus square feet which has been setby most of the authorities today. I am wonderingwhether you feel this is an inconvenience and ifyou are cramped under this restriction?

MR. KENNEY: I would say that the reader spaceon our campus is not quite so small as indicated.There are 25 percent of the total buildings whichhave a 25-foot standard, and they do provideadequate facilities.

Question: I am a bit curious when I look at this planand see the central communications through useof escalators, elevators, or whatever it may be,in the central core. How did you get by withouthaving a stairway on every corner of thebuilding?

MR. HOPE: Circulation has not been gone into indetail. We do hope to restrict vertical circula-tion to the middle of the building. Of course, wecan provide for as many as four exits or what-ever fire regulations will require.

MR. METCALF: I would suggest that before youget too far along with your plans you have otherstudies made. One you shot.ld have made is

whether you can get 5,000 students and 1,000,000volumes into that 300,000 square feet. I am notsure you will be able to make it without too muchpinching. Secondly, there should be an analysismade, in connection with an all-glass building,as to the costs in connection with heating andcooling and protecting it from the outsideweather. Thirdly, you should have a study ofthe expense of the 18 feet from floor to floorI presume this will add something to your cost.I think those are three basic provisions that youneed to study very carefully before you completeyour plan.

Question: I would like to r,now why the architectchose this type of plan, where practically the en-tire building is made of glass.

MR. HOPE: The style of architecturethe archformis important to the campus. If you hadthe opportunity to walk around this state college,you would see arches of every type and descrip-tion: natural arches and other types, also archesof every kind of material. This is more or lessa consistent style which should be somewhat fol-lowed through in connection with any other build-ing. Therefore, as consulting architects, weadopted this form of architecture so that all ofthe buildings would harmonize.

As to the glass, I agreefrom a cost basisthat it is going to be more expensivethat it isgoing to cost more to build and operate a glassbuilding than it would to build and operate a con-crete building. However, we just cannot affordany more big square boxes on the San DiegoState College campus. We have several of themnow. We need a building that will be distin-guished and add something to the campus. Abuilding this large, a building of 300,000 squarefeet, in a solid material, would be unacceptableto us in this location and probably in any locationon the campus as well.

Question: I would like to ask the audience if glassis functionally undesirable for a library?

Comment: I understand there is a lot of sunshinein California. I have never been there, but thenthere is also plenty of it in New York. Theamount of sunshine usually varies, as anybodyknows, during certain times of the day.

I have discussed this problem completelywith our architect, and we agreed that the north-ern and eastern exposures can have more glass.Likewise, it would be very bad for the books, forthe readers, and for the air conditioning to havea lot of glass on the western and southern expo-sures. During at least five months of the year,at least in our area, the sun shines rather merci-lessly, and this presents a problem with regardto glare on the books and readers. Of course, ifyou are interested in bringing in a decorator,then you might put up some drapes.


Question: How do you arrive at this division offloors equally and exactly for sciences and ed-ucation and all the rest of the divisions? I didnot know they came out that way.

MR. KENNEY: Those areas have not been definitelyassigned, and we will solve that problem as wecome to it.


University of WaterlooArts LibraryWaterloo, Ontario, Canada

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: Shore & Moffat and Partners, Toronto,Ontario, Canada

Type of library: University library for the human-ities and social sciences

Population to be served: 3,000Area: 67,785 square feetBook capacity: 240,000 volumesSeating capacity: 926Cost: $1,650,000

Building: $1,500,000 (estimated)Equipment: $150,000

Cost per square foot: $21 (estimated)


Director of Planning: Michael BrooksArchitect: William Greer

University of Waterloo Arts LibraryArchitect's rendering

Librarian: Mrs. Doris E. LewisCritic: Archie McNeal, Director, University of

Miami Libraries, Coral Gables, Florida

MICHAEL BROOKSThis presentation should not be restricted to the

library building. It must be related to the manner inwhich the project is being carried out, the academicfunction of the library, and its physical surround-ings. I shall sketch for you the manner in which weorganize and administer a project such as the con-struction of a building on a university campus. Mr.Greer, a partner in a firm of architects in Torontoand the representative of that firm to the University,will tell you about our campus master plan andsome of the details pertaining to our library building.He is a master planner for the new Canadian Asso-ciation of Architects and Engineers, known as Uni-versity Planning Architects and Consulting Engi-neers. His firm also is indirectly involved asadvisers in the design of furniture for the newlibrary. Mr. Greer will discuss the campus plan-ning insofar as it affects the library and the archi-tecture of the building.

Then, Mrs. Lewis, our highly competent librar-ian, will tell you about the function and operation ofthe library. She will relate it to the academic pro-

Shore & Moffat, Architects

gram and will enlarge on the details of layout offurniture within the building.

First, I should give you a bit of background onthe University. The construction of the physicalcampus started in 1958, though our first classeswere held in temporary accommodations in 1957.We expect to have a total undergraduate enrollmentin the coming fall of 2,400, of whom 1,400 will beengineering students, 600 art students, and 400 sci-ence students. The 1,400 engineering students arecooperating students and so, as a result, only halfof them are on the campus at any one time. We areplanning to meet an undergraduate enrollment of6,000 by 1970, plus 850 graduate students. This6,000 will comprise 3,000 art students, 2,000 engi-neering students (cooperative), and 1,000 sciencestudents. Therefore, you see the explosion is near,and we expect it mainly in the arts.

We possess a trifle under 1,000 acres of campus973 acres to be exact. The campus plan relates tothe 250-acre segment which will accommodate the1970 enrollment. We do not know as yet what weare going to do with the other 750 acres. We are,therefore, very flexible. We have spent to dateabout $15,000,000 capital, and we anticipate that by1970 we will have spent $45,000,000-$50,000,000.

Development of program

The actual organization and administration of thedevelopment to our present early-working-drawingstage are as follows: First, for some two yearsprior to the preparation of the brief, a rapport wasbuilt up between Mrs. Lewis and Mr. Greer. Allthree of us, as well as our vice-president of finance,attended the American Library Association Confer-ence in Ohio two years ago. When the program wasprepared by the University, there was already somemutual understanding between the University andthe architects as to what was what.

Then the program was prepared on the basis offunction only. This was written by Mrs. Lewis onthe basis of her knowledge and ex-periene.e. It alsoincorporated the thinking of a committee which rep-resented the broad cross section of the faculty ofthe University. Some sections were written by my-selfthose relating to matters not directly influenc-ing library functioning.

A copy of the program and sketch plans was sentto Dr. Maurice Tauber for his comments. He of-fered his constructive criticisms and suggestions,which were acted upon, and the final sketch plansincorporating these changes were prepared. Whilethis was going on, Mrs. Lewis was conferring withher library staff, and I conferred with the presidentand vice-president of finance.

A final point is that the administration is to behoused in the library until 1967. (It will not be untilthen that the administration building will be corn-

Cu !lege and University Libraries 37

pleted.) This is not an unusual state of affairs. Theadministration's requirements were not allowed toprejudice the library design to any degree whatso-ever. In fact, our architects were not informed ofthe administration's requirements until after thesketch plans were completed and approved.

WILLIAM GREERI think that after what you have heard, you can

realize that the main function of the architect is tobe flexible, somewhat like a librarian. We havefound that our role regarding the library has beenone of searching and listening over a number ofyears.

We started some two years ago, when we wentto the Library Institute at Kent State. We feel thatin searching and listening we can recognize theforces which come to bear on a problem. These in-clude not only the program requirements, but alsothe academic and economic atmosphere of the Uni-versity. I should underline the word "economic."In long-range planning it has been a particular ad-vantage for us to have been the master planners aswell as architects.

As has been stated, the University is now justunder 1,000 acres. When we did the master plan, itwas just about 250 acres. We had always said itshould have more space than 250 acres. Therefore,we now have a master plan and have our library lo-cated in relation to that master plan. Some verybrief thinking since then seems to indicate that thelibrary is still in the right place on the campus.

I am sure you will agree that the student is themost important person in the planning of a campusand of a library. In the case of the library, it is thestudent and the research person who uses the li-brary. The librarians, administrators, and archi-tects should not forget this when they are planning,since the University and the library or any otherbuilding does exist because of them.

The library is a focal point today for the student.The student can, and should, approach it from all di-rections if it is centrally located. In the case ofWaterloo's campus, the library site happened to beone of the highest points of land on the campus. Italso serves as the focal point to the community.Likewise, it is an outward expression of the Univer-sity community to the population.

The library is centered between various clustersor cells of buildings representing engineering, thearts, and the sciences. The requirement has beenthat a library should have one entrance for control.Ideally one would like to enter the grounds and thelibrary from any direction, particularly on a pedes-trian campus where there are no cars. Based onsuch a premise, the building does not have one fa-çade but four façades. The repetition of architec-tural design is precast concrete, and the windowsare almost identical. inis has been the factor inthe design of the building.

38 Problems in Pla nning Library Facilities

Landscaping

The scale of a building must be closely relatedto the individual who moves around the building.Therefore, the particular spatial relationship be-tween the library and its surrounuing buildings is ofmuffle importance. This space must be useful andpleasant in feeling. It is for this reason that ourfirm has strongly felt that landscaping plays a par-ticularly important part in a campus. We considerthe landscape configuration and planting materialto be of prime importance. This building was defi-nitely designed to be noticed.

The previous campus buildings have been simpleand repetitive in architectural form. As there wasnot an endless amount of funds coming in fromgrants and fund drives, they have been particularlyeconomical. We have tried to maintain this samepattern with the new library. As a focal point, itcan share in some of the savings, even though some-what more expensive.

The campus was planned for 6,000-7,000 under-graduate students. It is quite likely that in the de-velopment of university expansion in Canada now,and in Ontario, particularly, universities shouldplan for 50,000 students. Some of them, of course,are planning for more than that. As in many cam-pus plans, the parking is isolated from the buildingsand pedestrian area.

The first stage of the library cuts into the hill-side. One side provides access for service vehiclesat the lower level and, if necessary, for students inwheel chairs, who may then use elevators to theupper floor. The arcaded section is undercut about13 feet below the upper floor, providing for somecontrol to the larger lower windows.

The upper floor has small strip windows. Thesesurround the stack and reading areas and providefor reading spaces at the perimeter of the floor.The glass used in the windows will be glare-reducing, even though there are some windowswhich are but 16 inches wide. They are, however,centered on a 4 feet x 6 feet basis and are modularfor the stack development. The material betweenthe windows will be precast concrete bearing panels.The windows are small and recessed enough to givea certain amount of sun screening.

There are no columns at the outer wall. Thecolumns are at the inner section, on the upper floor-ing. The arcaded floor will all be poured concrete.The lower floor will be the same, with facing oflocal stone. The purpose of the arcade is to isolatethe readers on that floor from those who may bepassing nearby. It provides some control. It affordsa place where a student may sit on a bench and studyin the shade, moving around the building as the sunmoves. It also bears some relationship to the sum-mer months, to the student who is not necessarilystudying inside but may be waiting between lecturesand who will go to the focal point of the library. At

this first stage, the only elevator to be provided willbe that for service. This will be a book elevatorrunning at about 200 feet a minute.

Top floors

The top three floors are virtually unknown pro-portions. In other words, what we are doing is pre-senting a study to find out whether the proportionsare right or wrong. We feel, in studying the pro-posed height in scale with the campus and the town,that it is a correct height for the building. There-fore, we are now merely planning structurally andmechanically for those three upper floors. Theymay not go on, but with the flexibility we have inconnection with the construction it would be unwisenot to make this provision.

The arcades are the same on all four sides andcan be approached by students from the main en-trance as well as from other directions. However,the only doors which open into the library are atthe front location.

The richness of the visual effect has beenachieved through the modulation of space outsidethe library. The library is a break from the mate-rials of other campus buildings where buff and grayand brown brick are used. The library will be agleaming whitea dull-white type of precast con-crete. It will have a copper roof maintained inbrowntone at both levels and, further, some localstone which is gray in color. Inside the librarythere will be warm colors: whites, grays, andbrowns. Low maintenance materials have been se-lected. The program has allowed 1 percent for artin the building, and this will be intimate art ratherthan a monumental piece of sculpture in any onelocation.

The buildings will have acoustical ceilings, with9 feet from floor to floor on all but the main en-trance floor, where the distance will be approxi-mately 10 feet 6 inches. There is space above thisfor ductwork, and we have provided for six changesof air per hour. There is a relative humidity ^on-trol, and the heating and cooling rooms for thisbuilding are remote from it, in another sectionalor regional heating plant.

The electrical fixtures will provide 70 foot-candles at table level and an average of about 50foot-candles in the stacks. The lighting will belower in connection with the lower shelving. Thiswill, of course, be achieved by using the same fix-ture but reducing it to one tube where necessary.Also, we will have telephone and intercom systemsin the building.

We have selected a 27-foot square bay. Thebuilding, as I have mentioned, is square, partiallyfrom the location on the campus as a four-facedbuilding, equal on all sides. The 27-foot squaremodule allows 3 feet for the stack lengths and 4 feet6 inches, center to center, for the stack spacing.

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Both of these involve factors of 27. We are propos-ing to use a poured concrete flat slab construction,because this dimension has proved to be an econom-ical one for such construction. The selection of the27-foot module has been based on that, and also onthe fact that one of the requirements of the librarianwas that the study desk be 4 feet x 16 feet, and anyother size than 27 would not provide economical useof the bay or adequate aisles.

MRS. DORIS E. LEWISI would like to emphasize that this is the arts li-

brary for the University. Two years ago a majordecision was made at the University. We persuadedthe science and engineering faculties to share a sci-ence and engineering library. This was a compro-

mise since each had a small departmental library.Thus far, this compromise has worked quite well.All faculties of science and engineering work closelytogether, and in the case where we have a number offaculty people engaged in research, they seem toshare materials required by both. We also have avery strong department of mathematics which ser-vices both those faculties, as well as the facultyof arts. Therefore, mathematics, science, and en-gineering materials are located in one wing of thepresent engineering building, which is close to thescience building as well.

The arts building will contain all the materialsin the social sciences and the humanities. It willalso contain the library administration and the tech-nical processes for the whole University librarystructure.

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We feel that as the University grows, the librarymay tend more and more to become a research li-brary. If the enrollment of the present Universitygoes beyond the 6,000 anticipated for 1970 (and thereis no doubt that it will do this), we think the under-graduate colleges may be established on additionalland that we have gained and they will have their ownundergraduate library. This present library wouldthen tend to serve undergraduate honor students,plus graduate students and faculty. I think this pos-sibility has somewhat influenced the design.

It is an open stack library, and I believe willcontinue to be so. It has not been planned for even-tual closed stack. It is not at present divisional,and will not be divisional in the beginning. We feelthat we are too small to set up additional divisionswith the science and engineering divisions alreadyoperating separately. However, in our plans wehave considered that eventually we might need a di-visional arrangement. We have provided a service

University of Waterloo Arts LibraryThird floor

41

desk on each floor. This, we think, might very wellbe a reference center for those floors. The divi-sional materials would be arranged according tofloors and also according to the Library of Con-gress classification.

This first plan also allows for a concentrationof all periodical materials in one area. Our facultyasked for this specifically. They desired currentperiodicals and bound periodicals to be together.We feel we may eventually change this. Our boundarticles are classified, and so we can put them inthe general stack arrangements, if we want to,later on. We may also put current periodicals indivisional arrangements and then create simply ageneral periodicals section with a reading area as-sociated with it. We know there are many areas inwhich we cannot make a final decision, but we thinkour planning is flexible enough to make futurechanges.


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University of Waterloo Arts LibraryFourth floor

Main entrance

The main entrance of the library allows for aturnstile in traffic so that "out" traffic must passthe circulation desk. This circulation desk alsoserves as a reserve books desk. We feel there isnot much point in having reserve books unless theyare controlled. We do not have tremendous num-bers of these, but there is shelving accommodationfor up to 10,000 volumes if necessary. There arealso some reading accommodations nearby, andstudents can, of course, taKe their reserve booksanywhere in the library.

The display materials in the general lobby areawe expect to be removable. We hope to get thesematerials on casters, so that if this area should be-come congested, displays can then be removed. Thecard catalog is in a central position. We hope thatit will not be too far from the circulation desk andthe main entrance.

The elevators are close enough to the circulationdesk to do away with the need for a book conveyer atthe desk. We prefer to transport our books to thestack by book truck. There is a service desk forthe catalog and reference service quite close to thecatalog area.

The reference office is more isolated. Here wewill handle interlibrary loans. There also is roomfor the use of borrowed microfilms and microcards.Major accommodations for film and card readersare made elsewhere.

The office of the librarian can be moved. Thewalls are not permanent, although we hope they willbe relatively soundproof. We may move the admin-istrative offi.zes up to that small fourth floor. I donot feel it is absolutely necessary that the office ofthe librarian be on the main floor, but I think thatwhen we begin in this building, it is a good placefor it to be.

There is a very large technical services areaof 7,500 square feet. I have never talked to a headlibrarian who was satisfied with the size of his tech-

nical services area as his library grew. We haveattempted to think far ahead. Perhaps we may haveerred, but we do feel that this area, as our technicalservices are set up, will handle our volume, whichcould well be 40,000-50,000 volumes a year. Atpresent we are handling 20,000 volumes with quite asmall staff. We cherish our catalogers and ourhead technical or acquisitional people. We supplythem with private offices. I often wonder why morelibraries do not do this. I feel it very important,because I have found that we get extremely goodproduction by giving these professional people theirown offices. For your information, we have cata-logers handling 5,000 titles a year-8,000 volumes.Of course, we think this is quite good and that theoffices help in giving us this kind of production.

The technical services area is designed so thatthe material flows in a fairly even pattern from oneend through to the other end without any backtrack-ing. We work the acquisition and catalog servicesvery closely together so that no process or search-ing or anything of the sort is repeated.

First floorThe first-floor level contains the receiving area,

a storage area for gifts, and an unprocessed materi-als area. I am glad to say we do not have a greatbacklog at the present time. It also contains a bind-ing preparation area. We do not do our own binding.I am sure that we will also have a multilith machinehere. At the present time, our cards are repro-duced by the University Press. It has three multi-lith machines, and our material all goes throughthem. We might very well have our own machine inthe library.

We attempted to arrange the audio-visual areaso that the service desk could serve both the audio-visual area and the periodicals area. We think thiswill work out.

We likewise have lecture room which will hold65 people. We did not desire a large lecture roombut did want one where films could be shown toclasses up to that size. Also, it will be used withgroups coming in for instruction in use of the library,and as a projection room so that a faculty membercan preview a film. We have listening and browsingaccommodations and microcard and microfilmreaders.

We have provided a browsing and smoking area.Perhaps we would be doing the medical professiona good turn by eliminating the smoking area. How-ever, I am sure these patrons would then go else-where. I like to keep people in the library. We feelthe smoking area is a concession on our part butwill make everyone happy.

There are likewise on this floor a staff lounge,a small kitchen, and two rooms labeled "Cots? Ourlabor laws require that we have this accommodation.


We also feel that it might be very helpful for libraryusers as well as for library staff people occasion-ally. A faculty member might just pass cut from theexcitement of finding some rare gem in the library!

Stack areas

We have attempted to concentrate in one part ofthe floor plan all the areas where there have to besoundproof or permanent walls; we thus relieve theremainder of the floor for flexibility as to use. Wehave tried to keep our stack areas toward the center

that people will sift through the stack areas tothe reading areas around the outside. We think thisarrangement creates less confusion and noise. Ourfaculty desired a closed study with cubicles, and sowe have provided one on every stack floor.

We think that, insofar as floor materials areconcerned, broadloom is o:r best bet. We havetried it in our smaller library, and we are im-pressed with its durability and tremendously quieteffect. People seem to be quiet az soon as they stepon it. We plan to put broadloom on our first floorand probably to have rubber tile on the rest of thefloors; we feel we will have more quiet with rubberthan with any other form of tile.

We plan to put our rare books and special col-lections on the fourth floor. We think that this willbe about the right size, and we will provide a littlemore luxury here in the way of furnishings and

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decor. The other floors are all much the same.There are a few arrangements a bit different on oneof the floors where we have conference, seminar,and faculty study space.

ARCHIE McNEALFirst of all, I would like to declare my amateur

status. I have enjoyed the opportunity of looking atthe plans for the University of Waterloo Arts Li-brary. The statement of program for the libraryhas been thoughtfully and carefully prepared. Clearand concise information is provided with regard tothe functions and interrelationships desired. Pro-jections of student population and library growthsupport a proposed timetable for additions.

The fact that the first floor (or basement) mustbe given over to space for administrative officesfor a few years is unfortunate but must be accepted.Planning such space in terms of its ultimate libraryuse lessens the discouragement, and it should al-ways be kept in mind that this is library space.

The first floor is 156 feet 6 inches x 156 feet 6inches. The second floor is 138 feet x 138 feet. Thethird floor is 164 feet x 164 feet: The fourth floor is83 feet 6 inches x 83 feet 6 inches, while floors five,six, and seven are to be 110 feet x 110 feet. Therole of a critic is not to find fault but to be construc-tive and helpful. It is, therefore, in that frameworkthat these following points are raised.

Book elevator

The book elevator located adjacent to shippingand receiving on the first floor may not be intendedfor service to this department. If it is, it is too farremoved from the circulation desk at its second-floor outlet, and its location on the third, fifth, sixth,and seventh floors is poor for service of the bookcollection. There may also be a need for a pneu-matic tube system when the second stage of thebuilding is undertaken.

The binding and repair area calls for a washbasin. This does not show on the plans. The brows-ing and smoking lounge is so located that it does notallow observation and supervision from the desk ad-jacent to the records workroom unless added staffare planned. Therefore, this location may need tobe reconsidered.

On the second floor there is a tendency to puteverything on the one floor, and this is admitted inthe statement of program. This is going to be acrowded floor. Having just lived through a buildingplan, I recognize the desire to want to have every-thing there. It looks to me as if every area on itwill be crowded, particularly since you are not goingto have the facilities that you have proposed for thebasement or first floor. It might be desirable toconsider the relocation of certain areas to the thirdfloor, one of them being the administrative offices.

I do not mean the fourth floor, because I do not ap-prove of that. After all, the rare books section isgoing to be there, and, as a 1-esult, you will be intoo rare an atmosphere and people may not find you.

The third floor would be appropriate at this timeto consider. Periodicals and current periodicalsare planned for the basement, and yet you are pro-posing to place the periodical indexes on the secondfloor. I would move the periodical indexes, currentperiodicals, and back files to the third floor. Thiswould then clear up a little more space for the ref-erence reading area.

Your statement of program lists a certainamount of space and a certain number of people youwant to put there, but space is not available the wayit is planned. I counted the seats and the shelf spaceand found that you do not have the space in the ref-erence area called for in your statement of program.

Offices

In the matter of the location of the circulationlibrarian's office, she is hidden and cannot see any-thing. I would think her office and workroom oughtto be just reversed, and her office have glass aroundit; then she can see the operation of the circulationand control desks.

Tht. other point with regard to office space youhave already covered in what you have said aboutvaluing your catalog librarians and cataloging staff.I think they are being overevaluated when you puteach one of them into a separate office and thusmake it difficult for their typists and clerical work-ers to get to them every time a problem arises.However, this is merely a matter of personalphilosophy.

The location of the public toilets is a nonexis-tence on the second floor. They are called for inyour statement of program, but are not in the archi-tect's plan. They are provided in the basement; how-

ever, you have already stated that you are not goingto have a basementthat is, it is going to be admin-istrative offices. I am sure that they are plannedfor and will be appropriately located. But you donot have any provision for them on the second floor.On the third floor they would not be adequate, con-sidering the traffic load and the number of peopleyou will have in the building. Drinking fountains,while mentioned in the brief, do not show anywhereon the plan or drawings that I have.

DISCUSSION

Question: What is the floor height?MR. GREER: It is 9 feet on all floors except the

second floor, which will be 10 feet 6 inchescleared.

MR. FOWLER: As an architect, I have a number ofobservations I would like to make. One of them

is a feeling that the building is going to appeartoo massive. It is an overwhelming structure,and it is in very strong, dramatic form. I ques-tion its sympathetic qualities with your otherbuildings.

I feel that perhaps to lower the building andeven depress it into the ground a couple offloors, having the entrance in the middle of thebuilding, would ease the circulation. At thesame time, it would diminish this overpowering,dominant force that will be created in the centerof the campus.

Secondly, and in relation to the first floor, Ifind no stimulating interior spaces within thisbuilding. There will be no fun, no excitementin the building. I think you saw that the newHarvard medical library was really a magnifi-cent, stimulating, very fine architectural entity.There is no question there are certain problemsin the Harvard buildingminor circulation prob-lems. But contemporary architects are givingmucn attention to this aesthetic qualitythisfeeling of space and wonderful charm. It maybe criticized on a cost basis. By the sametoken, there are both rich and poor, and the rich,who can afford these things, should give them tous. They should allow us to go in and experiencethese spaces. They certainly are not going tosend the money that they might have saved toother institutions. Simply because you have tocross over this area to get to the catalogs, youare also going through a wonderful environment.Therefore, it becomes a stimulating experience.It seems to me that a person is well justified bytaking this devious route.

My only other point of criticism regardingthe plan is that the mash entities within thebuilding itselfthe physical spaces that havebeen created within the buildinghave a tendencyto be nonintegrated and articulated solely fromthe fact that you can move in any direction. Theyare not cohesively held together. I feel this, es-pecially, on the first floor. The same thing istrue on some of the other floors. I believe thatthese spaces can be brought within the core itselfand create a much finer articulation and over-allspace throughout the library itself.

Question: In relation to the 70 foot-candles lightingin the reading areas, is this a standard figure, oris it lower or higher? It seems quite high to me.

MR. GREER: It is a standard figure. The AmericanLighting Institute, I think, is the body whichpasses upon this.

Question: Is this standard the one established in thestudy made at the Firestone Library at Prince-ton?

MR. GREER: This is a basic standard on any build-ing for reading at table level at the present time.Of course, each year it goes up and up. It usedto be 50 foot-candles.


Question: I understand that this building, when con-structed, will be completely air-conditioned at acost of roughly $20 per square foot. Is thatright?

MR. GREER: Yes. The central cooling equipmentis not included in that price, nor is the centralheating equipment.

MR. TAUBER: I want to make one observation inconnection with what Dr. McNeal said with re-spect to the separate offices for the catalogers.This is an innovation I raised questions about,myself.. Mrs. Lewis convinced me, from herexperience, that separate quarters for the cata-loging personnel would pay off and has paid offin production. Anytime anybody indicates thisto me, then I am for it.


University of Illinois,Chicago Campus, LibraryChicago, Illinois

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago,Minis

T...be of library: Undergraduate library and officeof the Instructional Resources Service

copulation to be served: 9,00C; ultimate, 20,000Area: 142,000 square feet; ultimate, 500,000 square

feetBook capacity: Ultimate, 1,000,000 volumesSeating capacity: 1,430; ultimate, 8,000Cost: Building$3,993,616Cost per square foot: $26 (estimated)


Chairman: Frazer PooleLibrarian: Edward HeiligerArchitect: Walter A. Netsch, Jr.

FRAZER POOLEThe next two library buildingsat the University

of Illinois, Chicago Campus, and the State College ofIowa are quite different in concept. Both repre-sent individual solutions to two different sets of re-quirements and conditions. Both, however, followthe same general plan of organization. The plancompletely mixes books and readers. It has beenvariously called the infitsion plan, the. interspersedplan, and possibly several other names.

The infusion plan developed after World War II.However, the basic concept goes back to 1913, whenN. L. Rainey developed the library at Johns Hopkins.The difficulty there was that he had to work in thecontext of a fixed building. You cannot develop theplan in a fi.ied function building; you can develop itonly in a modular building with great flexibility.

EDWARD HEILIGERThere are two campuses at the University of

Illinois in Chicago. There is the Chicago Profes-sional College campus the medical school, nursingschool, and school of pharmacyand the ChicagoUndergraduate Division at Navy Pier. We will beconcerned Lnight with the plans for the change fromNavy Pier to the new Congress Circle campus.Each campus has its own vice-president and its ownsenate, but is closely tied to the Urbana campus.Foth libraries in Chicago are under the general di-rection of the Director of Libraries of the Universityof Illinois at Urbana.

The Chicago Undergraduate Division was organ-ized just after the Second World War to take care ofthe veterans. There were about 4,500 in the firstenrollment in 1946, and the enrollment has stayed atthat figure, more or less, ever since. The onlychange in character in the enrollment through theyears has been a tendency to add more and moreupper division courses, although the division is stilllargely a lower division operation. Degrees are notgranted, but the students go to Urbana to finish uptheir work; others of them likewise go to other uni-versities.

Since the University was founded about a centuryago, there has been talk of establishing a full-fledged state university in Chicago. However, itwas not until this branch was established at NavyPier that talk became really serious. Five yearsago a bond issue was passed which provided moneyfor a new building, and $50,000,000 of the bond issuewas set aside to establish the new campus. The li-brary staff felt strongly that it should have some-thing new and different in the way of universitylibraries.

Data processing

One new approach was the use of data process-ing. Therefore, for the past five years under FordFoundation grants we have spent a great deal oftime and money computing, on a computer basissystem, information for a new library. This isgoing into effect on the new campus. Our researchis now at the stage where we feel that we can haveit ready for the new campus.

Policy has been set for completely centralizedlibrary services. We had to go all the way to thepresident of the University to get this decision. Itwas quite a fight. The arrangement now is thatthere will be no more than any one faculty depart-ment which will have bookshelving. I do not knowhow well this will work out, but at least we are get-ting started. The buildings will all be close to-gether, and se will have computer-produced cata-logs in each faculty department. We plan to have,in effect, delivery service from the central library,so that a professor can look into a nearby catalogand call for certain materials to be sent to him.They will be sent promptly. We feel that this ar-rangement may help in keeping a trend toward thedepartmentalized library from developing toorapidly.

Another interesting feature of the building is theOffice of Instructional Resources. The library hasbeen involved for years in closed-circuit televisionwork and in audio-visual work for language teaching,listening to music, and so on in connection with pro-gram learning. When the decision had to be madeas to where to put these facilities on the new cam-pus, it was decided that they should go into the li-

brary building. Non.! of us liked it, but the more wethought about the library as being part of a commu-nications center, the more we favored the idea. Wecould see possibilities of using the facilities, plannedfor closed-circuit television broadcasts from the Ur-bana and the Chicago campuses, for transmission ofcomputer data and perhaps of photographic materi-als brought in for microstorage from a distant cen-ter. We decided we could make considerable use ofsome of the facilities.

Therefore, we have provided for an Office of In-structional Resources in the library. This has cre-ated some special problems, particularly an exit

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control. However, we think we ilave that solvedlikewise.

Building features

One of the features of the library building is thesize of the building bays. They are 30 feet x 45 feet.I wanted to call them modules, but I was correctedand told to identify them as building bays.

Books will be arranged in classification order inthe first phase of the building. The first phase is

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not going to last long, perhaps only two years. Mr.Netsch will be pointing out to you how this scheduleaffected some of the decisions the architect had tomake. The building will be air- conditioned.

We failed to get acoustical floor covering, but Iam still hopeful we may have it sometime. I haveseen the building that Siidmore did out at ColoradoCollege and I liked the carpet. There carpeting hasbeen used effectively. The maintenance has provedso inexpensive that the cost of the carpeting is morethan taken care of. However, our taxpayers did notlike carpeting; they considered it a luxury, and itwas decided that we would not have it.

There are two main facts which I want to men-tion. One of them has to do with the importance ofthe library staff participating in library planning.Everybody came in on the act, and if the buildinghas shortcomings, no one is going to be able to saythat he did not want it that way. All had an oppor-tunity to say what they wanted and what they did notwant. Further, the architects were extremely help-ful. Whenever we wanted to have a staff meeting inrelation to a particular problem, we would callthem, and they always sent someone from theirstaff over to work with us. We also received con-siderable help from the University of Illinois staffat Urbana and from the Library Technology Projectof the American Library Association. I would liketo acknowledge our thanks to both of them.

Walter Netsch, who will explain the work of thearchitect, was in charge of the planning for the AirForce Academy. The Grinnell College building wasthe work of his team. Also, they did the JohnCrerar Library, Skokie Public Library, and ColoradoCollege Library, and now they are working on thenew Northwestern University Library and the YaleRare Book Library.

WALTER A. NETSCH, JR.Navy Pier, which had been in operation since

World War II, involved a decision to build a new li-brary and new campus. This meant a complex situa-tion in terms of site selection and final developmentof a site in the total master plan.

The key points I wish to discuss are the relation-ship of the building to the master plan; the problemof expansion flexibility of a campus of 9,000 saidentswhich is to increase to 20,000 students within possi-bly eight years; and the introduction of the Office ofInstitutional Resources into the library as a program.I also wish to consider the relationship of automationto the future of the library; the problem of entranceflexibility on a large campus; the book-reader rela-tionship within the library proper; and the concertof a library in terms of three-dimensional shaperather than in planned sections. I likewise want tocomment on the transition of this library from acommuter, undergraduate campus to a graduate

campus, and the use of structural materials in thetotal visual concept of the University.

The University of Illinois, Chicago Campus, atCongress Circle will contain, when it is complete,20,000 undergradulte students and 3,000 graduatestudents on an urban site of 106 acres, with parkingfor 6,000 automobiles. The library originally willbe 150,000 square feet; later it will expand morethan 200 percent to 450,000 square feet. We aretalking in terms of planning for an immediate and afuture situation. We are at the confluence of all themajor expressways in the Chicago area. Further,we will have mass rapid transit to the city as wellas automotive transportation.

With this complex of buildings, together with theprovision for 20,000 students, the campus will beone of the most intensely populated in America. Itis going to be urban in character and completelypedestrian within the academic area. It will includehigh-rise and low-rise buildings which will relateto the needs for the campus.

Center planning

Everyone would like to be in the center of thecampus, and everyone feels that the most importantfacility is the academic training of his particularenvironment. This is, in many respects, a justifia-ble position. In order to resolve this problem, weattempted to see how many areas we could get intothe center.

We had, to begin with, a very complex urbansituation and a site of 106 acres interspersed withstreets. Not all streets could be removed. Thosethat could be removed could not have the utilitiesbeneath removed. Therefore, there was a networkof streets that would be retained, and streets thatwould be closed but not made completely unusable.

The large parking lot will contain 3,000 automo-biles. It is located immediately off the expresswayin order to keep the cars out of the community. An-other large parking area also will contain provisionsfor 2,000 cars. Both cross streets. Therefore, asystem was devised for raised walkways, or ramps,to get people to the second level over the streets.Mast of our buildings can be entered from the firstor second floors and will have an automatic, naturalflow of traffic. This leads to special problems inthe library, but pro rides a unique opportunity tomake use of the areas about the center of thecampus.

There are five circular areas and a large publiccross street connected to the two raised walkways.The walkways come from the parking lot below andfrom the mass transit facilities above. In the centerof the area is the lecture center. This contains fa-cilities for 5,000 students. It also contains 26 differ-ent kinds of lecture rooms. Immediately surround-ing these are the classrooms.

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The center focus includes the campus access tothe library, the student center, the lecture rooms,and the classrooms. Farther out are the laborato-ries, which have a longer use time for the student.The high-rise building has a seminar classroom ar-rangement with faculty offices and will eventuallybe primarily the humanities and the college admin-istration building.

The concept of the campus and the position ofthe library are very much like a drop of water, withthe greatest amount of energy invested in the center.It contains the lecture center and movement of peo-ple to and fro. This has expanded the principlewhich was first really started in commercial struc-tures, such as shopping centersinto a campus plan.From the lower level, where 5,000 students can behoused in various-size lecture rooms, it is possibleto enter the library directly in the middle of thecenter bottom bay.

If the library usage at any time is not extremelyheavy, the students can take the stairways to the leftand right to the main entrance of the campus at theraised plaza level. However, if the student load forthe University is heavy, the control area immediatelyon the inside can be opened. This is one way of al-lowing for the expansion and contraction of studentuse in relation to library functions.

While we are starting off with seating for ap-proximately 1,500 students, we could expand toserve as many as 8,000. If we had 8,000, that wouldbe 40 percent of the 20,000 student population. Withthis much usage of the library, it is quite obviousthat both entrances would be required.

Internal planning

The lower ground level of the library is the ini-tial. phase for the undergraduate campus and is pri-marily an area of reserve books for the students.The reserve books are immedh 'ely on the inside ofthe vestibule. They control the moving in and aboutthe campus. From the reserve books area, you canmove to the left or to the right; you then have anarea of browsing on the far left bay and also onthe far right bay.

The important thing is that immediately behindthe reserve books control are the offices of the In-structional Resources Servicethe teaching-machineresearch study area. It is there that access by thestudents can be handled by the reserve reading desk.We have a control situation that allows this particu-lar area to be involved in the total library activity.

Two cores represent the vertical services forthe building. There are future specialized elevatorsfor servicing the technical areas. There are fourmajor stair wells for servicing all of the areas in-side the library. Centrally located between themare laboratories.

Rather than to create a structural area that wasbased on the 3 feet x 4 feet 6 inches or 3 feet x 4 feet2 inches, we tried to achieve a bay large enough tocreate a more flexible system. The bays now are30 feet x 45 feet. The double columns have provi-sions for expansion joints for future constructionof the ultimate 500,000 square feet.

Let us look at the 20,000-student campus fromthe raised walkway level. If one does not enterfrom the lower area around the lecture rooms, onewould come in over a large plaza. This allows10,000 students to circulate back and forth betweenclasses and permits them to enter the library di-rectly off the raised plaza.

Use of glass

In the lower level there is glass from the floorto the ceiling. In the upper levels there is consider-ably less glass. The glass in the lower level has an11 percent transmission, and so it is not glass inthe normal sense of the word, which has a 90 percentlight transmission. Low-transmission glass per-mits greater control, obviates the need for Venetianblinds, and permits light to come into the building,thus allowing small expanses of open space to countin the environment.

The catalog area is about 20 feet from the imme-diate front entrance. With the development of theuse of automation, this area will have to be re-planned in order to allow for the telephone-book typeof catalog. Therefore, we will eventually have herea relocation and reforming of space and equipment.

On the left-hand side of the entrance is the cir-culation desk. Immediately adjacent to the vesti-bule, and on the right-hand side, is the referencedesk. Adjacent to the circulation desk are new ma-terials and also current and bound periodicals, bib-liographies, and references. There is an immediatefeed to the vertical elevators that I mentioned ear-lier. The technical services connect with the cardcatalog. Obviously, then, we do have a drop of watersituation immediately in the center of the plan, inwhich technical services feed to bibliography, cata-loging, and periodicals.

On the outside of the building are windows at a90° angle to the outside wall, which form smallspaces. One of the major problems here was theattempt to reestablish more intimate scales withinthe large environment of the building.

The distribution of books and readers relates tocurrent number of volumes at hand and estimatedfuture arrivals at the new campus. Carrels are in-fused at one end of each of the book sections.

Floor plans

From the center we go up the stairs and see therare book room in the middle, with a glass display

inside. Nearby is a desk control for governmentdocuments. This area extends to two inside workingspaces or typing rooms adjacent to the vertical cir-culation. On the right, we start with the social sci-ences and continue into fiction, history, travel, andgeography. Interspersed are carrels and readingareas adjacent to windows for informal readers.This plan permits expansion capability doubling thesize of the building by 200 nercent in three directions.

The fourth floor is merely a continuation of read-ers, books, and the general collection. Here are en-gineering, science, and the fine arts. The fine artsare serviced by a control desk which not only con-trols the fine arts program but is closely related tothe recordings area. Again, there are group studyrooms and typing rooms to the left and the right ofthe vertical cores, and an infusion of readers andbooks in the literary category.

The six large wells are two-story spaces sur-rounded by individual carrels. We found out thatone of the most exciting places to study was one ofthree-dimensional space and, further, that readerslike to be private. Outside the third and fourthfloors, we have reader balconies which can be usedby the students in good weather. They likewise actas a 10-foot overhead, protecting the glass in allcases.

The basement contains the television studios andworkshops for the Instructional Resources Service.It also contains rooms for automatic equipment andthe library staff.

The materials in the building are brick, texturedconcreteboth sandblast and poured formand alu-minum window:3 which contain a ground glass with alow light-transmission factor. The windows are notat the edge of the building but are perpendicular to it.

The large column and double girders expand theceiling to 12 feet. There are really waves of ceil-ings, some 9 feet and some 12 feet. This is to pre-vent a feeling of oppression from a constantly lowceiling. Fluorescent lighting is installed in theceiling.

DISCUSSION

Question: Have you considered the elimination oftwo entrances?

MR. NETSCH: We have essentially one entrance.We have an optional entrance for the time whenwe have 8,000 students; it is adjacent to reservereading, which is essentiallyin the long-rangeplanthe undergraduate library. The upperthree floors are to be primarily the upper divi-sion and graduate area. This connection in thevestibule permits, if the lower entrances areclosed, a walking-up to the second floor. There-fore, essentially, we have the option of a single


or a double entrance, depending on the demandsof the campus. I think that if we attempted toget 8,000 students out of one entrance, it wouldbe a disaster.

Question: What are your story heights from floor tofloor?

MR. NETSCH: The story heights are 12 feet for theentire structure plus 10 inchesabout 13 feet.

Question: Are there any cost data available?MR. NETSCH: The library is costing about $26 a

square foot, including the basic core area whichhas been planned for the larger library. We hadthe interesting problem of planning a small li-brary that we knew would get large. We had tointegrate into some of the first phase the ulti-mate technical services of the latter. Therefore,it is really hard to evaluate, in terms of a build-ing like this, just what the actual foot cost is asof the moment.

Question: Do you know the percentage of assignedarea to total gross area?

MR. NETSCH: I could not give you that numberbroken down specifically. Do you mean technicalservices opposed to research space, and so on?

Question: The total assigned area as compared tothe total usable area.

MR. NETSCH: It is about 27 percent.Question: How many people will the building sit at

any one time?MR. NETSCH: At this phase, about 1,500.Question: I did not get a clear picture as to how you

plan to expand. Would you comment on that again,please?

MR. NETSCH: We can expand the building in threedirections by simply extending the bays. It canextend 90 feet south, 90 feet north, and 90 feetwest.

Question: Not vertically?MR. NETSCH: Not at the top. In the future most

of the reader-book arrangements will be in thelarger, unencumbered area, back of the core andextending farther left, right, and to the top.

Question: Did you consider vertical expansion?MR. NETSCH: Yes, we did. In fact, the whole cam-

pus was designed that way, and we went througha study on building the whole campus into onebuilding. It had skip-floor escalators, would oc-cupy about 15 acres, and be 25 stories high.Later on, after further discussion, we went tothe present plan.

Question: Did you design the mechanical servicesfor the ultimate building or just the present one?

MR. NETSCH: The plans are rectangles that subdi-vide. In other words, the typical core is net allin the middle of the building. It is distributedthroughout and helps define the bays. Thus thecores serve only the lineal systems, and therewill have to be additional vertical risers.


Question: What type of heating system does thisbuilding contain?

MR. NETSCH: The campus has a chilled-Watersystem from a central area. There are no pent-houses on the building, and we have fan unitsonly. We do not have air conditioning.

Qutstion: Is the entire building lighted with lumi-nous ceilings?

MR. NETSCH: There are some special areas, butessentially the illumination is 75 foot-candlesthroughout. The University of Illinois gave usthree criteria: it wanted to develop a ceiling inwhich the lights could be replaced without remov-ing the horizontal cover; it wanted to develop abuilding that would eliminate Venetian blinds be-cause of the cleaning problem; and it was attempt-ing to develop as many techniques for low upkeepas possible. That is really why we lost out onour carpet. We could not prove that you couldcarpet a floor more economically than you coulddo it the other way. In connection with the light-ing techniques, we have a special light fixturewhich has a hung effect. The serviceman canreach up and in and change the light fixture with-out removing the cover.

Question: What was the thinking on the creation ofwells?

MR. NETSCH: These wells are there for two rea-sons. One of them is to give added perimeterfor the double exposure on the two floors. Also,they are a gamble on the fact that the librarianswill make up their minds to need more spaceand one or two will be roofed in before you arefinished.

Question: The costs that you gave were based onthe general contract and did not include furnitureand equipmentis that right?

MR. NETSCH: That is right. I do not have a figureon the furnishings and equipment. For example,since the carrels in a single row were too long,we are going to break them up. There are alsocertain other items we want to do some researchondifferent kinds of carrels and different kindsof seating for the commuter student. These arein the process of discussion and developmentwith Remington Rand, who has the primary re-sponsibility for the equipment for the building.I believe that Mr. Heiliger would like to addsome points that I undoubtedly overlooked.

MR. HEILIGER: There are conduits ".lilt in aroundthe whole building for a teletracer service orsystem, so that when someone comes into the li-brary and expects a call, he can take with him alittle instrument which will buzz if he is wantedat any time. We do not have the cost of theequipment approved as yet, but we do have theconduits built in, and we can install the equip-ment if we receive the money for it.

The approximate figure for the total construction cost is about $4,000,000, and if I wereto hazard a guess on equipment, it would bemaybe $500,000 or somewhat less than that.

State College of Iowa Library

Cedar Falls, Iowa

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: Thorson, Brom, Broshar, Waterloo, IowaType of library: CollegePopulation to be served: 4,950Area: 92,500Book capacity: 300,000 volumesSeating capacity: 1,100 (estimated)Cost:

Building: $1,355,147Equipment: $175,000-$200,000 (estimated)



Librarian: Donald 0. RodArchitect: Oswald H. Thorson

DONALD 0. RODWe are a college with an enrollment of about

5,000 students. This is more than double what itwas nine years ago. We are expecting upwards of8,000 students by 1970 and perhaps 10,000 by themiddle seventies. We offer an undergraduate pro-gram, both teaching and nonteaching, a master's de-gree, and the degree of a six-year specialist in edu-cation.

Our library has increased in the last ten yearsfrom just under 70,000 volumes to 312,000 volumesfor the current year. The collections number more

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than 200,000, and we are growing at the rate of about10,000 volumes annually. We receive 1,300 periodi-cals and have around 5,500-6,000 reels of microfilm.

Our building planning began about 1959, althoughwhen I went to the institution in 1953, one of my firstjobs was to preempt a part of the campus for a futurelibrary building. The building was to be built in units.In 1961, $1,500,000 was appropriated by the legisla-ture for unit number one of the new building. Ofcourse, $1,500,000 is a lot of money to us. Construc-tion was begun on the first unit in October, 1962, andwill be completed between April and June of 1964.

When we began planning, we set up several com-mittees. There was a faculty committee which oper-ated early in an advisory capacity. I likewise had astudent committee formed simply to answer a fewspecific questions. However, the administrationturned the whole responsibility for planning thebuilding over to me, and I had a free hand.

We had numerous meetings before we developedour program, and throughout the planning and theconsulting with the architects I had two young menon the staffMr. Howell, the coordinator of publicservices, and Mr. Alford, coordinator for the tech-nical servicesworking with me. They were a goodsounding board and made real contributions to theplanning.

Mr. Thorson and I, as well as the director of thephysical plant, made trips to several libraries, andthen another member of this architectural firm at-tended the Kent Institute with me. The firm hadnever planned a library, but it was a marvelousfirm to work with. The architects were open-minded. Further, they were located only six min-utes away from my office. I suppose I had at leastfifty interviews with them. They did not cram any-

State College of Iowa LibraryArchitect's rendering

11Pr's 16 ..,7L

Thorson, Brom, B rosluw, Architects

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.

58 Prole ms in Planning library Facilities

thing down our throats. If the building is a well -designed one, it is to their credit.

The library building is oriented toward the east.It is a three-story building with a total of 92,500square feet. The contractsgeneral, mechanical,electrical, and elevator, exclusive of furniture andarchitect's feescame to $1,355,000; and in turn re-sulted in a square foot cost of $14.68. Mr. Thorsonwill point out some of these costs and also empha-size that they should not be charged against thebuilding for various reasons. This being the case,the square foot cost would then be somewhat under$14.

Building plans

We will have seating for 1,100 students; this willinclude at least 400 (and we I e 500) individual car-rels. We are planning a total of 275,000-300,000volumes in this unit. There are three levels, onebeing below ground but with windows on two sidesbecause of the creation of a partial moat. The mid-dle level is the main level and is reached by abridge which crosses the moat. The upper leveloverhangs 4 feet, thus giving protection from directsunlight to the main level.

There are no windows on the west side sincethis is a temporary wall. There has been a veryjudicious use of windows, not in any sense for lightbut mainly for psychological reasons. On the toplevel, there is only one narrow window in the mid-dle of the wall of each bay.

The building is modular. The distance betweencolumns is 252 feet in both directions, with morethan a 24-foot clearance between tho columns. Thebuilding is constructed mainly of rec Roman brick,with precast concrete panels below the windows onthe main level.

There are 12 individual studies, approximately3 feet x 9 feet. There are 11 group study rooms,approximately 8; feet x 14 feet, separate rooms formicromaterials and newspapers, a browsing room,and 14 individual and 4 double typing rooms.

The building is completely air-conditioned witha double duct system, the air coming out through thelight fixtures. There is Thermopane glass through-outa darkened glass, eliminating some of the glareof sunlight. The light fixtures are of the recesstype, and we are using polarized fluorescent lightingwhich will maintain an intensity of about 60 foot-candles. The ceilings will be fiber glass acousticaltile.

There will be an extensive use of walnut panelingon the columns and in the walls of the various rooms,along with vinyl fabrics of various sorts. The floor-ing will include some carpeting and rubber tile onthe main level, and on the other two levels, vinylasbestos tile.

Library location

To the east and to the south of the library areclassroom and administration buildings. To thewest and to the north are the residence halls. Thelibrary is in a very strategic, central location. Wehave plenty of room to expand to the west. We alsohave a multibuilding with footings and columns tosupport a fourth level; in fact, the roof of this unitis a poured concrete floor.

The building is approximately 234 feet wide and127 feet deep. In other words, that is 9 bays wideand 5 bays deep, 45 bays on each level. Besides theample space for extension to the west, there is anice park around the entire area.

What we wanted was a good place to study and anattractive building. Also, we wanted to orie -xeo-ple, after they entered the building, and dispersethem immediately to the various floors. Almost allof the staff are on the main level.

When you reach the lobby, you have a number ofPossibilities. If you turn to the right, you will finda browsing room which will have a colle-lion of2,000-3,000 v.-Ilumes. Farther on down, you willfind the rest rooms and the lounge back of the stairwell. The same will be true of each floor.

The stair well is an example of how the archi-tects and the library staff resolved a major problem.The architects wanted to put in a circular staircase,but we did not. They exercised their ingenuity withan elliptical staircase. On the landing will be hung apiece of metal sculpLure which one of our artists onthe campus has been commissioned to create. Thesum of $7,500, or one half of 1 percent of the budg-eted amount, has been set aside for origiaal artworks to be included in the building.

To return to the lobby, the student has the optionof going straight ahead into the readers servicearea, where the reference and periodicals collec-tions will be housed. This readers service complexis simply an extension of the reference service. Itwill be staffed with four professional librarians, whowill be generalists but also will hare some special-ization in the social sciences, fine arts, and the hu-manities. Each will have a private office. The ser-vice desk will be outside. The staff here are notgoing to be simply reference librarians; they will beresponsible for analyzing and building the book col-lections. The reference collection will be shelvedon standara, freestanding shelving.

The micromaterials room will contain cabinetsfor upward of 10,000 reels of film and a number ofreaders. Two typing rooms there each will containa reading machine plus a typewriter. The currentnewspaper room, to the north, will have floor-to-ceiling glass walls on two sides and be informallyfurnished.

Near the readers service complex will be anarea for recordings. We expect to have about 2,000-

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60 Problems 172 Planning Library Facilities

3,000 recordings when we open the building. Thelistening facilities will coasist only of earphones:When we build the first unit to the west, we will thenexpand the facilities. Also on this floor are threegroups of study rooms and a number of typing rooms.

Circuiction desk

To return again to the lobby, after the studententers the building, to the left will be the main cir-culation desk. Here also will be the check-out pointfor the exit. We will have this set up so that therecan be three lanes of traffic at the heaviest times.We have, at the present, about 3,000 students a daycoming into our library. We expect that when weopen this building, we will have about 5,000. We arenot talking about a great flood of students, and forquite some time these three traffic lanes will takecare of any exit problems.

Back of the circulation desk we have reservebooks in a temporary location for the next fewyears. However, we are expecting to ask the legis-lature for another $1,000,000 two years from now toadd unit number two. The card catalog is oppositethe reserve books and the circulation desk, and tothe left of that will be the bibliography center, serv-ing both the public and technical services.

We have one elevator which will be used prima-rily as a staff elevator. We feel that if studentshave to gc up one floor or down one floor they canwalk, but for the older faculty members and studentswho may not be able to use the stairs, the elevatorwill be available. It is located between the technicalservices area and the circulation desk area. Wehave a very small rare books complex, and this willdouble as a room for committee meetings and so on.

We are initiating a central serials record roomwhich projects into the technical services area. Ithas been planned to keep the doors in the technicalservices area locked. However, there will be a dooropen to the public areas so that research patrons orstudents can still come in. We have a bank of 28-tray cardex units. We are going to have a micro-phone telephone in the room so that when a requestcomes in from the readers service desk or someother part of the building, the person on duty canwalk over to the end of the room, get the answer tothe question, and carry on a conversation throughthe amplifier telephone. The ceiling heights of thebuilding are roughly about 9 feet 5 inches, or 91 feet.

Upper level

The bulk of our book collectic,n will be on theupper level. We are planning an arrangementwhereby we will intersperse books and readers.The periphery of the floor is lined with individual

carrels. You will remember that this floor projects4 feet from the lower level, and so we have spacefor carrels all around the outside.. We hope to seatupward of 500 or so students on this floor.

There are 6 group study rooms and a complexof special rooms and facilities. The rest room andthe lounge are behind and near the stair well. Wehave a room for graduate students, more typingrooms, and a bank of it) faculty studies. The one atthe front of the stair well is designed with a glassfront for any professional person we may need onthis floor. We are hoping that we do not need anysupervision or service on this floor, but we arehedging and planning for this possibility, never-theless.

Lower level

On the lower-level floor we will have mainly ourbound periodicals, probably the 0-100's. We wantthe first sections of the 0-100's here because wewant the volumes adjacent to the undergraduate li-brary science program in this building. On thisfloor we also have 2 faculty studies, some moretyping rooms, and 2 group study rooms.

We have a special complex of books called"youth selection," which is a model school library.The model collection of about 12,000 volumes servesthe library science department, the education depart-ment, and the methods courses in all of the subjectareas.

Between the classroom and the youth complexwe have a room which will have a triple purpose. Itwill serve as a second library science classroom, aroom where the youth collection librarian can meetwith groups of students to explain the collection, oras an open room for individual study. We also havea small room for the archives and an area for ar-chive material. This is a facility that is just begin-ning; we hope it will grow as the years go on and, asit donc, it will be moved elsewhere. We have a stafflounge which is approximately 16 feet x 24 feet, witha full kitchenette unit. We have an excellent tele-phone intercom system developed, and we expect toget it installed as soon as practical.

We have auxiliary staircases, which do not leadto the outside. We have emergency exit locks onthem and a system for the opening of these locksthat is zontrolled through the main circulation desk.We have had very little trouble with our students inour present building. Of course, at the beginning ofthe summer sessions we do have students who, oncein a while, simply and ignorantly walk through thesedoors. However, thus far they have caused rela-tively little trouble, and we think that this systemwill work out. In the final analysis, these doors areprovided in compliance with the regulations of thefire marshal.

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OSWALD H. THORSONIf you become involved in the building process,

you should realize that the program you present toyour architect is extremely important. If you de-velop a good program, it is going to save the. archi-tect a tremendous amount of time. We urge that youfirst develop a well-written and well-verbalized pro-gram. In this situation we were fortunate to haveone.

On this campus we had a hodgepodge of build-ings constructed all the way from 1860 to 1940 and,as a result, we had to design something that wouldbe in harmony. This was a question that we dis-cussed at great length with the administration, andwe finally decided that all materials we used wouldbe harmonious. There are some architects who feelthat their building should be the model of the yearand of the century, and they do not take into cogni-zance any of the surrounding factors.

In the cost of $14.68 per square foot there werea number of items involved which were really notpart of the library itself. We had, for instance, theheavy roof construction, which would provide foranother floor. This amounted to $25,000, or about29C a square foot for the over-all cost of the build-ing. We also had a heating duct problem, whichmeant that we had to run the heat drop below thefloor of the building. This, on the basis of bids re-ceived, amounted to 40C a square foot. These spe-cial items ran the cost to over $14. There was alsothe service drive, which is actually not part of thelibrary. Putting all of the pertinent figures together,we arrive) at the cost of $13.50 per square foot, withwhich we were very pleased.

DISCUSSION

Question: What :3 your vertical story height?MR. THORSON: About 12 feet. The finished ceiling

is about 9 feet 4 inches; it is a luminous ceilingwith fluorescent lights. The lighting costs$25,000 for the building, which amounts to about40C a square foot for the entire area. We wereusing polarized lighting in only 80 percent of thearea, and this broader use in effect raised thecost per square foot. We spent a great deal oftime investigates ng the matter of lighting andtried a number of different mockups and fix-tures. We went to a number of different manu-facturers, and then our mechanical engineer andlibrarian themselves worked on this at quitesome length.

We started out with a series that ran all theway from 50 to 70 foot-candles. We were verymuch concerned with the foot-candle illuminationthat we would receive on the bottom row of thestack. Thie we felt was a critical problem. Weare now up to about 60 foot-candles of polarizedlight, and the experts to whom we talked have


stated that 60 foot-candles of polarized light isfully equal to or perhaps better than 90 foot-candles of unpolarized light. The number ofwatts is the same either way, and so your heatgain, which is always the problem in the libraryin connection with air-conditioning and powercosts, is about the same. However, we do feelwe are getting consideraLly more eye comfort.

Question: You leave m with the impression thatyou have endeavored to put too much on the firstfloor, thus giving it a cluttered appearance.Have you thought about moving acquisitions onthe ground floor?

MR. ROD: This was one of our real problems. Weused a flannel board to start with in order to in-dicate the areas we wanted adjacent to eachother. We wanted to get all we coup: on thisfloor for obvious reasons. If I could have hadone mare bay each way, the problem would havebeen a little easier. However, we think weachieved what we desired. We have adequatespace in the technical services for at lease halfa dozen years, and by moving the wall out andthen extending it somewhat to the west, we thinkwe have a good solution for the future. We mayhave to move the reserve books section out.

Question: With the modules at 251 feet, how wouldyou space your double ranges? Normally wethink in terms of centering them at 61 feet and4 feet. How would you center yours in orderto use up a 251-foot module?

MR ROD: We are going to intersperse the readingareas and we will pick up the excess spacethere. Let's say that we use 3-foot aisles (wecertainly are not going to use anything else). Weare convinced that we are going to continue withthe 36 inches, at least for a wane. Also, the ref-erence collection may require a little more space.

Question: Are you conce-ned about the reader spacehere? Would you say you had sufficient seatingfor 1,100?

MR. ROD: We would like 4._,) have much more seat-ing space. I might add that I had requested$2,000,000 to serve a student body of 4,500.Well, the committee on the campus cut this downto $1,700,000, and then the governor chopped outanother $200,000. Actually, we were gettingabout 96,000 square feet out of $2,000,000, andthrough the ingenuity of the architects we real-ized 92,500 square feet out of $1,500,000. Re-member, we are planning immediate expansion.We are never going to realize this fabulous 40percent seating, and I am not convinced it is ab-solutely essential. I would like to have our per-centage higher and, when we add the next unit,a much higher percentage will go for seating.We have a rather large number of residents.I believe we had about 4,500 during the pastyear, and there will be about 5,000 next year.


There will be 4000-4200 full-time equivalent,and we have from 60 to 70 percent of our stu-dents housed on the campus.

Question: Have you made any provisions fcrsmoking?

MR. ROD: We are allowing smoking in the lounges.This is ore of the questions we put to the studentcommittee. The students felt that if we providedadequate lounges on each fl Jar, they would muchprefer this. When unit number two is built, I havea feeling tha . we will probably create larger areasfor smoking. However, it was the .!ommittee'sstrong feeling (and most of the students on thecommittee were smokers) that it preferredsmoking segregated.

Question: What percent of this seating is in carrels?MR. ROD: We would like to move eventually toward

about 80 percent. However, the reason we arenot providing a higher percentage in this firstunit is that we have a good deal of equipment thatwe have to take from our present building. Someare tables seating six and four We are usingthis equipment, expect to add to it, and will comeout with probably 400-500 stations or carrels.

Questicn: I was quite surprised at the number oftyping rooms you have. Are you providing thetypewriters? Are you having metered typing?

MR. ROD: About half of these rooms, or slightlyless than that, will have rental typewriters inthem. The number of typing stations also sur-prised us a bit, but the way that typing is in-creasing in libraries influenced our decision.If we have overshot the mark, we will cut downthat much more in unit number two. I mightalso add that some of these typewriters will beused from time to time for readers with blindstudents.

Question: Do you require any special acousticalequipment?

MR. ROD: We are working on special arrangementsfor the sake of the typist.

Question: I wonder why you put your newspapersinto a separate room?

MR. ROD: Mainly because newspapers are a head-ache. They are noisy, messy, and cluttery. Wehave a separate newspaper room now which welike, and we have continued it in the new building.

Question: You indicated a 91-foot ceiling. Why?MR. THORSON: To give us just enough clearance

above the stack height. If we had less, we wereafraid it would be too small. We did have troublegetting our double duct system into the ringspace. The construction system is a typical 7-inch flat slab with drop panels, and there aretaper caps on the columns. There.forefwe havea minimum construction thickness. With thissize we are able to run our ducts through and,at the same time, hold to a good size and get bythe mechanical engineering.

MR. ROD: I would like to say that if the architecthad pushed that ceiling down much lower, I wouldhave objected. I have visited probably forty orfifty libraries during the past three years, andwhenever a ceiling gets down below 9 feet I feelthat " is pressing down on me, especially inlarge areas. I have been in libraries with lessthan an 8-foot ceiling and I do not like it, and Ithink that people in general do not like it. Wediscussed this rather carefully and we indicatedthat the height should generally be around the 9-foot mark. There are a few places where thereis some ductwork and the ceiling does comedown to 8 feetsmall areas, I believe.

Question: What are you going to do with the old li-brary building?

MR. ROD: That building is probably the most mag-nificent building on the campus. It is fifty-fiveyears old. If the architect will forgive me, Iwould like to say that I would not be surprisedif it will be standing after the new building drops.It has tremendously high ceilings. It did notseem advisable to add to it for a library, andso we sold the board of regents and the statelegislature on the idea of using it for class-rooms.

Question: Going back to the price per square foot,I agree that yo'i received some excellent bidsin connection with your $14 per square footcost. I remember that the University of Illinoisquoted $26 per square foot and Waterloo quoted$20 per square foot. Was your figure of $14 asquare foot due to the brick you purchased orsome other economy in connection with buildingmaterials?

MR. ROD: No. I think we came up with this figuresimply because we had a lot to do and ratherlimited funds to do it with. I might add that thearchitect assures me that the building is prop-erly designed.

MR. THORSON: I can add something in relation tothe cost. We are in an area where we do nothave high union scales. The operator or generalcontractor is a so-called union operator, but heoperates with nonunion local help. Only theskilled trades are unionized. We had a big argu-ment because of the fact that the mechanical con-tractor was not union, and for a while the jobwas picketed. However, the situation finally wasresolved. I think that in the more rural areas ofthe United States we can get lower costs than youcan in a place such as Chicago.

Musselman Library

Bluffton CollegeBluffton, Ohio

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STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: T. P. AV.:Laughlin & J. J. Keil,Lima, Ohio

Type of library: Liberal arts collegePopulation to be served: 600Area: 19,112 square feetBook capacity: 150,000 volumesSeating capacity: 216Cost:

Building: $275,000Equipment: $21,023



Librarian: Delbert GratzLibrary Committee Chairman: Howard RadeConsultant: Donald ThompsonArchitect: William WellsCritic: Donald Davidson, Librarian, Santa Barbara

College Library, University of California, Goleta,California

DELBERT GRATZThe building program that now will be presented

is quite different from any presented previously.You had to shift gears from a large $5,000,000 proj-ect down to $1,250,000 yesterday, but now you mustreally slow 'way down to a fraction of thisthe$275,000 we have to spend.

Bluffton College was established in 1900 to pro-vide for the education of ycung people in the Menno-nite Church. Today i, is supported by the churchesof the central and eastern districts of the GeneralConference Mennonite Church. Although the collegeis a Mennonite institution, from the very beginr;ingit has been open to all worthy students irrespectiveof sex, color, or church affiliation. For the firstyears it was primarily an academy. By 1950 thefirst baccalaureate degrees were conferred.

Bluffton is a village of 2,500 persons located innorthwestern Ohio. The enrollment has increasedby about 10 percent for each of the past five years.During the past year the enrollment w as 500. Plan-ning for the college development has bee:. based ona maximum enrollment of 600 students.

There are eight major buildings on the woodedcampus of forty acres. It is a liberal arts collegeaccredited in 1953 by the North Central Association.For the first thirty years of the college's existencethe library was located in College Hall, which also


housed the classrooms and administrative offices.The Musselman Library was erected and equippedduring 1929-30 for $60,600. The money was a giftfrom Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Musselman, of Musselmanapple-butter fame.

The library is a two-story building in the colonialstyle of architecture, constructed of brick with en-trance portals, keystones, and trimmings laid inGeorgia marble. It was planned by Miss Edna Han-ley (now Mrs. N. E. Byers, librarian of Agnes ScottCollege), who was the librarian at the time. Mrs.Byers did a marvelous job in planning the library.Thomas McLaughlin and Associates of Lima, Ohio,were the architects. The reading room on the sec-ond floor has a seating capacity for 110 readers.The three-tier bookstack was built to house 30,000volumes. More than 35,000 volumes now strain itscapacity. Additional seating is needed since thereading room is filled to capacity many evenings.

Old building retained

The college decided to retain the old building be-cause of its good condition, excellent location, theexpense and difficulty in transforming it into a class-room building, and the added expense of a new build-ing. The college also decided to retain the secondfloor as the main floor, because of the location ofthe library entrance and the additional expense incompletely changing the first and second floors. Wemust work within these bounds of $275,000 and usethe building that we now have. This decision wasmade in an effort to secure one library, thus makingcontrol and operation more centralized. Alterna-tives that could be given serious consideration werelimited.

We process 1,800 books a year and repair manybooks. I am the only trained librarian. We do havesome halftime nonprofessional persons and about130 hours per week of student library help. A rocm9 feet x 11 feet served, until a few years ago, as thelibrarian's office and the workroom. While this ar-rangement .served to foster togethea:ness among thestaff, it did not add to the efficiency of the operationof the library. Some space was taken from the read-ing room level stack for work space. This provedmuch too small.

The growing independent study program has madeit desirable to plan for a number of individual studytables. Several seminar rooms are being plannedfor the increasing number of discussion groups andseminar courses. We plan to retain open stacks andopen reserve shelves. Until now, the loss of librarymaterials has been quite small, certainly not enoughto warrant the cost of more rigid control.

The Mennonite Historical Library is the only spe-cial collection in our library. It reflects the heritageand ideology of the church body that sponsors thecollege. This is a research library that serves not


only the students, faculty, and constituency, but grad-uate students from other institutions and other per-sons interested in some phase of research concern-ing the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition.

Early planning

In planning we have tried to take into considera-tion the major problems of the college. These in-clude teacher education and the plan for a curricu-lum library in the stacks. The stress on scienceand the liberal arts, and the need for the requiredcourses in Bible and philosophy, we have tried toreflect in our planning.

Donald Thompson, librarian of the Wabash Col-lege Library, Crawfordsville, Indiana, has servedas our consultant, and has given us valuable aid inattempting to analyze our needs and make sugges-tions as to how they can best be met. The archi-tectural firm that served when the building waserected worked on the addition. Mr. William Wellsrepresented them. Both the consultant and the archi-tect have encountered a number of problems whichthey will explain. The chairman of our Library Com-mittee, Dr. Howard Rade, who is the head of ourBusiness Economics Department, will give a brieffloor -by -floor resume of the building as we nowhave planned it.

HOWARD RADEThe library is on the main pedestrian-traveled

route from the men's dormitory, past the cla.3s-rooms, to the main dining hall. The main lines oftravel go past the library which is reasonably cen-tral, and we have attempted to maintain it at thatpoint. The addition is located at the rear of the li-brary. The present ground-floor plan is devotedprimarily to the boiler room and other facilities,the Mennonite Historical Library (since this is aspecial study), and one or two other items. We dohave some question about this arrangement. Per-haps we have too many seating spaces. We have twoentries and these probably would be controlledatleast, one of themwith a crash bar; the otherwould not be open regularly.

The first floor is now largely stacks with car-rels. The second-floor level of the new additioncoincides with the second-floor level of the presentlibrary. Here will be the main entrance. As youcome up the stairway, you come to a foyer. Thecharging desk will be removed and placed in thepresent reading room in ordei to break up the read-ing room. A new entry will be made through thepresent existing stackroom into the new addition.We will have the staff workroom, catalogs, periodi-cals, bound periodicals, and other facilities on thisfloor.

The third floor is largely stacked with carrelsand seminar rooms, as well as some staff rooms.What we are attempting to do is provide as much

usable space as we can in as small an area aspossible.

DONALD THOMPSONThere were a good many factors which made !*

necessary to consider rather carefully what neededto be done. For reasons previously noted, a newbuilding could not be considered, and as a result wehave the addition. It seemed logical that the onlyplace to put the addition was on the back of the oldbuilding. This location, however, did present prob-lems.

The first problem is that if the main entrance tothe old building is used, it comes into a lobby. Onthe left of the lobby is the language laboratory anda series of two seminar rooms. On the right is theMusselman reception room, a room which the col-lege uses for board meetings and general receptionsof different kinds. Th,ese are the only public roomsthat can be used for library purposes. You must gothrough the main lobby, up the stairway, and arounda 270° angle to get to the second floor. Under thefront of the main floor are the piping space, a crawlspace, and behind that several rooms such as theshipping room, a vault, and a duplicate exchange orstorage room.

It is difficult to do anything on the first floor be-cause the lobby is the only place that can be usedfor library purposes. The floor does not lend itselfto anything other than perhaps listening rooms, orsomething of that sort. A great many load-bearingwalls in the building make it difficult to tear out anywalls to make larger rooms. On the second floor,just behind the existing foyer area, is the circulationdesk. Here is the only possible entrance into the ad-dition from the main building.

Main entrance

It was thought at one time that if we cut throughthe wall from the main lobby, we could provide anentrance. This has two objections: there is a me-morial plaque as you go up the stairway to the sec-ond floor, and one of the bookstacks comes part wayup. Therefore, an entrance here would not be feasi-ble. The only logical entrance is through the presentcirculation desk, which goes right through the book-stacks. If this were the main entrance, and it prob-ably will be, the circulation desk would have to bemoved elsewhere. In order to have some controlover the entrance and provide broken-up space inthe reference room and the large reading room onthe front, it seems desirable that the circulationdesk be put into the new charging area.

On the ground floor there is an entrance to theaddition, but this cuts into the Mennonite HistoricalCollection and, of course, having two entrances witha small staff poses problems of staff and control.I don't know what the final conclusion will be, but I


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would assume that possibly this entrance might belocked or supervised a few hours a day.

There are two ei three other features you mightnote. On all the floors, except the s,cond, there willbe perhaps two, three, or four steps necessary be-tween the two buildings, especially if there are tobe 8-foot ceilings in the addition. This is becausethe multitier stack levels were feet 6 inches. Theattachment to the main floor, which will be the sec-ond floor, was the best place to make an even attach-ment. On the other floors there will be steps eitherup or down. The existing multitier bookstacks, be-cause of the columns, will presumably be kept forbookstacks in the total building program.

The building as now planned is not necessarilythe way it will finally turn out. For example, I wascounting the seating and found seats for roughly 250persons to serve the 500-600 enrollees. This is tooample. I would think more stacks will be added andsome seats taken jut. The shelving in both buildingsis for roughly 14C,000 volumes. This provides spacefor three or four times the size of the present collec-tion, which is growing by some 2,500 volumes a year.There is a total in both buildings of approximately28,000 square feet of floor spacearound 8,800square feet in the old building and about 19,000square feet in the new building.

WILLIAM WELLSThere are varying concepts of openness or space

which differ with individuals and their varying re-3ponses. These concepts vary in nomes and otherstructures which different people inhabit. The Ger-man tends to seal off the sights and sounds of theoutside world when home at night. He is fond ofviews but closes his doors and draws his curtainsto seal off the enclosed space much more than isdone in this country,

The Japanese thinks highly of the visual world,likes open houses, and desires to look out into theworld. As the day ends, he gradually withdraws,reducing h.4.s visual field in stages. He accomplishesthis by the opening and closing of panels. The lackof auditory privacy would be a curse to the Germanbut not to the Arab.

The Arab would be bothered by the screens andthe small scale of everything, including the mi:da-ture landscape, so often found in Japanese gardens.The Arab desires space and a real view. Inside hishouse he wants to be screened from outsiders butnot from those in his inside world. When one ques-tions an Arab on privacy and where he goes to bealone, he regards the question as if one who wouldwant to be alone were mentally ill. Therefore, itseems as if we have accepted this openness in ourbuildings, including our libraries, from these otherpeoples. There are very few restricted areas andcontrol is at a minimum.

Financial limitations

The operation of the library whose descriptionfollows is limited by finances, which is reflected inthe number of personnel and the very few controlpoints. The budget for the library addition, as apart of the over-all campus expansion plan, pre-cludes any possibility of a new library.

The existing Musselman Library building atBluffton College was built thirty to thirty-five yearsago and was designed for a student body of from 200to 300 students. The plan has closed or restrictedstack accommodations, controlled from the second-fleor charging desk. Other facilities include a largereading-study room, board meeting room, seminarstudy rooms with vault, work and receiving spaces,and a librarian's office.

Due to anticipated enrollments of from 600 to700 students, changing library designs, a rigid budg-et, plus sentimental values placeu on the existingbuilding, it is desired that an addition be built to theexisting structure. The site slopes away gently tothe rear with no restrictions in that direction. Theaddition logically is then placed at the back.

There are new requirements now for space forbooks of Mennonite history, for private library vol-umes, and for writing collections. The use of partof the existing building for a language laboratoryseems indicated. New facilities must be providedfor book receiving, processing, duplicate book stor-age, microfilm storage, reproduction, printing, du-plication, and viewing. Faculty pad student carrelsare indicated. A staff room and new, additionalseminar and meeting rooms are necessary.

Existing stack facilities for 30,000 books mustbe added to and altered by new open stacks150,000 volumes in both the new and the existingbuilding. Informal reading areas are desiredthroughout the new facilities, with adequate provi-sion for typing and free flow use of most of the li-brary facilities. Control is to be from the newsecond-floor charging desk, with use of the ground-floor addition for the staff and restricted reading.

The existing architectural style of the buildingis colonial, and that exterior appearance is to bemaintained. Architecture is for people. It is forhuman purposes and only for human purposes thatwe build. As Charles Colbert said recently in theAmerican Institute of Architects Journal: "We buildto fulfill psychological necessity; to avoid pain, pro-mote love, security, friendship; to attain self-esteemand recognition; and most nobly to create the civiliz-ing influences of life itself. This cannot be achievedby the bland arrangement of blocks, nor the accep-tance of tradition as it has evolved."1

1. Charles R. Colbert, 'Social Dimension of Design," Amer -icon Insefule of Architects Journal, July 1962, p.28.

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Preliminary sketchesThe sketches were wade about a year and a half

ago. They are to be used mainly for the purpose ofraising money. The money for the building is to beraised by subscription and by solicitation. No gov-ernment moneys are available to date.

Financing of this library bears upon the over-allcampus plan. The college has sufficient dormitoriesplanned at the present time. They are revenue pro-ducing and can be used for securing loans. The col-lege does not have sufficient classrooms or sciencerooms. It has a need for a library building, a finearts building, a chapel, and a separate administra-tion building.

The college has no sizable endowment. Mostmoneys must be raised. Donations are mostlysmall. Some foundation moneys are offered on amatching basis. Likewise, some moneys have beenavailable from the Ford Foundation. The board oftrustees determined the timetable on which thisbuilding is to be constructed. The dormitories arebeing built, and our library necessarily follows thedormitories.

DONALD DAVIDSONMy first college library position at the Univer-

sity of Redlands, Redlands, California, was in abuilding similar to this. I can understand the prob-lems involved in deciding whether to have a two-story or three-story building, an addition to therear, and other possibilities of that nature.

The exercise that you get going from your base-ment office and receiving room up to the main floorand back downstairs to the stacks, which are 15 feetaway from where you started initially, is much betterfor the figure of the librarian than is the modular-type structure. One has only to look at the figure ofDr. Gratz to see the difference! I now live in a two-story modular building with an elevator.

Mr. Thompson wrote a program for this buildinga little moi e than a year ago and posed several fun-damental issues to the college. Two basic decisionswere made as a result of this program, which, I be-lieve, may have clarified the problems for the plan-ners. First, they decided to keep the old buildingbecause it was expensive to change it, it was difficultto convert it to a classroom, and it was hard to raisemoney.

The college also made the decision to retain thesecond floor as the main floor. The present locationof the library entrance was one reason for this. Amore logical location, perhaps, would have been onthe main floor of the addition. I am inclined to thinkthat the planners should keep Ellis latter possibilityin mind. The entrance might have to be changed,especially if an inherently flexible addition to thebuilding is modified through changes in library tech-

nology, changes in academic pattern, or for otherreasons.

The retention of the original building and the / -eof the second floor as the main floor created prob-lems of circulation and control, but I think the addi-tion meets many of the requirements of good modu-lar construction. I like the rectangularity of shapeand the unity of appearance effected in the expansion.Also, it will be done by the sable architectural firmas used previously and will continue the colonialbrick style, probably with Georgia marble for accent.

Circulation problemsI think we should attempt to bring to a focus

again, if nct i%,r the builders at Bluffton, for otherswho might be planning an expansion, the inherentawkwardness of the circulation and control patternthat results from this addition.

Mr. Thompson has told you that as you enter thebuilding, you go past what is becoming a languagelibrary and into the reception room. From thereyou go up a stairway and, after walking 35 feetthrough a lobby, you come into the old foyer location.Then you have to go through what Dr. Rade is afraidmay look like a tunnela stack floorinto the struc-ture. If you come in at the ground floor and gothrough to the historical collection, it is possible toget up into the first-floor lobby. I believe, as far ascontrol of traffic is concerned, that ;n coming upthe steps from the new ground floor to the oldground floor, you go across and then straight ahead.However, on the right there is a stack stairway.This would be a leak, especially if the door does notprovide for some form of security.

This is just one example of the care which Ithink should be put into this initial stage. Provisionshould be made for what would have to be done laterif Bluffton College had to take security measuresas most colleges do. I do hope the college will giveatter-tion to this particular problem because I thinkthe whole pattern of circulation may change.Through the life of a brick building such as this theentrances may change. I think, further, that the be-havior of the students may not be so laudable as itcurrently appears with regard to the walking-off withbooks. After all, the more students you have, themore pressures you have and the more absent-mindedness results.

I would like to see a.: much open space as possi-ble for future flexibility. When I look at the floorplan of a modular building such as this a semistan-fard 22 1/2 feet x 22 1/2 feet base size I like tosee dimensions that extend three bays in length andtwo bays in width. Every time I see a modularbuilding with bay construction of only one bay, Itend to wince.

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Grouping utilities

We all like to see utilities grouped. I would maketwo suggestions here. I would like to see the eleva-tor in a different location, in order to open up thearea. I would move the elevator adjacent to theboiler-i.:om door. Of course, the doorway to theelevator would have to be on the side instead ofon the front.

I would like to see the janitor closets on allfloors moved adjacent to the elevator so that theywould all stack up above the boiler room. I do notthink this location will create any difficulties, al-though it might bring the elevator rather clost. tothe accessway. There are two reasons for thissuggestion: grouping of utilities and the freeing ofspace.

The result of this change would be the moving ofthe toilets on the second floor. They could be splitand put on the second and fourth floors of the z.ddi-tion. If not, I would suggest moving them behind theelevator. This would require adding a small corri-dor, moving a stack, and placing the stack workerstoward the back of the total building.

Where is there a woman's quiet room with a cotin it? I do not see one. In the stack plan, in orderto put in reading tables and seating standards, thestack standards require the removal of two stackracks rather than one to make seating alcoves. Theyare too cramped as they are now.

I would like to examine briefly the language labo-ratory arrangement because at my home campus wehave three listening laboratories. The first of thesewas arranged like this one. The second extendedout from the wall with the instructor in the front ofthe room. There was an enclosure around each al-cove, with an opening in the front so that the studentcould see the instructor. In our third listening labo-ratory some architectural mind had figured out aglass front which would serve the same purpose. Iwould like to suggest an arrangement here out fromthe wall, although I realize that the location of lis-tening laboratories on the first floor may have beenmade to take advantage of the shape of the room.

If the elevator is moved, the question should beasked, "How much of a microfilm room do you reallyneed?" It seems to me that the one on the firstfloor is too large. The whole plan should considerthat some time some librarian will want to movethe periodicals into the old reading room, add moreseating to the new stack addition, or make someother revision. The elevator controls should bewatched. Maybe the elevator should go only to theground floor under certain circumstances. Thespace, however, seems reasonable.

My final question is whether Bluffton can repeatthe satisfactory bidding experience that apparentlythe State College of Iowa had and build 19,000 squarefeet for $275,000.


DISCUSSION

MRS. BYERS (former librarian at Bluffton College).I don't know whether I should make an apologyfor this building or not, but you will rememberthat it was built in 1930, before we had any modu-lar type of building. The only examples we hadto go by were the buildings at the time.

Another comment that I would like to makeis with regard to the stairs. While I would notput the main reading room on the second floor,I still wonder whether we do not pamper ourstudents too much, whether the time will comewhen they will not be able to climb any steps atall. We have an elevator in our building at AgnesScott College, which the students use to go lessthan 8 feet whereas most of the staff memberswalk up and down. I do think we pamper our stu-dents too much, especially in the South.

I would also like to comment on the orienta-tion of the building. Nothing has been said aboutit, and it concerns the windows at the back of theaddition. Bluffton does not run straight. Themain street of the town runs southwest andnortheast. Therefore, the back of the buildinghas a southwest exposure. In the wintertime weget a great deal of sun coming in the southwestwindows. I wonder what provision has beenmade for covering the windows. I think that thesun would be very bothersome to people workingin the stacks, especially, let as say, from twelveo'clock on. The sun would come in those win-dows for the rest of the afternoon.

I agree with Mr. Davidson with regard tomoving the elevator. I would like to see it againstthat existing stack wall if possible. I wonder ifthe elevator could open both on the north sideand on the south side. If it were moved there,it would serve both the old and the new stackareas.

The different floor levels bother me a greatdeal, and I have studied them for quite sometime. The floor levels, particularly the firstfloor, do not line up.

I have some questions with regard to the newcharging area. I would like to break up the read-ing room, although I do not feel it is especiallylarge in comparison with many reading roomsthat have been built and some that are still beingbuilt, I wonder if you would not bring somenoise into that reference or reading room withthe charging desk. With regard to the micro-techniques on the ground floor, I did not see whatprovision had been made for reading machines;if there are provisions, where do you plan toread microfilms or cards?

I should like to ask Mr. Abel if the Univer-sity Jf Tennessee did not remove the old stackand change that entire area?


MR. ABEL. Our architects felt that the multitierstack level was a hindrance in any direction thatwe went, as far as the addition was concerned.As a result, the old stacks were torn down andwe have achieved a rather open and flexiblesituation.

Question: How long are you going to take to in-crease your book collection from 35,000 to140,000 volumes? If you do that in ten years'time, that means 10,U00 volumes a year. Whereare you going to put the books when you getthem to catalog? I don't believe you have workarea enough for cataloging and processing all ofthe gifts you will receive, in addition, of course,to the items you purchase. I am wonderingwhere you are going to put the extra volumesthat you will require in order to increase yourcollection to 140,000.

MR. GRATZ: We do have prospects of increasingthis rapidly-10,000 volumes a year. Of course,I wish we could retain that goal, but my personalbelief is that it will go to a lower figure. I doubtif it will go above 3,000 next year and if thiswill increase to 10,000 in the next fifteen yearsunless some unforesaeable stroke of good fortunecomes to us. Therefore, I don't think that wewill have the problem you mention. I presumethat your question is that the work space is nota.dequate and, of course, that point is well taken.

Question: How high is the ceiling in the existingreading room?

MR. GRATZ: Roughly, about 16 feet.

MR. HEILIGER: I would gladly trade that whole oldbuilding for one more floor in the new building.You really would give up only 84 sets of readingspace, 4 tiers of stacks, and 1 office. I thinkone more floor in the new part would very nicelytake the place of all the space you would lose inthe old building. I do not know how much moneyis going to be involved in changing over the oldbuilding to fit the new situation. But I wouldthink, over-all for the college, that if yon couldgive the old building to the administration, putin the extra money that would be required to addanother floor, and tht-ct expand the existingfloors, you would be much better off.

If you have only one professional librarian,it seems to me that during the day he would haveto be surrounded by the reference collection andat night he would have to be working the catalogareas.

Question: Should not the elevator be moved againstthe old building, with an opening from every floorin the old and the new buildings? I think thatthis arrangement would be practical and a greatimprovement. If that were done, then why rotmove the circulation desk down to the place

where you now show the language laboratory, sothat students from all levels would come thereto charge their books? By doing this, you canhave your reserve books back of that circulationdesk at that point.

If you leave the circulation desk where it isnow, is there any reason why you could not faceit on the foyer so that you will not spoil the read-ing room? I have never found it practical tohave a circulation desk in the reading room Itcreates too much noise.

Why have such large seminar rooms on thetop floor? Experience shows that they are noth-ing but classrooms. We may have lofty ideasabout a professor bringing an armful of booksout of the bookstacks, tai ing them to the seminarrooms, and teaching with them. It just does notwork out that way. Seminar rooms on that levelwill mean an enormous amount of traffic in avery small stairway area and a great deal ofnoise. It seems to me that they should be movedto the ground floor somewhere or else be takenout of the building entirely.

Western Kentucky StateCollege Library

Bowling Green, Kentucky

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: W. S. Arrasmith, Louisville, KentuckyJ. P. Wilk, Bowling Green, Kentucky

Type of library: CollegePopulation to be served: 5,131Area: 73,715 square feetBook capacity: 260,000 volumesSeating capacity: 1,150Cost: Building$1,000,000Cost per square Oaf: $12-$13 (estimated)


Librarian: Sara TylerCritic: Stanley McElderry, Librarian, San

Fernando Valley State College, Northridge,California

SARA TYLERWe do not have a new building nor do we have an

addition to an existing building, but the administra-tion desires to convert a building on the campus intoa library. This building is a physical educationbuilding. As librarians and consultants, I know thatyour first reaction will be, "Don't do this." We havelikewise said that.

Bowling Green is a town of around 30,t)00 in thesouthern part of Kentucky and is in an agriculturalarea. Industry has moved in, but the college is thetown's main industry. We are about halfway betweenLouisville and Nashville, enjoy their cultural advan-tages, and, in turn, serve the smaller towns in ourarea in the same capacity.

Western Kentucky State College was establishedas a state normal school in 1906 by an act of thelegislature. The site was a 162-acre tract of landwhich had historical significance as a Confederatefort. The training of teachers has always been thecollege's main purpose, but the curricula have beenexpanded and revised to include a broad liberal artsprogram and a preprofessional training for medicine,dentistry, ministry, law, and engineering. The ex-pansion of the purposes of the institution is evidencedby the change in name from Western Kentucky StateNormal School to Western Kentucky State TeachersCollege in 1922, and then to Western Kentucky StateCollege in 1948.


Further expansion has been established bymergers with other colleges. In January of 1928the property of Ogden College, a school for boysfounded in 1877 and adjacent to Western, was leasedto the board of regents of the college. Effective asof June 1, 1963, the Bowling Green College of Com-merce, a privately operated school, was mergedwith Western.

During the fifty-seven yeai., flat Western hass-ved the state and region, some significant devel-opments have affected the library and its growth.There was authorization in 1931-36 to offer master'sdegrees in subject fields. Authorization was madein 1941 to offer master's degrees in education only.Recent approval was given by the Council of PublicHigher Education to offer a master's degree in artsand humanities. Saturday afternoon and eveningclasses on a graduate and undergraduate level havebeen offered for a number of years.

There was an increase in enrollment in Septem-ber, 1961, of 33 1/3 percent, which has createdsome problems. There is an increase in state sup-port, as will be shown in these figures; 1959-60,$1,414,J00; 1962-63, $3,199,772. The figures arefor the college and not for the library.

New committees have been established; one, inparticular, affects the use of the library. This isthe Faculty Research Committee to encourage re-search on the part of our newer faculty members.There has been an expansion in our course offeringsand additional faculty appointments. By Septemberof this year we will have 203 full-time professors,which is double the number of some six or eightyears ago.

The new library building will be the fourth inthe history of the college. The first was in a largeclassroom, the second in a clubhouse, and the thirdin a new three-story building built in 1929. The lat-ter building is now thirty-four years old and is in-adequate in every respect to serve a growing collegecommunity. For the past four or more years thecollege administration and librarians have studiedand surveyed all possibilities for our expansion oflibrary facilities.

Site location

The hilltop site of the college has becomecrowded. The location of the present library doesnot permit wings or additions sufficiently adequateto justify the expense of remodeling. Also, anyperiphery location would involve a delay in acquisi-tion of land, or removal of such a distance from thecenter of the campus as to pose problems of greaterdegree. I have been told, however, that it is nolonger necessary to have a library in the center ofthe campus and that we might well consider movingto the perimeter.

76 Problems in Plamthig ' brary Facilities

The new building will be the central library onthe campus. There are at present three departmen-tal libraries, two of which will be continued as such.First, there is the Kentucky Library, of nearly20,000 volumes, of rare Kentucky books in a sepa-rate building in the Kentucky Museum. There is ascience library of approximately 10,000 books andJournals in the new Thompson Science Building.The library of approximately 15,000 volumes of thecommercial school recently absorbed by the collegewill be housed, at least for one year, in its presentbuilding. A seminar library in the music buildingwill be transferred, we feel sure, to the new librarybuilding.

We are aware that you believe we should not doa remodeling or a conversion. We are willing toconcede this point. There are problems inherent insuch a project. Load-bearing walls cannot bechanged, existing stairways cannot be torn out fornew ones in other places, and there is the necessityof sharing, at least temporarily, 4,083 square feeton the ground-floor level with the industrial artsdepartment. The department adjoins the physicaleducation building, and until such time as it canhave an addition, it wants us to release this muchspace. We will not have a sufficient stack space butwill have to spread the collection over the remainingfloors. We would like to use reader-book arrange-ments.

Possibilities for expansion

The possibilities for expansion, insofar as thepresent building is concerned, are few. We couldacquire the 4,000 square feet which the industrialarts department will have, but this is a drop in thebucket. There is an area to the right of the building,approximately 80 feet x 170 feet, that has been prom-ised for our future expansion.

Before we look at the very preliminary and tenta-tive floor plans, I would like to give some figures.In our present building we have 20,920 square feetfor library purposes. We share some of this withthe library science department on the third floorand a little theater on tne first floor. In the physicaleducation building there will be 73,715 square feet,less the 4,083 square feet for the industrial artsdepartment, which leaves 69,632 square feet forlibrary purposes.

At the present Lime, our collection in the mainlibrary is approximately 100,000 volumes. We havenot taken inventory in a good many years, and weare not sure that we have all of those volumes. Wealso have approximately 11,000 bound governmentdocuments and, in addition, nearly a stack floor ofunbound documents. We have Around 500 magazineson our current subscription list in the college li-brary; our bound volumes of journals are includedin our volumes. We are open 79 hours a week.

In the main college library we have 9 staff mem-bers, 1 working halftime supervising the science li-brary. We also have had 1 graduate assistant andthe premise of a second this fall. We have between50 and 60 student assistants. In our first planningwe hope to have a seating capacity for some 1,500students. Our enrollment at the present time (headcount) is over 5,000, which, equated, comes toaround 4,000 plus. We hope to plan for a 375,000 -volume capacity. If we can, we will seat 1,000 andperhaps have a stack capacity of 240,000-250,000volumes.

Specific plans

The vestibule will be in the new part; it will havea stairway up to the second floor and down to theground level. Directly opposite, as you enter, willbe the doors into the reference room. We realizethis is much too large for a reading area though wewill have all of our reference books there. At theright, near the catalogs and acquisitions area, vw eexpect to have a bibliography alcove. On the leftside of the reference room we are now consideringputting enough stacks to have a humanities collec-tion, at least from the 800's through the 829's. Wehave a room marked for government documents.We hope to place there all the bound volumes usedmost frequently. The students can then use themwithout our having to get them, as we are doing atthe present time.

The wings on either side are separated fromwhat has been the gymnasium floor by load-bearingwalls. The walls cannot be changed. We are at-tempting to put in walls or dividers that are notpermanent, in the event that at a later time we maywish to make a change in this section.

The circulation desk is at the left. There willbe a browsing area and a passageway which will goto another stairway down into a stack area. Wehave a glass-enclosed workroom for the circulationlibrarian and have recently decided that we willmove our Xerox machine to another little glassarea, to be used there with supervision. The eleva-tor is not for passengers but for the librarians andthe transportation of books. It is back of the circu-lation area, near the office, and is open to the peoplein the reference room.

In the right wing are the administrative offices,one for the director of library services and one forthe head librarian and her secretary. The secretary,at the present time, is in charge of acquisitions andworks with me. We plan to have a sink, closet, andstorage space in the catalog office.

On the right side we have a conference room forlibrary committee meetings, staff meetings, smallclasses in the use of the library, and possibly one ortwo other functions. We do not intend it to be usedby others. We have a space for a large backlog of

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Ground level

On the right side of the ground-floor level willbe offices and classrooms for the library sciencedepartment. The courses in children's literatureare now taught in the library science department.We have had a curriculum or teaching materialsroom in the library. This will not need to be ex-panded as our education department wishes to haveit in its own department.

The rooms to the left, extending to the stairway,will be used by the industrial arts department.There will be another storage area for gifts andmaterials, which can be left there until we havetime to route them upstairs. There are also afairly large receiving area and a service elevator.We have stacks across the middle front, and to theleft we are planning a division for the bulk of ourgovernment documents.

We plan to have only the one exit with checkersat the door. Other doors will not be used, but wefeel that it is necessary to have them. The vestibule,as the architects have designed it, will be open andwill be a full two stories. The ground-floor areahas been enlarged a bit, because only the loungesare reserved for smoking.

Second floor

The balcony in the gymnasium is to be removedand a second floor placed all the way across, whichwill give us a very large area. This will be dividedwith shelving into a reserve reading room and a pe-riodicals room. We plan to use stacks and desksinterspersed and to have carrels down the windowwalls. The reserve desk will probably go on theleft side, next to the outside wall. The rooms in thewing will be for an art collection and for a musicand listening room. Our recordings collection willbe serviced predominantly from the reserve desk.

On the right-hand side will be space for carrelsand a staff lounge with a kitchen. There will be amicrofilm room adjacent to the periodicals room.The last few years we have added a large number ofjournals on microfilm and microcard.

We do not have a separate room for our bindingpreparation. At present the periodicals librarianhand:es that, and the reserve librarian is in chargeof the bookbinding preparation. We cannot as yetdesignate one person to take care of titese chores.

There is a subbasement that will contain ourmechanical equipment for air conditioning. We willnot have anything on top of the building. The heatingis tied in with the central heating for the campus.I am a little concerned about the ceiling heights. Ithink that on the first floor the height will be 10 feet,

and on the second floor it will be 8 feet. In a spaceas large as this such a height may become op-pressive.

The exterior of the buildir.3 is of stone. Ourwindows will be utilized as they are. We will nothave a great deal of window space by the time thesecond floor is added and 3 feet, or whatever is nec-essary, is allowed for the ductwork. However, wewill have enough room on both floors to have shelv-ing under the windows. If we want to put individualstudy materials there, we can do so.

We hope to have tables for no more than 4 people.We will have to continue to use a great deal of theequipment we already have, and the tables that wenow have seat 6 people. One million dollars hasbeen set aside for the conversion of this building,and the architects have said that it can be done for$12-$13 a square foot.

STANLEY McELDERRYI find it difficult to say anything very charitable

about this plan. I am a poor person to criticize thisbuilding because I come from a new college whichhas spent $5,000,000 developing a new plan. Thefirst million dollars was spent on the library, andthe last on the physical education building. If thefaculty had voted on the issue, they would have spentthat money on books for the library.

I have never tried to accommodate a library ina gymnasium, but I have seen a library put tempo-rarily into a women's gymnasium, which is a littlemore functional than a men's gymnasium. In thisparticular women's gymnasium the showers werebuilt into little compartments, which proved to bequite a functional place for the catalogers. It was anitem of pfestige to secure one of these cubicles. Inthe locker area, a high curbing had been poured forthe lockers. This was the first time I had ever beenin a stack where the bottom shelf was at high level!

Seriously, I think this proposal of Western Ken-tucky State College leaves a great deal to be desired.I don't think it is the best use of the money available.If $1,000,000 is to be spent on this building, I thinkthat about the same amount of more functional spacecould be gained by starting on a new site.

As I calculate the requirements for the library,based on the enrollment and the resources, it wouldtake about 60,000 square feet to accommodate pres-ent needs. The plans of the proposed library showa usable space available to the library of about50,000 square feet. This is not counting the libraryscience area or the additional space that may beavailable when the industrial arts department movesout. But, basically, the college would be gettingabout 50,000 square feet for an investment of$1,000,000. I would judge that any architect wouldbe willing to take on that commission and come upwith a more suitable plan.

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There are far too many compromises that arenecessary in connection with the remodeling of thisspace. There are wings on either side of the build-ing which are cut up, and there are load-bearingwalls that confine space. They will impose limita-tions on the use of these areas.

A second floor is to be added to the existingbuilding. The first floor is the gymnasium floorwhich, as I understand it, is wood on top of a con-crete slab. I do not know whether the plan is to re-move this floor or strengthen it for books. Thefloor level on the new second floor does not matchthe floor level in the wings, and would requireramps and stairways because there is a differentialof about 2 feet.

I think that insofar as the facilities for readersare concernedsuch things as group studies, typingroans, and the likethere is very little attentionbeing given to them. It is really not possible to in-clude all the facilities that are needed.

Similar plans

This plan, as you may notice, is very similar tothat of the State College of Iowa Library which welooked at previously, where 90,000 square feet werebeing added at a cost of $1,500,000. Western Ken-tucky is a similar-sized institution, with a somewhatsmaller book budget but the same potential growth.Many of the facilities available in the Iowa buildingwould be needed here, but it is not possible tc ac-commodate them in the available square footage.

You would undoubtedly have many problems oflighting, heating, ventilating, acoustical equipment,and so on. All of these facilities would, of necessity,be somewhat makeshift in their structure in connec-tion with this type of a building. In relation to theexpansion, it is possible to add enough square foot-age for the library addition at some future date.However, this would mean putting more money intoa library that is inadequate at the outset.

I don't know whether the problem here is moneyor not. I feel it must be a problem of site. The col-lege has an unused gymnasium that it desires tomake use of. I find it very difficult to imagine re-sponsible academic officials willing to make thesecompromises with the library. I think the libraryreflects the character and quality of the instruc-tional program about as well as any other aspect ofthe institution. I believe that the way the building isarranged tends to facilitate and encourage as muchuse of the library resources as possible. The build-ing should promote economical operation of the vari-ous services provided. In doing this the librarybuilding reflects the hope and aspiration of the insti-tutional program, even though the use of the librarydoes not always justify our hopes for it. Being will-ing to ...ompromise in this way with the library is

employing a different set of values than I would hewilling to employ in providing for library facilities.

Possible chewsAssuming the proposed plan has to be employed

even though I hate to think about this possibilityI can suggest some improvements. As I indicatedbefore, there are a good number of ideas that couldbe gained by a close study of the State College ofIowa Library plans because these are comparableinstitutions. In general, I would be inclined to thinkof the first floor, or the main floor, as a servicefloor and attempt to concentrate as many of the pub-lic services in the area as possible. This is a some-what more functional plan and logical arrangementfor the students. I think that in a library which hasas little staff as this one does, you need to concen-trate the staff in this area as much as you can, withsome separate collections, or potential servicepoints, on other floors.

I would look at the basement and the second floor."is an area for stacks and readers, with an inter-spersed plan of reading and stack facilities on bothof those floors. The circulation department is setback quite a little distance, about one bay, from theentrance on the first floor. I would think that underpresent circumstances the desk should be movedcloser to the door and that possibly the reservebooks collection ought to be combined with it. Thiswould provide some economy of staff and somewhatbetter control of the building. Another possibilitywould be to move the acquisition cataloger closer tothe elevator and to the storage room for unit cata-log materials already there.

The reference department I would c.;:t (4-iwn alittle in size. Another possibility is to put some ofthe documents and periodical materials in with it,or just have a browsing area with a display of cur-rent periodicals and some of the newer materials.

I would use some of the square footage in thewings, which zre already cut up for some of theoffice spaces. For example, the rare books sectinntakes one half of the wing on the left-hand side. Ifit is necessary to have a separate rare books area,this could be moved to another floor or could bekept in the stacks and the stacks screened off forsecurity. I would be reluctant to use that squarefootage for rare books when it could be used for acirculation workroom and eliminate the building ofa separate structure in the limited free floor spacethat is available.

I have somewhat the same thoughts with refer-ence to the office space in the reference department.There are two offices toward the back. I don't knowwhether the service. desk would be at that point ornot, but I would tend to move the offices over to theside as a kind of workroom and then move the refer-ence desk much closer to the catalog and bibliogra-

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phy area. I think that the orientation of the technicalservices, reference, and bibliography areas needsto be brought together. I have not attempted to gointo a great deal of detail on the reworking of thisparticular space because I would be willing to wagerthat nobody would buy this plan if he had anotherchoice.

DISCUSSION

MISS TYLER: The two offices for the referencelibrarians, if not portable, will be such that theycan be moved. They are, in no sense of the word,permanent. In the event we do not want themthere, the service and reference desk would bemuch nearer the entrance to the reference room.

MR. METCALF: Isn't the problem really to con-vince the powers that be that they are throwingaway money and good service and, in the longrun, hurting the institution? I think that with aproper presentation, and this would have to bedone from the outside, you might get the plan re-called. I think you can build a library which willgive you more service with the same amount ofmoney. Perhaps you could draw plans on thatbasis and suggest this building be usezi for someother purposes. This proposed library facilitycertainly is not worth $1,000,000.

Comment: If it is impossible for the librarian orthe residents of the college to change the collec-tive minds of the powers that be, they might hirea consultant. We had the same problem. We hada women's gymnasium which some persons hadfond hopes of converting into a library. As soonas our consultant arrived, he indicated this build-ing could not be used for that purpose. We wouldbe throwing good money after bad, and in the longrun the cost to remodel the gymnasium would bemore than that of a new building. As a result, wenow have plans for a brand-new library building.The old gymnasium is still there. It can be usedfor a swimming pool or whatever else the authori-ties may think to do with it. It is not going to bea library.


Asbury TheologicalSeminary Library

1171 lore, Kentucky

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: J. Herschel Fisher & Pat Y. Spillman,Dallas, Texas

Type of library: Theological seminaryPopulation to be served: 400Area: 34,800 square feetBook capacity: 129,500 volumesSeating capacity: 247Cost: Building$540,000Cost per square foot: $14.50 (construction cost)


Assistant Librarian: Onra BoshearsLibrarian: Susan SchultzCritic: John P. McDonald, Librarian, University of

Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

Asbury Theological Seminary LibraryArchitect's rendering

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ONRA BOSHEARSAsbury Theological Seminary is an interdenomi-

national school of theology, governed by a self-perpetuating board and operated on the graduatelevel. The seminary is located in Wilmore, Ken-tucky, seventeen miles southwest of Lexington. Theseminary was founded in 1923 on the campus of AG-bury College, and in 1939 was moved to its owncampus. Thus, the library had its beginning in 1939.At that time there were 78 students and 4 facultymembers. In 1945, when the first professional li-brarian was employed, the collection numbered ap-proximately 6,000 volumes and the enrollment hadincreased to 271.

Since 1945, the library has changed its locationthree times. Since 1954 it has been on the groundfloor of the new Estes Chapel. Quarters consist ofa large stack and reading room (117 feet x 49 feet)with a small stack work area and librarian's office.With the collection now numbering approximately50,000 volumesin addition to microprint, tape anddisc recordings, and pamphletsthe facilities arequite crowded. Limitations of space have necessi-tated moving the religious educational curriculummaterials laboratory to nonlibrary quarters. Thereading area provides 100 chairs, but it would bestretching the truth to say that we could accommo-date that many readers.

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The present enrollment is 326 for the academicyear, with approximately 250 in a given quarter.The seminary is planning for maximum enrollmentof 400 students, which will probably be achieved inthe next decade. The student body represt.nts 26different denominational backgrounds. The facultynumbers 20 and is expected to increase propor-tionately.

Seminary objective

The principal objective of Asbury TheologicalSeminary is the education of men and women for thevaried vocations of the Christian ministry, such aspastors, missionaries, chaplains, directors ofchurch and Christian education, and all other formsof Christian endeavor. Many of our graduate stu-dents proceed on to advanced studies in other semi-naries and universities. Theologically, the seminaryfails within the historic Wesleyan-Arminian traditionof Protestantism. The admission of students ishighly selective, requiring the B.A. degree. Only avery few are admitted from nonaccredited colleges.

The academic program in the seminary is sepa-rated into five divisions. The seminary offerscourses leading to the Bachelor of Divinity, Masterof Religious Education, and Master of Theology de-grees. Only a limited number of qualified B.D. andM.R.E. candidates are permitted to write thesessince the degree is nct required. All Master of The-ology candidates are required to write a thesis. Weestimate that when the graduate program is fully es-tablished, there will be fifteen to twenty theses inprocess at one time. The present research needs ofthe library are modest. However, any seminary con-centrating on the Bachelor of Divinity program mustnot forget faculty research, and many materials arerequired for faculty research.

Library importance

The library is an integral part of the theologicaleducation. It is, indeed, the laboratory of the semi-narian. Just as the music student has his studio, thescience student his laboratory. the seminarian hashis books and reading room. The typical seminarianspends a great deal of his time in the library. Inorder to assist our students in the use of the library,the librarians are offering instructions in theologicalbibliography.

In keeping with the Asbury emphasis, Biblicalstudies and Wesleyana are designated specializedareas in the collection. The whole collection hasbeen tremendously strengthened in tne last two yearsthrough the library development program of theAmerican Theological Library Association. Thisdevelopment program has been financed by theSea lantic Foundation on a matching basis and hasresulted in doubling the seminary's book budget.Most of all, the development project has focused at-


tention as never before upon the role of the seminarylibrary and the urgent need for a new building.

In addition to the seminary and faculty, the stu-dents and faculty of Asbury College are permittedto use our library. We estimate that about 250 ofthe 900 college students use our library more orless spasmodically. We also serve the local minis-ters and a limited number of other friends in thearea without charge.

SUSAN SCHULTZIn May of 1962 the announcement was made that

a good share of the money for a new library buildingwas on hand and planning was to get under way. Asa result, my notebook with jottings for more thanthirteen years on the building and ideas in relationto it came off the shelf. Committee meetings, inter-views, and more planning followed.

Let me backtrack just little. In June of 1949,just one week after I had assumed my responsibili-ties as librarian, I was informed that we mLst im-mediately proceed with tentative plans to be usedfor fund-raising purposes. We fell into the pitfall ofdrawing sketches of floor plans and presenting themto the architect. I now definitely belong to the schoolof thought which forbids this, as we were taught. Ibelieve we completely stymied our architects. For-tunately, these plans were eventually put into coldstorage and, perhaps Lortunately for the architect,he retired.

We discovered the first program for the firstunit of a new library building at Santa Barbara. Iwould like to express my appreciation to Mr. David-son and his corps of workers for this program. Itried various other approaches, but this programreally worked out and did not lead me into the frus-trations that some others had.

Five basic elements

Their approach was to use the five basic ele-ments: readers services, housing of library mate-rials, staff work area, service area, and specialservices. Following this scheme, we preparedcharts showing desired locations and relationships,estimated quantity, and spatial requirements for thenext fifteen and then thirty years.

Our basic consideration in planning the newbuilding was accessibility. There should be a mini-mum of barriers between books and readers, be-tween readers and services of the staff. The staffviews the library as a teaching instrument which isunder great obligation to contribute to the academicprogram of the seminary.

General considerations for the building werespelled out. We asked for a functional building. Thebuilding should be flexible and expandable; the archi-tecture should be in harmony with the prevailingcolonial style on the campus, the interior should be

86 F %terns in Planning Library Facilities

designed to create a friendly, attractive atmospherebut likewise conducive to serious study.

Since the library was to be located between class--room facilities, it presented to the architect the prob-lem of routing tra:fic so that the library would notbecome a thoroughfare. Because of the growing de-mands for more extended study hours beyond ourfourteen-hour day, we asked also for a limited ac-cess to the building so that the study hours mightbe extended for our ambitious students. This wasthe dream that we presented to our architect, Mr. J.Herschel Fisher.

We made up five charts using each of the basicelements. We showed our requirements as far asspace and quantities were concerned and the ex-pected growth in the fifteen- and thirty-year periods.We also showed the preferred locations for thesevarious functions and their relationship to one an-other. The architect took this chart and summarizedthe elements for working purposes.

Expandable building

As I indicated, we asked that our building be ex-pandable. Mr. Fisher said that he had exploredevery possibility on that limited space, such as add-ing a wing in the back or a wing on either side orboth ends, or even raising the roof and adding an-other floor, but nothing seemed economically feasi-ble. Therefore, we recommended that the schoolbuild a shell of a building as big as the plot couldtake and have our expansion built in. The library,as the architect envisions it, will blend in with thecolonial type of architecture on campus and yet insome sense have the atmosphere of a contemporarybuilding.

I mentioned that we had asked for provisions fortraffic to be routed between the classroom facilities.The architect planned a covered walkway across thefront of the building so that the traffic would notcome through the library. It is also the main en-trance. Unfortunately, we ao have to climb a fewsteps. The main floor is the middle floor, and fromthis walkway there are stairs that go down to thelower level which can be used at times when we keepthe lower door open. The building will be located ongrade so that the main entrance at the front comesout on street level; the back, or ground floor, willcome out on grade level.

Main floor

There is vertical circulation on the main floor.The public stairway to the left of the entrance goesto the upper floor. There are also two interiorstairways and an emergency exit on grade level.The circulation desk will be immediately visible as

the patron comes in, and the card catalog will beopposite the lobby. The administrative offices andwork area are to the left of the stairway, behind thecirculation desk. In the present setup of the librarythe librarian supervises the cataloging, and we havean office for the cataloger in the work area.

There is provision for an elevator and janitorialspace near the cataloger's office. I believe that theelevator opens in both directions. Immediately be-hind the elevator, we have the bibliographic and ref-erence section for easy access by both the publicand the staff. On the right of the entrance will beour current periodicals. Opposite the circulationdesk will be our periodical indexes and to the rightof the card catalog will be the bound periodicals.

The furniture layout in connectit.n with theseplans does not represent our planning of the furniturelayout. In our later layout we have interspersedmore readers and stacks so that the readers will nothave to go very far from the bookshelves to find aplace to sit and read. You will notice the deck onthe back of the building. We are not too sure aboutthe wisdom of this.

On the upper floor we have built-in expansionwith open wells, that could later be closed in to giveus additional floor space. In the meantime it givesus a feeling of spaciousness in the building. On thelower floor we have our nonlibrary functions and an-other feature of built-in expansion. The upper bayswill be temporarily used for nonlibrary purposes,and the floor plan calls for enclosed carrels whenwe take it over for the library.

We asked for limited access to the building. Itis possible for us to close or lock doors to the rightof the main stairway as you come into the entrance.As a result, we can lock off the lecture hall and staffroom or open them for a public meeting.

We are not exactly sure how the study hall willoperate, but we are going to try it. It is flexiblespace and if it doesn't work, we can -ase it for otherpurposes. The rest rooms are on the ground floor.Beyond the main rest rooms we have our shippingand receiving section, the mechanical room, and alarge language laboratory. We have been busy re-ducing the language laboratory from the status of aCadillac to a Mod& -T Ford. In many libraries suchelaborate equipment has been installed that onlyabout 10 percent of it is used. Therefore, we aregoing to keep it simple.

JOHN P. McDONALDI would like to review the building from the out-

side in, paying a bit of attention to the necessitiesof the site and of the campus which have dictatedharmony in the library structure with existing build-ings. We all know that this requirement can bepushed beyond reasonable limits, and those of us

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who are enamored of contemporary architectureoften attempt W resist.

I sympathize with the administrators who feelharmony is important. It may be important to them,personally, but we know that while the Asbury Li-brary is traditional, it has, nonetheless, some of thecontemporary flavor that we would like to see in anew library building. Why, after all, have a brand-new building and make it look as though it were fiftyyears old?

There is a pleasant relationship between thislibrary building and the adjacent surroundings. Theroof line takes its position from the building that ison the left. It does not encroach upon the preemi-nence of the chapel. My only possible complaintabout the site and its relationship to other buildingsis that this building does seem to shoulder the ad-joining building somewhat.

I must say, regrettably, that it appears to methat the building is larger than it needs to be for thepurposes of the institution as seen for the next thirtyyears. A building of 37,000-plus square feet isgoing to be more than adequate for an enrollmentnot to exceed 400 and a book collection not to exceed150,000 volumes. It would seem to me that weshould go back to the architect to advise us as towhat administrative thinking may have dictated ad-ditional spaces within this structure. I have refer-ence to these nonlibrary spaces that have been re-ferred to.

Gracious spacing

When we enter the building, there are a numberof things that deserve comment. The base bays, forexample, are 24 feet square. This ,gas probablyused as 4 feet, but 24 feet is notit seems to megoing to work out too well in either direction as thearchitect has laid out the shelving. It gives you adimension, on center, of 4 feet 9 3/5 inches. I cansee the builders facing this dimension with somewonderment. I personally would prefer more com-pression in the bookstack, but it is possible that thislibrary can afford the somewhat more graciousspacing.

I would like to depart a little from the library tocomment on this business of the me dule. It seemsto me that we have not yet clearly understood whatthe module should be. We had a comment concern-ing a module of 25 1/2 feet. The librarian indicatedhe wanted 36-inch aisles. However, I cannot seehow he is going to achieve this without having somecolumns standing in the aisle every so often. Wehave to understand what a library module is, andwhat it is intended to do, before we can ever per-suade architects that it is at least as important tous, as their architectural modulewhich is quitea different thingis to them.

Three wells

I feel that the three wells which interrupt theupper floor are highly questionable in this plan.You have one over the entrance lobby, one directlyin front of the charging desk, and one whose dimen-sions are somewhat uncertain at the back of thebuilding. It almost appears that the archLectwished to have a gallery from the main entranceto the rear completely clear for two stories. Thisgives a lift to the spirit, and when one enters thebuilding, there is no question of the graciousness ofapproach. The architect could not, however, achievethis without separating one end of the upper floorfrom the other with no communication.

I don't think the visual effect of this is unpleas-ing, but I doubt if it is the best solution. I wouldhave preferred to have the upper floor designed soas to get a high ceiling space over a pleasant read-ing area, or capacity for books on the mezzanineabove and below. I hasten to point out that architectsare not qualified to make these judgments. However;others have called these wells into question, and I dofeel that there is a problem here that needs resolution.

There are many features to like and admire. Ifeel the architects have come to grips with theirprcblems. They have attempted to decide what it isthey need to do and, unlike many of us who in thename of this sacred flexibility simply beg the ques-tion and avoid the issues, where things are supposedto be. Of course, we could quarrel with them rela-tive to some of their decisions, but I do admire thefact that they have faced up to their problems.

The building seems to work quite well from thepoint of view of traffic. The main stairway, whichis adjacent to the entrance lobby, is clearly visiblethrough the glass wall. It might have been a littlemore accessible. However, because it is visibleand very close to the entrance, it will serve to sepa-rate traffic going up or down. People will not haveto walk in and around the busy main floor.

I would prefer to see the card catalog, which isalways across the width of the building, at the eastside, closer to the charging desk. I feel the refer-ence collections also might be located closer to thecenter of the building, freeing the present space onthe east side for more reading tables.

I question the width of the outdoor reading deckon the east side of the building. This was not a pro-gram requirement but apparently a notion of thearchitect. If the deck is to be retained, I wonderwhether an 8-foot width is sufficient with th, doorsopening onto it. As the furnishings are shown on thedrawing, as well as the opening of the doors, I feelit is going to be very difficult to thread your way toeither end. If the dimensions are changed, then otheropenings on the deck would be possible. This pointis directly behind the card catalog so that there isa traffic pattern through a place already busy enough.

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Special features

The building has special features on the groundfloorfeatures that are not library functions. I likethe idea of placing a study hall there which is acces-sible after the library closes. On the other hand, itdoes seem to me expensive to extend library hoursto serve this need. The objection to study halls isthat they are not supervised and are noisy, and wedo not solve our problem by them. However, appar-ently the sort of students this institution attractsdoes not pose the same kind of supervision problemsthat others of us face. The study hall should workout well in this location.

Having an entrance on the ground floor does posesome control problems for daytime operation of thelibrary. What is to prevent the student in the libraryfrom coming down and going out this door during thedaytime? I am assured that this door can be locked,but I think not sufficient consideration has been givento the requirements of the fire marshal. I suspecthe will insist that the main artery be kept open, andperhaps the solution will be panic hardware. Never-theless, it is a prominent entrance, and I would ex-pect the architect to resist the unsightly panic hard-ware that has to be attached to the exit.

There are a couple of minor items that I wouldlike to mention. There is a cloakroom on the mainfloor just north of the stair well. This is a question-able feature. It is not in an obvious location and willnot be utilized. I wonder if coat-hanging facilitiescould not be provided elsewhere in the building in amore general location.

As in many of the buildings we have seen pre-sented at this Institute, we have fairly substantialwindows to contend with. There is an emphasis inthe program on the use of natural light. I share thepsychological attachment to natural light, but I feelthe sun can be troublesome in the library. What pro-vision is going to be made for the substantial glassareas, particulailly on the east side of the building?

DISCUSSION

Question: I have seen 22-foot square modules, 23-foot, 21-foot 6-inch, and 22-foot 6-inch. I havealso seen a 27-foot square module. I would likemore discussion on this subject.

MR. McDONALD: So would I. I do not have any spe-cial wisdom to convey except that it seems to methat too few of us have grasped the fact that archi-tects have been working with modules for years.There has been some harmony between the archi-tectural modules and the building bay. I thinkthat is the term that Mr. Heiliger used, and it isa good one. It avoids confusion.

Comment: With regard to the wells that Mr. McDon-ald mentioned, it is fairly safe to say that it is


more economical to build a floor than to leavethem open. The costs of the railing around thewell, the finishing, and the hydraulic lift neces-sary to change light bulbs or tubes in the areaabove the well should be considered. The onlyjustification for them is aesthetic appearance,and if that is valid, it is sufficient.

There is also the problem of a complete divi-sion of the flow of traffic at the second-floorlevel. Mr. McDonald pointed out that the wellscut the second floor in half, and if this doesn'tcoincide with your planned division, you mayhave a problem.

MR. McDONALD: I did not call the wells into ques-tion strictly on the ground of economy. I believein architecture and, if the wells are justifiedaesthetically, then perhaps they can stand. Mycriticism really is, on the aesthetic basis, moreof a question than a criticism.


Memorial LibraryUniversity of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: Ellerbe & Company, St. Paul, MinnesotaType of library: AcademicPopulation to be served: 6,477Area: 429,780 square feetBook capacity: 2,058,650 volumesSeating capacity: 2,997; planned for 3,345Cost: $8,500,000 (tentative)Cost per square foot: $19 (tentative construction

cost)


Director of Libraries: Victor A. Schaefer

VICTOR A. SCHAEFERThe University of Notre Dame was founded in

1840-42 by priests of the Congregation of the HolyCross. It is in Notre Dame, Indiana, contiguous withthe northern limits of South Bend, an industrial cca-ter of 132,000 people, approximately ninety mileseast of Chicago. As a metropolitan center, the areanumbers nearly 175,000 inhabitants.

Prior to 1920, the University included a prepara-tory school in which more students were enrolledthan in the college departments. Until 1929, an ele-mentary school also was conducted on the campus.Before 1920, a student could receive his entire edu-cation at Notre Dame, beginning with the kinder-garten class.

There is now an undergraduate school, the grad-uate school, and the law school. The undergraduateschool comprises the freshman year of commonstudies with 1,462 freshmen and four colleges: artsand letters with 1,721 students; engineering with 804students; business administration with 929 students;and science with 496 students. The law school hasan enrollment of 138 students.

Total enrollment during the spring semester of1963 was 6,477 students. In addition, there is a sum-mer session of six weeks, which usually enrollsabout 3,200 students. The graduate school has anenrollment of 827 full-time students, and an addi-tional 122 students are enrolled in the eveningclasses. More than 90 percent of the students en-rolled in the summer session are graduate students.

The graduate school consist:. of twenty-five de-partments. The M.A. is awarded in ten, the M.S. intwelve, the Ph.D. in twelve, the Doctor of Science

degree in one; and the Mediaeval Institute gives thedegree of Doctor of Mediaeval Studies. At the June,1963, commencement exercises forty-five doctoraldegrees were awarded.

The administration's policy is based partly onscholastic aptitude tests, partly on personal inter-views and recommendations. The 1962-63 freshmenaveraged 555 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, verbal,as contrasted with a national average of 479, and 606on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, mathematical, ascontrasted with a 527 national average. Althoughapplications for admission continue to increase,the undergraduate enrollment is limited to approxi-mately 5,500 students. We do not intend to grow, atleast not according to present policy. It is expectedthat the graduate enrollment will be limited to about1,0Go bona fide full-time graduate students. Therealso is a strong probability that only graduate stu-dents for whom the Ph.D. is the terminal degree willbe admitted.

A number of special research programs are inprogress at Notre Dame. There are the Lobundlaboratories in germ-free life research, and theradiation chemistry laboratory which carries on re-search involving the effects of radiation on matterand the behavior and properties of radiation. Also,there is the Mediaeval Institute; the Committee onInternational Relations which sponsors research incontemporary international political problems; anEast European and Soviet Studies Program; and aprogram in African Studies, expected to beginshortly. The Maritain Center is devoted to re-search in the work of Jacques Maritain.

Today, the University encompasses a 1,000 -acre campus and comprises approximately seventybuildings of all types. The majority of the buildingshave been erected in the past ten to twenty-fiveyears.

Library system

The focal point of the library system is the newMemorial Library of 487,935 volumes. Other librar-ies in the system are: biology, 21,844 volumes;chemistry-physics, 48,694; mathematics computer,7,536; geology, 3,000; engineering, 25,922; and archi-tecture, 8,339. The law library contains 63,306 vol-umes. As of June 30, 1963, the library resourcesavailable on the Notre Dame campus added up to666,856 volumes.

The total enrollment at the University will prob-ably not go much over 7,000 students. The under-graduates will in all probability comprise about 75percent of the student body. The undergraduate ha::been the center of our interest. The college libraryportion of the Memorial Library can seat nearly 44percent of the total undergraduate student body. Interms of total student body and total library seating,

1

i

the Memorial Library can at present accommodate46 percent of the student body.

The researcher and the teacher lave not beenoverlooked in planning the building. Thus, 394 grad-uate students and faculty can be accommodated inthe high-rise portion. An additional 194 faculty of-fices in the basement of the Memorial Library areaccessible without using library entrances.

The program for the architect required that aportion of the building, specifically the most accessi-ble portion, be designed for the undergraduate. TheCollege Library, as it is called, is designed to housebooks likely to be most frequently used because ofclassroom oriented and motivated needs at both theundergraduate and the graduate level.

The concept of the undergraduate library as alimited collection of fixed size, meeting only theminimum requirements of the undergraduate, hasbeen considerably enlarged in the Notre Dame con-cept. The idea is to provide the undergraduate witha broad collection of up-to-date library materialssuch as can be found in the library of a high-qualityliberal arts college. The College Library collectionwill be rigorously weeded and little-used books re-tired to the research library. We feel that this con-cept of the College Library is essential to supportthe University's program of academic excellence.The undergraduate must be provided with the books,services, and facilities which are essential for inde-pendent study and independent research required bythis program.

Ford Foundation grant

The University of Notre Dame is one of the firstfive American universities chosen by the Ford Foun-dation for its special program in education. TheFord Foundation will give Notre Dame $6,000,000 ifthe University obtains at least $12,000,000. Happily,this goal has been exceeded.

The Memorial Library is 13 stories high, andthe entire building rises to a height of 210 feet. Thetotal square feet of floor space is 429,780 squarefeet. The south phase of the highest-rise portion isflush from the ground up, and there will be a granitemural which will be constructed of 140 differentkinds of granite from 90 different quarries all overthe world. A reflecting pool, 7 feet 6 inches x 137feet, is in the front of the building. The first im-pression you get of the building is one of massive-ness but a rather simple design. The second im-pression is that you want to go around the buildingto see some of the artwork which is underneath thecornice. The cornice extends 9 feet off the groundfloor; the forepart is granite panels into which theart is sandblasted and filled with gold leaf. The artis symbolism from the Old Testament.


The general orientation of the building is south.One approaches from the south through a paved en-trance court. On the left is the treasure room, andon the right the auditorium-lecture hall. We will bemoving in on August 5, 1963. I think that the prog-ress made in construction of the building is near amiracle.

On the first floor the simplicity of the exteriordesign is reflected in the interior design. There isan absence of moms or barriers to limit the full useof the collections by the students. The building is315 feet in each direction, and the long vistas arebroken up by placement of stacks. Other view-breakers are the cubicles and ordinary tables.

We have a center entrance to the library, and awest and an east entrance. We will have revolvingdoors because the architect tells us that the pressuregenerated by the air conditioning would make it nearlyimpossible to open a regular hinged door.

Main entrance

As you come in, on the right you will notice fourelevators and ahead of the elevators a circulationdesk. Beyond the circulation desk is the bibliographycenter with divided catalogs. The catalogs on theright wall are our collection of national and tradebibliographies. This will be moved out from techni-cal services so that the books or trade bibliographieswill be available for graduate students working inbibliography courses.

On the left there is a carpeted area which iscalled the. new acquisitions browsing area. I alwaysfelt, durng my days at college as a student, that Inever got to see the books that went into the library.Therefore, we are going to have a display area.We intend to put all of our new acquisitions, exclud-ing bound periodicals and items of that sort, as wellas rare books in this section so that they can be ex-amined by the readers.

Ahead of the new acquisitions browsing area arethe stacks comprising the pYilosophy and geographysection, surrounded by reading tables. There aretables on the side in groups of double phases ofthree's. They are not exactly carrels but cubicleswith dividers. Our experience is that most of thestudents like to study by themselves, and we hopethat the 52-inch-high dividers will provide individualplaces.

Beyond this section is the art and music sectionwith tilt-top tables. If you wish to consult large folio-size art books, you do not have to lean over them;you can lift the table top up and bring the books toyou. Along the range of stairs is a section for lan-guages and literature.

We have a smoking area and a faculty readingroom. The faculty asked to have the reading roomprovided. If they read out in the open bay, they find


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that someone is always at their elbow, asking, 'Howam I doing, Professor?" In connection with thesmoking areas, we do not have any objection to smok-ing. Smoking could be handled by the engineering fa-cilities of the building. At the moment we are a bitafraid of the maintenance involved in supplying andreplacing ash trays. I think eventually we are going

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to have to break down and allow smoking throughoutthe first two floors.

Procedures

We are attempting to set up a procedure wherebyall librarian heads will be involved in doing acquisi-tions, cataloging, and reference. We also hope tohave very strong liaison with our faculty, the collegeof arts and letters, and the business administrationschool. This will be possible because we have 194

faculty offices in the basement, outside of libraryjurisdiction and control. They are accessible to thefaculty twenty-four hours a day with no need ofgoing through the library entrances. The book col-lection will not be accessible to the faculty.

There is an unassigned space which will probablybe used for our mechanical systems when we intro-duce them in the library. We are going to employ aprogrammer who is using the Univac 1107. He willstart programming some of the library operations.At the beginning we are only doing this in connectionwith circulation.

We have a lecture hall seating 300 and in frontof that a reception lounge. There will be an oppor-tunity for coffees or teas and to meet the lecturerand so on. The hall is not intended to be an audito-rium, but simply a lecture hall. It will probablydraw a crowd smaller than we can handle in thethree auditoriums we have on campus and yet toolarge and notable to put into a classroom.

The rare books room is divided into parts.There are a number of display cases. There is adisplay room and reading room, and adjacent tothat the office of the curator. Below the readingroom is what we call our collection room. We ex-pect collections to be given to us, and we havepromised donors that if they have enough rarebooks to fill one section, we will keep them intactand put their name on top of the door.

The area that we have on the first and secondfloors will house approximately 90,000 books. Thepart of the basement under the treasure room areais for the University telephone exchange.

We have a central main stairway. It is rathersmall, and I have raised questions about it. Alongthe side walls are some double stairways. Thesewill go from the first to the second floor, and fromthe second floor they will lead to the outsim. It isa sort of a scissors stairway, but you cannot go fromone stairway to the other. We also have an emer-gency stairway going into the corridor; it has aclosed door which is wired and alarmed.

The total seating capacity on the first floor is778. This is reader seats and does not include of-fices. It also has a capacity of 68,750 volumes..

Second floor

The entrance to the second floor is through thethree communicating stairways, by the elevators, orby the main stairway. To the left is the history sec-tion. In the center are the periodical collections forthis floor, and to the right are the stacks for thesocial sciences and the general sciences.

We have not moved the general sciences into themain building. In fact, when we talked to the physicsfaculty about moving in. they made a survey whichindicated that the physics library should never bemerged into the main library. However, we want to


develop an undergraduate collection in science, or,as one of our faculty members calls it, a sciencecollection for the educated layman. I am sure thatwe will not be able to do this as well as we wouldlike tothat is, withdraw all the science bookswhich are used by the undergraduates from thebranch libraries, withdraw all the reserve readingbooks from the branch libraries, and limit thebranch libraries strictly to research collections.Saying this and being able to do it, I am afraid, aregoing to be two different things.

We can seat 74 people in the audio center. Theywill be listening to stereophonic sound systems byearphones only. Controls will be in another area.We will have 74 listening centers and 15 channels,either turntables, tape decks, or FM radio. Thesystem will be used to pipe music; not through thelibrary, but up to the penthouse lounge, which issomething I will come to eventually. It also can beused to pipe music into the auditorium on the firstfloor.

Most of the study rooms are for 4 people. Thereare a few larger, and they happen to be that way be-cause that is the way the module divided up. Whenwe were visiting libraries a few years ago, we wereadvised not to make the study . oms too large be-cause one or two boys would be likely to get in andelbow everyone else out of the way. Therefore, wepurposely made them the same size. They are allaccessible from the center of the building, and sowe think that persons moving back and forth into thegroup study rooms will not bother the students sit-ting in the open.

The service desks are a little away from the en-trance. We have a service and reference desk forthe history section, the periodicals, the social sci-ences, and the general sciences.

In the periodicals area are T-shaped groupingsof furnitureperiodical indexes with raised shelves.We intend to have only one file in each section; theback files will be on shelving immediately to theback. The chairs at the periodical index tables willbe swivel because there is a lot of coming and goingto the periodical indexes and we think that the movingof chairs back and fortn will be noisy.

There is a two-story lobby. As on the first floor,the large room is for a student smoking room, andthe smaller room is for the faculty reading room.

Fourth floor

The fourth-floor plan is typical. We have notfilled in all the stacks. We have put in only alternatestacks. When completely stacked, each floor willhold 185,000 books.

We have closed carrels around the room. Theyare very small compared to the carrels that oneusually finds in a university library, but since wehave offices for the faculty in the basement, we do


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Memorial Library, University of Notre DameSecond floor

not think we have to provide offices in the tower.Consequently, there are only 45 square feet of

which we think is enough for the graduate stu-dents and others working on research projects.

We are not going to assign the open carrels per-manently. We are going to assign book trucks tothe graduate students who do not qualify for the

trt 471 :71 .:77.14-13 zLa

locked carrels. The graduate students can takematerials back and forth and sit at any desk thathappens to be vacant. From our experience in ourpresent building, and from our discussion with li-brarians with whom we visited, we found that thefrequency of use is very small. We think that wecan get about three and four times the use by notassigning the carrels permanently. Also, fromwhat I see in the present building, where we have a

F

few carrels, they are very untidy. I do not thinkthis procedure will harm the graduate student.Those studying for comprehensives or those doingresearch papers for the master's degree can usethis system without difficulty.

The sixth floor is like all the other floors, withthe exception that there are quarters for the archives.We have rather extensive archives, and we have al-lowed room for plenty of growth.

I would also like to point out that each floor hasa seminar room which can seat 14 students. Someof our faculty members had thought they could runclasses in these seminar rooms and thus relievethe pressure on the undergraduate classes. How-ever, we made them much smaller so that we didnot have to serve any classes. As you know,classes in a building such as this, with approxi-mately 140 people streaming in and out all daylong, would cause noise and confusion.

One particular seminar room on the sixth floorhas special construction because it is a seminarroom for the music department. It contains a slideprojector, a blackboard ruled with staffs, and also aspinet piano so that if students are working on pro-jected microfilm or manuscripts they can pick upthe music on the piano. Other floors do not havethis type of treatment.

On the twelfth floor we have quarters for theReview of Politics group. We thought, when weplanned this building, that we would be free of allthe tenants. However, we not only have what we hadbut have likewise picked up one more in the process.Other areas are for the European Soviet Studies andthe headquarters for the Committee on InternationalRelations.

DISCUSSION

Question: I believe that on the second floor therewere some anchored tables; is that right?

MR. SCHAEFER: Yes. Those are cubicles whichare fastened to the wall, and the idea is the sameas that of the partition. You will find the sametreatment on the first floor, above the technicalservices area, and also on the second floor inthe lower left front wall.

Question: What kind of book control do you have?MR. SCHAEFER: We have 6 turnstiles: 4 for entry

and 2 for exit. They will be connected by a mixwhich can be an emergency relief measureand, therefore, serve as emergency exits if werequire them.

Question: As I understand it, you will have 4 peopleat the exit?

MR. SCHAEFER: No, we will have 2 people at theexit. They are right inside the revolving doors.

Question: What is the total seating on the secondfloor?


MR. SCHAEFER: The total seating on the secondfloor is 1,633. The volume capacity is 142,000volumes.

Question: Do you have a closed reserve anywhere?MR. SCHAEFER: No. We have reserve shelves

along with all of the other books. We have beendoing this for about eight years now. I don'tthink we have lost any more reserve books inthis fashion than we have in connection with theclosed group.

Question: What do you do when you have a run onone or two books?

MR. SCHAEFER: I should point out that besides thenormal equipment at each of the reference desks,there is also a locket: -door bookcase where wecan have books under control during special runson the night before exams or something like that.

Question: What is the ultimate potential capacity ofthe libraryhow many volumes?

MR. SCHAEFER: The ultimate capacity is slightlyover 2,000,000 volumes. I should also mentionthat there are three floors which are now unfur-nished. Our present seating capacity is 2,997 inthe entire building. When we finish off the otherfloors and have more stacks and more carrels,this will jump to 3,400.

Question: What kind of floor covering do you have?MR. SCHAEFER: On the first floor there is Arm-

strong Rubber Tile, and on the top, as well as inthe foyer, we have vinyl asbestos.

Question: Do you have freestanding stackt on eachfloor? Do you have multitier stacks anywherein the building?

MR. SCHAEFER: No.Question: Had you considered multitier stacks as

they did over in Rochester many years ago?MR. SCHAEFER: Yes, we did consider multitier

stacks, but we did not use them because we feltthat this building should be kept highly flexible.

Question: What is the size of your bay?MR. SCHAEFER: It is 21 feet 8 inches.Question: Where do you park the book trucks for

the graduate students?MR. SCHAEFER: They are on each floor.Question: How many professional librarians do you

expect to use to service each floor?MR. SCHAEFER: I have added fifteen new positions,

which now gives me a total of around 47 profes-sional positions on the staff as a whole, includingthe branch libraries.

Question: What hours are you open?MR. SCHAEFER: We have library service from

eight in the morning until ten at night, the library!being open until eleven-thirty. We will probablycontinue with this procedure. We were alsodiscussing whether or not we should stay openuntil one or two o'clock in the morning. ThePresident would like us to stay open this late.


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This would run afoul of disciplinary policy, aswe have a curfew at midnight. Therefore, I don'tknow what the situation is. At the present timeit is contemplated that we will suspend libraryservice at ten o'clock but that the library will

be open. We plan to have a staff of three personswho will patrol the building all day long in orderto see what is going on. Of course, whether ornot we will continue this indefinitely will dependupon the financing.

Question: The size of the cataloging and seatingarea, it seems to me, is comparable to that of

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acquisitions or recently received books on theleft-hand side of the building. I think that is onthe main floor; is that right?

MR. SCHAEFER: Correct. There was a very sim-ple factor that influenced what kind of a buildingwe would have and also our access to it. ThePresident wanted to have a building which would

I

Memorial Library, University of Notre DameSixth floor

be the dominating building on the campus, and Ithink we have that. I don't think anybody willmistake where the library is or which buildingthe library is. It is not quite so tall as the domebut nearly as tall. However, it is beginning to


overshadow the dome. As you drive along thetoll road, or come in by the main road, youhardly notice the dome any more, which, ofcourse, has been our trademark in the past.Also, because we have only one access, thenorth road, we therefore have to group the tech-nical services near that access. That is why wehave put the receiving and technical sex vicesareas about two bays below the north wall.

Question: What does the total project cost?MR. SCHAEFER: Equipped and everything, I am

told that it will exceed $9,000,000. Our furnitureand equipment was $850,000, and the buildingstarted out at $7,000,000. Our President speaksof the building as costing $12,000,000, but I thinkhe is adding to it all of the other costs involvedwith regard to preparing the site and redoing thepower house. As I indicated, the building is air-conditioned throughout and, as a result, this didmean extensive remodeling and increase of thepower plant. We are going to have a central air-conditioning system on that side of the campus,which will also be used for all of the other newbuildings to go up. I think that our Presidentarrived at the cost of $12,000,000 on that basis.

Question: I am an architect, and I would like to askwhat is probably a naive question. When one de-signs a legitimate theater, if it exceeds about1,000 scats, it is not used because people wouldrather watch television. In that same connection,when does a library begin to reach a scale whereit will do better as two or three separate build-ings?

MR. SCHAEFER: I am sure I do not know. As Ipointed out previously, the undergraduates willalways be the predominant population on thecampus-70-75 percent, according to the presentpolicy. However, as to what the president orfaculty directors in the future will do about this,we have no way of ascertaining. I do not knowwhether it is cheaper to have two buildings whenyou have $9,000,000 to spend or not. There is agreat deal of interchange between the undergrad-uate collections and the graduate and researchcollections. The collections were not exclusivelydesigned for one use alone. I am sure that all ofyou have senior students in your college whowere possibly better equipped from their fresh-man year to use research materials than perhapssome entering graduate students. We feel thatinsofar as the cost of maintaining collectionsis concerned, insofar as the cost of maintaininga building is concerned, this library fulfills thepurposes we had in mind.

Question: I am the second uninitiated architect here.I think that what bothers the previous speakerand myself is the fact that if we were designing atheater and we had to run 500 people through anentrance during a ten-minute period between

acts, we would not handle it that way. We havebuilt a baseball stadium where 500 people goin through a series of gates, possibly four orfive gates. Of the 1,700 persons, theoretically,who could be in the library at one time, howmany do you think would come into the buildingduring the ten-minute class break? Could youguess? Could anybody guess? Of course, I amnot being critical of the building; I am merelyattempting to use it as a basis for discussion asto some of my worries.

MR. SCHAEFER: We had thought about severalexits, but then we were faced with the cost of es-tablishing extra control points.

Question: As I looked at the plans, I noted that youhad two revolving doors. How many people, ata peak, do you think would come in betweenclasses? I am speaking now about those in thecenter area. Would you say that there would be500 people coming in at a peak ten-minute classbreak?

MR. SCHAEFER: Basing the number solely on thenumber of students that come to the library, Iwould say perhaps 100 at the moment. I hopethat this will increase; it will probably tripleand quadruple. At exit time during the evening,the passage of people is much greater. I shouldpoint out that, in addition to the revolving doors,we likewise have four hinged doors.

Question: With 1,700 people here, let us say atlunchtimethey will not all interchange at thattime, but would not the number that do be amilling mass of people?

MR. SCHAEFER: Of course, when we say that weare building a library that will seat 2,997 people,we likewise have the strength of our convictionsthat there will be 2,997 people using it. Obvi-ously, however, we are not building for today butfor tomorrow and, therefore, I suspect that if weget half that many today, we will be doing well.

Comment: But this lobby has already been built in,and it would be difficult to change in connectionwith future patterns. You see, to the architec-tural way of thinking, a building that takes 1,700-2,000 people needs a kind of milling-aroundspace of some dimension. This would have tobe pretty large. Perhaps Mr. Metcalf can com-ment on this.

MR. METCALF: This is not just a question of 1,700people. There are nearly 4,000 people who willcome out at this one exit and through this oneplace.

MR. SCHAEFER: The only entrance to the libraryproper is right here, and we do have 2,997 peoplein the entire building, including the carrels andfacilities for study. We will have to add severalhundred office people in connection with our of-fices and those of the Institute.

MR. METCALF: This is a very important question.

I do not know the answer. I know that in the La-mont Library, where we may have 1,400 personsin the building at one time, we arranged for sixdoors at the front and three at the side. Thisgave us six check-out points. Of course, we alsoknow that it takes longer to go out than to go in,because you have to check as you go out. How-ever, at Harvard we have never had to use thesix. The most that we have ever used has beenfour, and I think it is very unusual even to usemore than three. Generally, it is one entranceexcept during the rush hour and Saturday after-noons.

Question: How long does it take to check out? I pre-sume you are opening brief cases and receptaclesof that nature. You know that in the theater tick-ets cannot be taken in fast.

MR. METCALF: It depends on how you do thechecking-out. This is a very important factor.I think that there should be at least four check-out points. I would not want to get along withless than that.

MR. SCHAEFER: We can put in an almost unlimitednumber of check-out points in addition to thedesk which is there. For instance, if we have agreat many people checking out, we can drop oneof the cords and make a more or less portablecheck-out point there also.

MR. METCALF: I likewise think that your problemis complicated by having these revolving doors,which, of course, take up more space than a regu-lar door. Of course, you have plenty of room.Forty-two feet is certainly enough if you can useit all for doors. However, you have reduced thatamount of space by having the revolving doors.

Question: There will be hundreds of people going inand coming out of there. What would be your ob-jection to a stair which could be used to go to theupper floors and thus relieve part of the drain onthat lobby?

MR. METCALF: I am sure the objection would bethat you would simply have to have another check-out point.

Question: I would like to raise a question about thesecond-floor plan. The thing that disturbs me isthat you must have 600-700 people walking backand forth here all the time. I think it is all rightto say that these people are at desksthat thereare only a few disturbed. However, what do yougain by this enormous concentration? Could notthis wing be on another floor, thus forcing thestudents to go down into a common check-out?As it is presently arranged, there will be almosta continual flow back and forth all day long. Isthere some reason for this great concentrationon this wing? Is it not possible to break this upinto units on different floors rather than creatingthis great mass of space, with galloping crowdsall over the place? I don't understand it.


MR. SCHAEFER: Obviously, there are several waysof building a library. I disagree with the state-ment as to this great mass of people millingaround and creating a lot of noise. I just do notbuy that. As you come into these various areas,you come up on lifts and then, if you are going towork there, you mainly sit there and you leaveby the same route. If a person is in another partof the library and desires to go upstairs, hecomes up only at the end in which he is interested.You do not have to come down through the centralstairs or use the elevator.

We have purposely left some of our aislesrather large so that the traffic pattern which thestudent should take would be fairly obvious. Ifhe is coming off the left section, he then takeseither the elevator or the nearest stairway tothe next area he desires to visit. If he has to goto the central area, he then goes through thelobby, which is about 2,000 square feet. Therewill be a merging of these various persons, butthere will be a moving-around which is not goingto bother other people.

Comment: I would like to second the concern aboutthe movement of people within a space in whichreaders are attempting to study. Baldwin-Wallace College has a library which is laid outon a principle similar to the one we have justseen. It is a modular plan with interspersedareas for reading and for stacks. I spent a dayin that library watching what happened, and Icame away very much concerned about the in-terference which takes place as soon as a singleperson moves in a space where people are read-ing. It is very disturbing.

In that particular library, a single personmerely coming to the desk to ask a question in alow voice caused 40 readers to look up. Thislikewise happened anytime that anyone moved.Now, this was in a library that was so arrangedthat it was possible to control the reading spacefrom the desk.

I think this is a serious question and some-thing which has a bearing on all modular libraryplans. I am less concerned about large massesof people moving about than I am about individ-uals who, by the slightest movement, appear todisturb others in the area who are attempting toread.

MR. SCHAEFER: The service centers are verywell isolated with shelving and things of thatsort. We have an overhang at the desk with twochairs in front so that students will not have toshout to the librarian, but can carry on a con-versation in a modulated voice. We think thatthe size is going to cut down a lot of the noisebecause, at least on the second floor, you aredispersed over an area of some 90,000 squarefeet. To make yourself heard over that spacing,


I think you are going to have to raise your voiceto a considerable pitch. The person studyingdown at one end does not know what is going onat the opposite end, which is some 445 feet away.

MR. METCALF: I would like to say that I am veryglad we have had this discussion. There arethree questions involved. The first question isthat of getting people out of the building quicklyand without having a huge crowd in the lobby.The second is a question of getting people out ofthe building in connection with a circulation andtraffic pattern so that they will not disturb othersas they move around. The third is whether youcan actually have a building of this size whichwill not be so complicated that its use will bediscouraged. I think that these are three majorproblems which require careful study. I am notready to suggest an answer for any of them, butthose of you who are building very large librar-ies must keep all three in mind.

Comment: There is one other problem I would liketo bring up. I believe we have to keep the massesout of the research collection and have, rather,an expandable collection for the undergraduatestudents. I believe this point has been overlooked.

MR. SCHAEFER: If we have a top-notch collectionof 200,000 volumes on the first two floors, wesee very little need for masses of students touse the research collections. This is why weplanned a large area, so that we can have a largeundergraduate library and keep it separate fromthe research collection. We can close this areaoff if we desire, but we must try this methodfirst. The solution may be like waterthe stu-dents may seek their own level. Maybe theywill want to go to the tower. However, I do notthink we will have to legislate them out of thetower. If we have to, we can program the ele-vators so that they will be restricted to particu-lar sections.

University of California Library

Riverside, California(Increment No. 1)

STATISTICAL DATA

Architects: George Vernon Russell & Associates,Los Angeles, California

Type of library: AcademicPopulation to be served: 3,350Area: 52,658 square feet (first increment)Book capacity: 300,000 volumes (combined

buildings)Seating capacity: 865 (combined buildings)Cost: $1,070,000

Equipment: $170,000


Librarian: Gordon MartinArchitect: Hideo Matsunaga

GORDON MARTINI am no longer the librarian at this institution,

but for the last four years I have been intimately in-

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volved in the planning of the new addition. The Uni-versity of California has a number of campuses.There are seven at the moment, with three more inthe development stage. The University campus atRiverside is one of the smaller campuses. It wasfirst opened in 1954 as a college of liberal arts,and was literally an experiment in this massiveuniversity complex.

Some thought had been given to the idea of havinga small liberal arts college in a more or less ruralsetting, with a maximum attendance perhaps of 2,000students, giving almost tutorial education within thescope of a huge state university. In 1950, a chancel-lor was appointed, and plans were begun for a smallcampus at Riverside. This was formerly the site ofthe Citrus Experiment Station, one of the world'sfamous research organizations in subtropical horti-culture. The Station had a campus of some thousandacres outside of Riverside. A portion of this wasallotted to the college of liberal arts.

There were certain delays as a result of theKorean War. However, by 1954 the college wasopened in a complex of five buildings, one of whichwas the library. The librarian was the second per-son appointed to this new college campus. By the

University of California Library, RiversideArchitect's renderingof ultimate library facilities

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time we opened the library, we had approximately30,000 volumes, a capacity of about 150,000, andno plans, really, to go beyond 200,000 volumes.This was to be the limit to serve a maximum stu-dent body of 2,000. When we opened the campus, itcontained 132 students and I think something like 90faculty members. The enrollment did go up, and wenow have about 2,000 students.

However, by 1959, the board of regents decidedthat this was rather expensive education. The River-side campus, as well as the other smaller campusesSanta Barbara and San Diegowere determinedgeneral campuses. They were to have graduate train-ing and possibly several different schools on each ofthe campuses. This caused quite a shift in the plan-ning for the entire Riverside campus, particularlyin connection with the library.

The library building was built as a low two - storystructure and intended to have an additional wii:g atsome future date. There was no idea of housing anylarge number of books or readers. During the pastthree years, the program at Riverside has includedseventeen fields for the master's degree and fourteenfields for the doctorate. We had to shift our ninkingconsiderably in the acquisition of books and provisionof services in the new library.

The Riverside library, at the moment, has twobranches. One is a physical science library with acapacity of about 10,000 volumes, located in the sci-ence building separate from the University library.The other is in the new library on the second floor.It is the Citrus Experiment Station Library and num-bers about 30,000 volumes. Future plans for it in-clude location in a separate wing of the new collegeof agriculture building being planned for the River-side campus at the moment. There are no plans foradditional branch libraries.

Mountains are to the back of the Riverside cam-pus. A freeway is the main link between Los Angeles,directly east of Riverside, and the Palm Springs des-ert area to the west and south. The campus occupiesacreage on both sides of the freeway.

First additionThe present addition will be step number one.

Two further additions are to come at some futuredate, the next one perhaps at about 1967. The totalcomplex is designed for 1,000,000 volumes and ap-proximately 2,600 readers. We wish to avoid whathappens to sc many libraries that add small sectionsat a time. They end up with a nonfunctioning buildingwhich they may have to abandon and begin again witha new building.

When the 1959 decision was made to turn theRiverside campus into a general campus, we couldnot see any reasonable way of expanding the library.We wished to abandon the building. The University,however, hardly ever disposes of a building. We

were talked out of it, and had to present to the archi-tects a building which was never intended to be largeand ask them to figure out a way to expand efficiently.

The wing (on the old building) was originally in-tended as a periodicals reading room. It is now usedas such but ultimately will become a reserve books

room. We will open it at night; in other words, itwill be open twenty-four hours a day. By the use ofan internal wall we can seal off the rest of the build-ing and leave the reserve room as an empty, lightedstudy for use of students living off campus.

The outdoor reading rooms were designed in con-nection with the original building, and they are quiteattractive, containing plantings and so on. Unfor-tunately, they are rarely used. There are not enoughtrees to shade them properly. Students do not find itcomfortable to read in the outdoor areas. Also,there is quite a lot of wind, and the original buildingdid not provide for enough wind shield. On the backof the building we had to add sunshades to the win-dows. It faces east, and in the morning the sun beatson the windows.

The problem we face is shifting from a smallliberal arts college, with rather limited servicesand completely open stack collections, to the possi-bility of serving a quite heavy graduate enrollmentin a very large campus. This is the problem weturned over to the architects.

HIDEO MATSUNAGAI think that a brief history of the relationship

between our office and the University of Californiaat Riverside should be helpful. George Vernon Rus-sell, a Fellow of the American Institute of Archi-tects, was appointed as the consulting architect forthe Riverside campus in 1959. One of our first as-signments was to prepare a master plan for the de-velopment of the campus for a future enrollment of10,000 students.

The campus at this time was only six years old,but both site and buildings 'lad been designed for amaximum of only 2,000 students. Planning objec-tives for the larger campus were often limited bythese existing facilities. In the master plan, thelibrary serves as a focal point for planning, and thecampus was designed around it as its heart.

The commission for the first addition to the li-brary and for a schematic master plan for the ulti-mate library was awarded to our office after com-pletion of the master plan for the camplis. We havealso designed the humanities building, the theatercomplex, and a residence hall for 800 students. Cur-rently we are designing the life science addition,step number two. We feel fortunate to design thesemajor structures incorporating the many principlesof design and planning included in our master report.

Riverside, as you may know, is in the semidesert,arid interior of southern California where rainfall isminimal, and is subject to F.:Tvere desert winds. The

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region is likewise rich in Spanish history. Such anenvironment calls for the use of covered walks andarcades, water in pools and fountains, small andlarge landscaped courts, and sun control on glassareas facing the sun. Shade and shadow becomeimportant planning tools.

Master plan

Although the immediate need for library facilitiesexpansion was the step number one addition, the Uni-versity officials concurred with our master plan re-port that the ultimate structure should be schemati-cally designed tr ensure orderly incremental growth.A detailed project program for the first incrementwas given to us, and the 1,000,060-volume ultimatelibrary for the 10,000-student campus was estimatedto total 220,000 square feet, based on Californiastate standards for libraries. The original 40,000 -square -foot building was to have 180,000 square feetadded; in other words, it would become five timesits original size. The library also would house300,000 documents and provide seating for 2,600students-25 percent graduate and 33 percentundergraduate.

The biggest problem in planning the ultimatelibrary was the original structure, which was de-signed for very different enrollment objectives. Itwas only two stories high and of very modest scale.Expansion was possible only to the south, with amultistory structure. It was apparent that the origi-nal entrance would be inadequate and in the wronglocationtoo far from the center of gravity. Thedesign of the original structure, its one- and two-story wings, could not be adapted to a 220,000 -square -foot structure.

Design process reversed

The usual process of designing the addition toconform to the original structure had to be reversed.The new structure was designed within the frame-work of the master plan. Changes were recom-mendea ift)th inside and outside the original structureto make is more compatible with the addition.

The ultimate building is designed as a five-storystructure for incremental growth. Unfortunately,due to the site limitation, this expansion is in one di-rection only. The structure is Type I constructionof reinforced concrete with exterior walls of precastconcrete panels. Those on the south and of the firstincrement will be demountable and reusable on sub-sequent additions. The secondary wings are designedfor brick, thereby aesthetically tying in with the orig-inal building. All floors are supported by columnsbased on a module of bookstack ranges and compart-ments, permitting sensible use of space on any floor.

Windows are kept to a minimum, being narrowslots between concrete panels, glazed with dark gray

glass. These small windows, we feel, are sufficientto give the occupants an awareness of the outdoorsand still eliminate the solar problem in the library.The first and second floors of the addition are on thesame level as the original building and are continuous.

The original entrance on the old building wasclosed, and a new entrance with all of the related fa-cilities was designed into the first increment of theaddition. A bridge spans a lower-level patio. Thisconnects the entrance to an arcade featured in thefront of the building. The Spanish heritage of hearea is expressed in the arches and is repeated inother new buildings on the campus.

Functional areas

The ultimate library is divided into three func-tional areas with controlled access and segregatedcirculation systems. The staff area includes all thework areas and offices. The research stack and car-rel areas are closed to undergraduates and accessi-ble only by a controlled gate. The rest of the libraryis designated as the undergraduate general seatingand stack area and is open to all students. Smallreading areas are interrupted by stacks and can berearranged as the needs arise.

The undergraduate area, due to the higher densityof seating, is limited to the first, basement, and sec-ond floors. A vertical circulation normally will beonly one floor up or down from the entrance floor forthe majority of students. A basement-level land-scaped patio was created, with glazed windowsfacing the patio to create essentially two groundfloors. The covered walks which lead away fromthe arcade in the other direction are eventually totie into the balance of the campus.

The original building will be face-lifted to con-form with the new structure. A similar precastpanel will be installed around the existing portico.There will be coverings for the windows, and a re-flecting pool will be added. Trees likewise will beplanted to create a cool, shaded patio.

The new building is five stories high, with onlyfour above the ground. The first floor is at the base-ment level. We excavated a lower-level terrace andwill create a second ground floor. By putting the en-trance to the library at the central level, which isthe first floor, we have eliminated walking up twofloors for library services.

The first increment of about 52,000 square feetis nearing completion. The University is now re-questing additional funds for alteration of the originalstructure to make it conform with the master plan.MR. MARTIN: On the first floor we will have a

large undergraduate reading room consisting ofpractically all of the original building, the re-serve books room operation, the new entry foyer,lobby area, circulation desk, card catalog, refer-ence department, periodicals, and more reading

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-


space. The whole top of the building, at thispoint, is processing departments.

In the original building, most of the basementwas not excavated. The only portion that was wehave used for storage of material and mechanicalequipment. In the new addition, the basement iscompletely excavated, and it will be throughoutthe rest of the building. The plans for the stepnumber one addition include a new periodicalsreading room, serials department, microfilmreading rooms, two small group studies for 6students, a typing room, and the serials depart-ment office. In the ultimate expansion this wouldcontinue to be undergraduate reading space.

In the next addition the periodicals readingroom will go back up on the first floor, where wethink it ought to be. Temporarily, it is going tobe located in the basement, accessible right in-side the main entry by a staircase going downdirectly to it.

The second floor of the building has, at thepresent time, a microfilm reading room, a smalllistening room, and an office for the governmentdocuments librarian. These will be removedafter the step number one phase has been com-pleted, and the whole area opened to stacks andreaders for essentially undergraduate reading.The smaller rooms include a staff room, typingroom, and the offices of the Citrus ExperimentStation Library, which we now call the agricul-tural library. These will be used as seminarrooms in the conversion.

The new portion will include mostly tables, afew carrels, and a great many stacks for large,bulky collections. We plan to put in a nonbearingwall separating the research stacks from the un-dergraduate collection.

We hope the check-out station will be largeenough and flexible enough to satisfy all the re-quirements, at least in the early stages. We feelone guard can take care of two lines of exitingstudents. Another guard stationed along the otherline of traffic could be added later. Graduatestudents and faculty would come by the desk tobe checked in and then use the elevator to go tothe upper floors of the building.

There is practically no control by the staffin the upper levels, and provision is largely forindividual seating. Patrons would have access toa collection of perhaps 800,000 volumes even-tually and would come down from the stack areas,past the same control point, to check out their ma-terials. The undergraduates would have free ac-cess to open stacks in the present building onboth floors, and on the basement floor and thesecond-floor level of the newer portion.

In the third-floor rear we will house thegovernment documents collection and also aworkroom for the documents librarian. This

area will include the only staff members in theupper part of the building during our presentoperation.

The fourth floor will, in separate increments,house the agricultural library temporarily onthe north. This will be separated by walls fromthe other part of the building so that this branchof the library can operate independently. Thescience and agricultural collections of the Univer-sity library will be housed in the other half ofthat floor. When the agricultural library movesout, which we hope will be in 1966, we plan touse that space as a special collections area.

DISCUSSION

Question: What is the bay size on this building?MR. MARTIN: It is 221 feet by 21.8 feet.Question: In relation to the check-out, did I under-

stand you to say that one guard would try tocontrol both aisles?

MR. MAR".1N: Both aisles, yes.Question: Does he check brief cases and so on?MR. MARTIN: Yes, we are doing it now and it

works very well. We had quite a serious prob-lem in the original building with book losses,because there were two entrances and exitswith no provision for control. When we got tothe basic point where the losses in books werecosting more than it would cost us to hire aguard, we hired a guard, and the losses havediminished.

Question: Is there any provision for storageshelving?

MR. MARTIN: I am sorry I did not mention this.In the basement, where the serials are, thereare also unbound storage shelves which providefor 16 units of drawer-type compartment storage.This will be used mainly for large collectionsthat we might acquire with no immediate time toprocess. Of course, such collections are some-thing that we anticipate in addition to our normal25,000-volume increase each year. At the pres-ent time we are about 30,000 volumes in arrearson cataloging, largely due to a lack of staff.

THE PROGRAM

Programming before Planning

HURST JOHN, A.S.R.A.Columbia, Missouri

Panel Discussants: Harold Roth, Director, EastOrange Public Libraries, East Orange, NewJerseyClarence S. Paine, Chief Librarian, LansingSchool District, Lansing, Michigan

Frances Flanders, Ouachita Parish PublicLibrary, Monroe, Louisiana

HURST JOHN

For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,For the want of a horse the rider was lost,For the want of a rider the battle was lost

And so on. You know the story. For want of adecision, for want of an idea, for lack of preparation,a service can be lost: library service, architecturalservice: any service. It starts with a decision. Itstarts with an idea. Where do you go to coordinateall of these ideas, all of these services that you haverendered, and project them into what can be five,ten, twenty years from now?

The beginning of the building project startedwhen the library in the community was first put intoservice. All the needs of the library which have ac-cumulated should be represented in your program-ming. To put these needs into words, you turn toyour program team. This program team can be aconsultant, an architect, the librarian, and a board.

Public Libraries

The scope of your program needs to extend be-yond what you have been accustomed to doing, be-cause what you have been doing is serving the needswith the facilities that you have. Programming is anaccumulation of decisions, and on paper it becomesa reflection of what you know that you would like topursue. Planning is putting these decisions to work,in the way of bricks and mortar, plans, specifications,and instructions. Its philosophy is the objective look.

Responsibility for planning

Responsibility is that which is assigned by theboard to the librarian; by the librarian to the archi-tect to pursue the needs of the job; and by the archi-tect to the consultant to serve the needs of the librar-ian to complete the job. And whatever is being doneis not sufficient until there is understanding amongthose who are working at it.

The unfortunate thing we have is the word "com-promise." We call it compromise whenever we donot complete a job. It is not a compromise neces-sarily when you change your mind, if you have a validreason for doing so. It is a compromise when yourefuse to think the problem out, test it out, and workit out.

Virginia Young wrote a pamphlet entitled, TheTrustee of a Small Public Library, and in it shemakes a very valid statement: "He assumes the re-sponsibility of his position."' The same as everyoneelse should do. In our own project in Columbia, Iwould like to translate for you the steps we took andthe way we approached the problem.

1. Virginia G. Young, The Trustee of a Small Public Library;No. 3 in a series of pamphlets of the Small Libraries Project(Chicago: American Library Association, Library Adminis-tration Division, 1963), p.1.

111

CI


The decision of the librarian to employ the ar-chitectural firm prior to the programming, site lo-cation, and the employing of consultants, was ques-tioned by other architects. There was doubt aboutthe desirability of this move. I do not agree. Manyarchitectural firms do not receive a chance to pro-gram. Either they draft the work which has gonebefore, or they have to remodel the work after thelibrarian's mind is fixed and the plans are set. So

an architect is not required, but a draftsman.

Architect as coordinator

An architect is a coordinator. He is a masterat blending paper ideals with materials and site.The whole scope is his field if he is doing a job. Hecannot be isolated and put on the job after the siteis found, after the program is written, after the gen-eral details of the project are worked out. Perhapsyou should educate your architect along with the restof the team, and let him educate you. Find a respon-sible architect who is willing to learn, and teach hima little librarianship so that he knows more than themechanics of what you are trying to do.

The architect signed a contract with us for ser-vices, and in this contract we were to employ theconsultants. We chose the consultants together,though final decisions belong to the librarian. Thenthis team dealt with the librarian's program, theconsultant's recommendations on that program, thearchitect's reaction to that program, and an informalstudy which had been done independently, dealingwith the flow of services within the library.

Phase one of several steps toward the building isthe program. It is an analysis which recommendssize and site but contains no plans. Once the analy-sis is reported, the site is contemplated and we enterstage two: site study and development.

Site planning is a step that too often even the ar-chitect wants to get past, because it takes time to co-ordinate and to study what is likely to happen ten orfifteen years from now in traffic flow and other fac-tors of this nature, which must be worked out withyour city planning commission. We are at this pointin our own project.

Last January I suggested to the architecturalcommittee that the enthusiasm and interest and ob-vious pleasure of those participating in building in-stitutes made me realize that here was a forum, acentral discussion, where objective thinking couldbe put to work in programming, or even beforeprogramming. I have asked three librarians to re-spond with their experiences.

HAROLD ROTHThe definition of programming as given by Mr.

John does not quite agree with some of the definitionsI have seen, which say that programming is essen-tially all the steps involved in planning. For exam-

ple, the type of programming I am doing at thepresent time is not being done on paper. Our pro-gramming is being done in terms of an entire set ofexisting local conditions, which have to be involvedin the whole matter of whether or not we will get anew library, an enlarged library, or be detainedjust exactly where we are.

Incidentally, I want to emphasize the importanceof the local conditions in anything that you do in theway of programming and/or planning. I am not soworried about the difference between building a col-lege library and building a school library, as I amwith the areas in which these build. 3 are to bebuilt. This is because the problems that exist in ahighly urbanized community in the East are not thesame problems that exist in the well-laid-out, mod-ern community in the West and Middle West.

Just discussing the fact that we need a buildingis programming. Programming is time to instillthe concept. This is the stage we are at in program-ming. We are promoting this, pushing this, talkingabout it in as gentle a way as we can.

CLARENCE S. PAINEMr. John mentioned the team in this program-

ming: librarian, architect, board. I am going tointroduce a new member of this team. When I wentto Lansing, I inherited a citizens committee whosemembers were planners. This was a committee of90-100 interested citizens who had been working forfive or seven years, and they were divided on twothings. They were divided on the site and they weredivided on how to finance it. Should it be pay-as-you-go, or a bond issue?

We finally arrived at a program and a charge tothat community and its special committee. First,the committee was divided into a number of specialcommittees: a special committee on library serviceto children, a special committee on library serviceto business and industry, and a special committeeon library service to the handicapped, includingeight or nine subcommittees.

This was the charge: Each of the special com-mittees, as a result of its studies and with the as-sistance of the staff consultant, was asked to file areport with the executive committee of the CitizensCommittee on Libraries answering the questions:

1( "Why and to what extent is this facet of libraryservice, which was assigned to the committeefor study, needed in Lansing?"

2. "What materials, equipment, and speciallytrained personnel would be required to imple-ment those services?"

Upon receipt and approval of the several specialcommittee reports, the executive committee trans-mitted these to the librarian who, with the assistanceof the library staff and the architect, interpreted the

reports in terms of physical plant space, orientation,and equipment required to carry out the program ofservices recommended. In other words, they an-swered the questions, "How can these library ser-vices be most economically and effectively pro-vided?" and "How much will it cost?"

The result? A superb document filled with ex-cellent, highly imaginative ideas, 90 percent ofwhich were acceptable. Here the citizens were tell-ing their fellow citizens what was needed. Moreover,it greatly broadened the base for a bond issue whichwas to follow, and alleviated any great controversyover site.

FRANCES FLANDERSJust seven years ago, the people of Ouachita

Parish approved a bond issue for the constructionof library buildings for the Ouachita Parish PublicLibrary System. The board of control of the libraryasked for $700,000 to be used for the construction ofthree buildings.

Before the bond issue was scheduled, time wasspent reading, studying, and working out the esti-mates of the size and cost of the buildings needed.The bond issue was approved in August of 1956.Work began immediately on programs for the threebuildings, so that they would be ready when the ar-chitects were appointed.

The programs opened with an introduction whichexplained the purposes of the building, the type ofsite needed, and the general standards for lighting,air conditioning, acoustics, and the like. Theystressed the necessity of planning the interior ofthe building before the exterior. Next came a de-tailed description of the space needed for each ac-tivity and the purpose of each space. Last of allwas included a summary of the floor space needed.

The architects studied the programs carefully,visited a number of libraries, helped in the selectionof sites, and drew up the plans. The buildings havebeen used long enough to prove that they were goodplans. The buildings serve the purpose intended,and the people of the parish are very proud of them.

DISCUSSION

Question: How much do future trends and futureneeds play in your part of the program?

MR. ROTH: We are trying to stress the fact thatregionalization is the coming thing, although ithas never existed in Essex County.

MR. JOHN: The libra-:ians and their trusteesshould help their architects and their consultantsthink in terms of something more than what isnow being done. Look at the structure that isstill useful seventy-five or a hundred years fromthe time it was built, and realize that the plan-

Public Libraries 113

ners went way out in left field to get that struc-ture built.


Federal Aid Programs for PublicLibrary Planning and Construction

H. A. FAGERSTROMPublic Facilities Operations OfficerHousing and Home Finance AgencyChicago, Illinois

In the thirties many events occurred whichchanged the relationship between local and municipalentities, and state and federal governments. For ex-ample, the federal government embarked on a nation-wide construction program aimed primarily at alle-viating unemployment. During that period one of thebig difficulties was the time required to do the proj-ect planning. Although there was money, authority,and legislation, the hours required to plan the proj-ects, finance the projects, and arrange the legal de-tails consumed so much time that it took at leasteighteen months to start the project.

This experience generated thought as to thevalue of advanced planning. At the close of WorldWar II, there was a fear that there would again bewidespread unemployment, resulting from the de-mobilization of the war activities. The AdvancePlanning Plan came into being as a part of the De-mobilization and Recovery Act of 1944.

The ground rules for review and approval ofrequests for advances have not changed materially.In essence, any municipal entity is eligible to applyfor a planning advance provided it demonstrates(1) a need for public works; (2) the legal authorityto plan, finance, construct, maintain, and operatethe public work proposed; and (3) financial capacityto finance the cost of constructing the public work.

A planning advance might be referred to as aninterest-free loan in the amount of funds necessaryto advance the planning to the point where the projectcan be fully planned, or to the point at which con-struction bids can be solicited. This interest-freeloan is repayable when the construction programbegins.

On the national level, more than 5,000 applica-tions have been received, of which about 3,500 wereapproved. That figure may be misleading, becausesome of those which we disapproved Ntv ere subse-quently refiled in more accurate or more completeform.

Of the projects planned, some 900 actually wereplaced under construction and the advances repaidto the federal government. In effect, then, the moneyappropriated for Advanced Planning becomes a re-volving fund, which can be used again and again toplan other projects as those initially planned areplaced under construction. In terms of dollars andcents, this involved over $41,000,000; $19,000,000 of

Lhe $41,000,000 has been repaid to the fed.eral govern-ment.

Our experience in all fields has indicated thatthe best investment that can be made with respect toplanning is adequate findings from studies carriedout over a period of sufficient time. If this is donein orderly fashion, voter approval for bond issues isgenerally secured with less struggle.

The projects cover the whole gamut of publicworks facilities: sewer facilities, water facilities,municipal buildings, street improvements, drainagefacilities. Yet, very few of the projects have beenfor library facilities. Priority of need of publicprojects is a problem. Libraries, unfortunately, toooften fall low on the local list of public improvementsdesired or necessary, and this is why libraries havenot come within the area of the Advance Planningprogram to the same extent that other types of pub-lic buildings have.

Loan program

There is another type of assistance available.Eight years ago Congress appropriated money forassisting municipal entities in the construction ofnecessary public works and facilities. Again, thetype of facilities constructed under this Public Fa-cilities Loan Program was limited to sewer works,water works, and municipal buildings of variouskinds; no libraries were constructed.

The Public Facilities Loan Program was gearedparticularly to the smaller communities and was in-tended to make financing available in those instanceswhere it was not otherwise available by reasonableinterest rates. The Public Facilities Loan Programguarantees to the applicant a bid for the bond at par,with an interest rate not to exceed the prevailingrate approved for the year.

For a community with a good financial reputation,this is no bargain. General operation bonds can besold by most communities at an interest rate moredesirable than this. But, in isolated communities,tliis rate allows the civic officials to sell theirbonds without rediscount and makes financing of theproject possible. The Public Facilities Loan Pro-gram is a program, then, that makes available loanmoney for construction purposes. For the mostpart, this program will not particularly apply to li-brary facilities. There may, however, be exceptions.

Public works program

Another program was developed last fall, knownas the Accelerated Public Works Program. Thiswas a crash program, developed primarily to assisteconomically distressed areas, with respect to alle-viating the immediate employment problem. It isnot truly a public works construction program, be-

cause the emphasis is on creating employment atthe local level rather than on the construction ofpublic corks. Under that program we have receivedeight applications for construction of library facili-ties in the Midwest.

A prerequisite to the construction of any projectunder the Accelerated Public Works Program wasthat the project should be able to be placed underconstruction within 120 days after receipt of funds.This meant that only those projects for which planshad been completed or were far enough along to becompleted quickly were eligible for consideration.

The Accelerated Public Works Program did pro-vide one thing that neither of the other programs did.It actually made available a grant of 50 percent ofthe cost of the project, so that if the community wereable to finance 50 percent of the cost without toomuch delay, it was in a position to get its libraryconstructed at about fifty cents on the dollar.

To sum up, there are three programs for finan-cial assistance available from the federal govern-ment at this time for construction of library facili-ties. One is the Advance Planning Plan whichadvances funds for planning purposes. The secondis a loan program. Projects are approved underthis program only 1.f the loans appear to be soundand if they can be repaid without undue hardship tothe community. The last is the Accelerated PublicWorks Program which provides grant funds. Re-quests for the grant funds far exceed the appropri-ations available. There are more than 1,400 appli-cations in the office requesting grant funds.

DISCUSSION

Comment: The area redevelopment program, theprogram with which Mr. Fagerstrom just con-cluded his remarks, has had forty-two requestsfrom public libraries throughout the country forgrants in the last year. Of these, about 50 per-cent have been accepted. About $2,100,000 hasbeen involved in these matching grants. The Ad-vance Planning Plan, the first program to whichMr. Fagerstrom referred, has had about $300,000in funding for library projects, and there wereabout thirty library projects involved in theseplanning funds.

Another federal program which has somerelevance to people interested in building is theSurplus Property Disposal of the federal govern-ment. This program has been in operation sincethe late 1940's, and about twenty-six parcels ofland and property have been ceded to local libraryauthorities for a total value of $600,000. Thereis a Federal Post Office Renovation Program inoperation now, which means that there will be agood many federal post office properties declaredsurplus across the United States.


MR. FAGERSTROM: The Midwest ten-state arearepresents about 25 percent of the population ofthe United' States and, therefore, the figuresquoted for this area were just about one fourthof what they are from a nationwide viewpoint.The $50,000,000 and 5,000 applications werenational figures and covered all types of projects.

Comment: With Advance Planning it seems as if adrowning man receives assistance as he ap-proaches the shore. You lend the money on as-surance that the money is available for the build-ing. If one had the money to complete thebuilding, he wouldn't need it from the AdvancePlanning Plan.

MR. FAGERSTROM: There would be little point inadvancing money for planning a project of anytype just for the sake of developing several rollsof blueprints and specifications. The demonstra-tion that is required is capacity to finance thecost of the project.

In order to obtain authority to issue thebonds, you must convince the electorate that youneed to spend the money. This is where the Ad-vance Planning money may help your project.The public do not wish to move until they knowwhat they are going to get for their money. Theywould like to see some floor plans and se..te costestimates.

Question: Will yot. advance money on a project if ithas the bonding capacity?

MR. FAGERSTRCM: Yes. We have not asked if youhave authorized the bond, but if you have the au-thority to authorize it.

Question: What happens if you borrow $100,000 fromthe federal government and the project falls bythe wayside?

MR. FAGERSTROM: If we advanced you $100,000and you completed the planning, you have alreadypaid that to the architect. The advance does notbecome a firm debt until the project plan hasbeen placed under construction. It is a continu-ing and contingent obligation.

Question: Do you know any reason why the PublicFacilities Loan Program could not be used forlibraries?

MR. FAGERSTROM: There is no reason why it can-not be used, except from a practical viewpoint.Normally the type of security applicable to a li-brary building would be a general obligationsbond. In most instances, general obligationsbonds can be sold to private investors at an in-terest rate equal to or better than the interestrate that we charge for loans under that program.

Since the Accelerated Public Works Programprecludes the construction of any educational fa-cilities, the question has been raised about con-struction of a library that serves a municipalpurpose as well as a school facility. If the li-


brary facility is intended pi imarily as part ofthe school system, as an educational facility,then it would not be eligible. But we recognizethat a situation might develop where a librarywould be held jointly between a municipalityand a school and serve both.

Question: Does this Advance Planning cover suchitems as consultants' fees?

MR. FAGERSTROM: Yes, with one reservation.Advance Planning funds are not intended to payfor cost of planning accomplished prior to thetime we enter into agreement with you. Theyare not to be used for feasibility studies, or forsurveys intended to determine whether or notyou should build a project.

Question: What determines the top limit of yourgrant? Is it a percentage of estimated con-struction?

MR. FAGERSTROM: This would be the generalformula. There is no top dollar amount, be-cause the cost of planning normally relates di-rectly to the estimated cost of construction. Forpreliminary planning, which would carry a projectup through its schematic design phase, this couldvary from l- percent up to 12 percent of the con-struction costs. The normal fee for planning upto the point where you can advertise for construc-tion bids would probably be between 4 and 41. per-cent of the estimated construction cost for theproject.

Question: Is there a time limit within the fiscalyear for submission of plans, or is there anongoing year-to-year program?

MR. FAGERSTROM: This is an ongoing year-to-year program. Each agreement we enter into,however, does stipulate that the applicant willsubmit completed plans in X number of calendardays in order to eliminate procrastination.

Question: In what period of time would the commu-nity be obligated to repay the federal loan?

MR. FAGERSTROM: If you are requesting moneyfor preliminary plans, we will think in terms offive years if necessary. If you are asking foran advance to cover complete planning, then wewould like to have reasonable assurance that youare thinking in terms of constructing the projectwithin the three-year period. The obligation toreturn the money is dependent upon when youplace the project under construction.

Question: Will this plan apply to additions to librar-ies as well as to new construction?

MR. FAGERSTROM: Yes, additions are equallyeligible.

Question: Is there a secondhand post office listavailable?

MR. FAGERSTROM: Generally, this information isavailable through an office in each state capitolthat works closely with the Office of Education.The list is not limited to buildings. It includesfiling cabinets, typewriters, and desks.

Role of the Architect, Engineer,and Librarian in Library PlanningA Panel Discussion

Moderator: Frederick iVezeman. Associate Profes-sor, Library School, University of Minnesota,Minneapolis, Minnesota

Panel Discussants: Lester Stoffel, Librarian, OakPark Public Library, Oak Park, Illinois

A. Chapman Parsons, Librarian, Alliance PublicLibrary, Alliance, Ohio

James Hammond, A.I.A., Hammond & Roesch,Chicago, Illinois

William Fyfe, A.I.A., Perkins & Will, Chicago,Illinois

LESTER STOFFELThe role of the librarian in the building process

is a very complex one, and in general terms weshould say he is the owner. However, he has to re-member that he represents the library board, aswell as the taxpayer himself. He must be responsi-ble for pruviding leadership in any building program.Yet, he also has to exercise a considerable coordi-nating function with the architects' board.

The librarian, before he starts to construct thebuilding, must first know what he wants. You canstart by discussing what the building should containand what kind of services you should providewithp,ople in the community, with the board, with thestaff. You can read the professional literature thatis available, and you can visit library buildings allover the country, which is a very excellent way tofind out how and how not to build libraries. Youshould determine the desirable potential serviceyou can offer to the community. All of these factorsare essential in writing the program, which is astatement of your philosophy and the principles, re-quirements, and liraitations that will be used as abasis for collaboration between the architect and thelibrarian in the development of plans.

Information contained in this statement of pro-gram should include site selection; location of thebuilding; capacity for books, readers, and meetings;capacities, locations, and relationships of workingrooms; the equipment to go in them; the people towork in them; the problem of whether the buildingshould be air conditioned or not; and the potentialbudget with which you will be able to operate. Theprogram also should include the relationsaips of thevarious areas, with efficient arrangement for mini-mum supervision. In addition, every librarian who

is thinking of building should &tidy the local zoningordinances.


Relationship with architect

Another important function of the librarian in thebuilding process is assuming leadership in associa-tion with the architect. The responsibility is reallythat of the board, although the librarian should exer-cise considerable influence. For example, one ofthe basic decisions that has to be made is whetheryou want a large or a small firm.

Any libralian who is considering a new buildingshould read the Architect's Handbook of ProfessionalPractice.' When you go to see the architects, seewhat they have done. Talk to the owners for whomthey have built buildings. Ask the architects what isto be included in the fee they are quoting. For in-stance, question whether they provide full-time su-pervision on the job, or if the engineering firm isactually part of the architectural firm that you aregoing to use.

You should be sure that the architect you inter-view is the exact one with whom you will be working,because you are hiring the architectural firm on thebasis of that interview. Personalities do enter intoyour decision and, if you end up with somebody elseworking from the firm, you may not be very happywith him.

There are three controlling factors in building:cost, size, and design. The architect should havefreedom in at least one of these areas. In publiclibraries the architect cannot be given freedom incost. Since size is determined by cost, he cannotbe given free rein here, either. Therefore, if hewants freedom with design, he should have it. Yetfreedom here, as it is everywhere, is limited, andthe library must curb the architect's freedom to adegree. For example, architects like beautiful in-terior walls. Librarians have books to put on them.

A. CHAPMAN PARSONSThough we have not yet discussed the preliminary

plans and final working drawings, I will begin withthe role of the librarian in construction. It is impor-tant that you make sure that the architect is going toprovide supervision. if not, then you should writeinto his contract that he provide a clerk of the worksfor you so that somebody represents the owner onthe job at all times.

We asked our architect, during construction, fora monthly progress report from the various contrac-tors. These reports were submitted monthly withthe certificates of payment as they came to the board,and were then checked against the previously sub-mitted construction schedulearranged by dates-

1. .tmer/can Institute of Architects, Architect's Handbook ofProfess.onal Pr.64,11,:e, formerly, i:andbook of ArchitecturalPractfce (Wasaington n. C.: re Institute, 1963).


and the probable payment to be made that particularmonth. This enabled us to invest our money, andreinvest our money, for shorter periods of time. Italso helped the other members of the planning team,because they knew the dates toward which they wereworking and what stage at construction the buildingwas in at all times.

During the construction of a building, the archi-tect issues change orders for alteration to be madein the building. The librarian should review thesechange orders very carefully, because they mayincrease or decrease the cost of the building. Inmany cases there may be sizable amounts involvedin the change orders.

It is important that the general contractor pro-vide you with a list of his subcontractors within tendays after the contracts are signed. It is the archi-tect's responsibility to check on the qualificationsof the subcontractors for the owner.

Furniture layout

The librarian is responsible for the furniturelayout. He may share this responsibility by engagingan interior architect or a library manufacturer de-sign group, or he may decide that he and the staffwould like to attempt this layout. Regardless of whodoes the planning, layout should be planned in theearliest stages of the building, with the cooperationof the architect. If a library consultant has beenhired, he may supervise the layout.

Furniture layout is made by drawing furnitureright on the plan as soon as you can get a floor planfrom the architect's drafting desk. In addition tothic: type of layout, we used a planning board withmagnetized furniture.

For our building we retained a library consultantwho helped with the building and with the supervisionof the layout. As you are doing the layout, youshould also be compiling an equipment list alongwith the basic cost data for each item of equipment.Equipment costs are from $2 to $3 a square foot, orfrom 12 to 20 percent of your over-all building cost.

At the same time you may want to compile a listof the old equipment that you intend to .ise in the newbuilding. You should make notes as to whether it isto be refinished or repainted and any repair workthat it needs. Also, the probable cost for these al-terations should be listed.

After the entire layout is completed and the fur-mture is numbered directly on your floor layout, youbegin with specifications. The number on your lay -cat is used for each item in your specifications asit is issued.

Selection of furniture is quite often a compromise;but you want to 'Le positive that compromise does notin:pair the function of the intended library service.

It is a good idea to collect sketches and photos ofparticular items of furniture that might be needed.These can be placed in notebooks and indexed byitem and by manufacturer. Later one can compareitems of furniture and specifications from the differ-ent manufacturers.

Specifications

Specification writing is a critical time in theplanning of a building, and this is a job for the expert.If you retain an interior architect or consultant, youmay request that he write the equipment specifica-tions.. Guidelines for Library Planners' gives somebasic considerations for the writing of specifica-tions.

The first point is to know what you want and whyyou want it. Determine what is needed to do the jobsatisfactorily under the circumstances in which itwill function. For instance, in general you know youwant a charging-in desk. In detail, which units doyou want, and then in final detail, what dimensionsand what specific line? Secondly, you should knowwhat is available. And, finally, you must reconcileyour needs and your wants with the available equip-ment.

In translating your needs into written snecifica-tions, there are three general classifications youmay use. The first is the open specification, whichis just a description of the item that you need, with-out reference to any brand. The second type is thebrand-name specification, wherein you actually de-scribe the item you want, the dimensions, and thespecific company and catalog number for that item.

The third classification is the modified brand-name specification, which is accompanied by the de-scription of the item and the special feature, perhapsa modification of the standard item. Be sure thatyou get quotations on the modification to see if youcan afford it.

You should write good, clear specifications tobe bid. In many cases the brand-name specificationis the best type for the nonexpert, because it estab-lishes quality in the specification.

JAMES HAMMONDThe architect must know and understand the

broad objectives the library has, the type of serviceit is going to give to its particular community,whether it will eland on this site or whether therewill be branch libraries, the details of technical lune-

2. Sol Le': 7n (Rail po School District No. 2, Spring Valley,New York), 'Wrung Specifications for Library Equipment,'Gmdarnes joi Ltbra? y Planners (Chicago. American LibraryAssociation. 1960), p.119-21.

tions within the libraryeverything about this partic-ular library. In other words, the architect must be-come practically a member of the library staff inhis spirit of understanding. The librarian, while hemust respect the architect's rJfe, should participatein the development of the planning to the extent that,by the time the job is over, he almost thinks he him-self was the architect.

I shall talk briefly about the architect's role dur-ing programming and design. For the best interestof the library the architect should be involved veryearly in the game. He should help in establishingthe budget, especially if there is a bond issue. Also,the architect can be very helpful in other ways. Asan example, he can assist in defining the architec-tural engineering requirements for site.

A very important point cf this relationship isthat there should be one person within the librarywho is a central point of responsibility and policydecision. He works, of course, with his board, buthe should be the one central point to whom the ar-chitect can turn for real decisions.

Another vital requirement is the development ofa systematic program. People think the architectbegins his job with sculpturing and elevation, butactually he should be involved for many weeks inprogramming with the librarian. This participationcan be very helpful in the architect's understandingand quick development of a design.

Space relationships, details of equipment, the re-lationships of certain areas to the public, needs forair conditioning, and special book areas, are someof the things to be considered. In this way, the ar-chitect and the librarian are working intimately to-gether, and it is a tightly knit joint effort.

During the preliminary design period, however,the architect should be left alone for a little while.It takes time to tring together the many facets thatare going to make this building plan. To exploit thesite effectively, and to organize the program require-ments efficiently, take time and ability. The test wehave for the successful development of the conceptof the building of a library with which we are involvedis when we get down to a very simple solution withfew basic elements, then we know we are on thetrack. Another aspect that is important is that nei-ther the architect nor the librarian should have anypreconceptions as to building form.

The architect mast be conscientious about costsand should be sharing a barometer of cost all theway hrough the project. He cannot be on the teamof construction, 'out he does have a very definiteresponsibility. The librarian, on the other hand,must give the architect total control of all the visualaspects of the environment he has created. The ar-chitect should be iatimately involved in the furnish-ing plan: the selection of the furniture and the choiceof colors. He should have a part in the landscaping.

Public Librario.- 119

WILLIAM FYFEJim Hammond has directed our attention to the

necessity for careful programming, and has indicatedhow this kind of planning gets transmuted into a liv-ing building. Yet the beautiful plans that are onpaper and in our minds still have to be built, andthis takes more special know-how, technical knowl-edge, experience, and ability.

To illustrate this dual character of the architect,I recall an incident at a meeting in Montreal a fewyears ago. A questioner wanted to know if a clientshould meet with the architect in his office or at theowner's place. It developed that what this questionerhad in mind was that by visiting the architect's office,it would be possible to determine if there were paint-ings on the walls as well as college degrees, if therewere flowers in view as well as state licenses. Thearchitect's diploma and license on the wall, like yourdoctor's, are evidence of a training and a certaincompetencein the case of the architect, to designand organize building procedures. But, at the sametime, "flowers" in your building are important.

From time to time architects have tried toverbalize their position and services. With yourpermission I am going to refer to Facts about YourArchitect and His Work, as published by the Amer-ica.. i,.stitute of Architects.3 Architectural servicesar usually rendered in three consecutive stages.The first stage is preliminary services, and this hasbeen discussed. The second stage is working draw-ings and specifications. These are precise legaldocuments binding the librarian as well as thecontractor.

These, briefly, are the services generally ren-dered in this phase of the work; The architect de-velops the preliminary drawings into worit:.7.4 draw-ings. Included are all the technical informationrequisite fur accurate biddin3 and final construction,as well ae drawings essential for architectural,struct.:ral, plumbing, heating, electrical, ventilating,and site improvement work.

He prepax es general specifications which statethe conditions under which construction will be cat: -ried out, including insurmca requirements, bonds,method of payment, and related nontechnical matters.He prepares technical specircaticns describing thetyp.3 a.--A quality -.47 materials, their fiz-dsh, and themanner and piazes in which they are used. Heassists :a obtaining approval cf controlling govern-mental agencies, Mere necessary.

..-.z,gineerinE role of archited

Ozr topic was "Role cf. the Architect, Engineer,ar*.! Librarian is Library Planning." So far, the en-

3. AzIcrican Institute Pi Architects, Facts about Your Arclu-and lizs Work ZWastungtm, D.C.; The Institute, 1959).


gineer seems to have been slighted. Unquestionablythe role of the engineer is important, even vital, tothe building. It is just as vital to the final end prod-uct of a good building that these services are inte-grated as a very real part of the building design.

This process of integration is a two-way street:the principles of the various engineering skills andthe engineer's detailed knowledge of the skills. Atthe same time the architect has a grasp and a con-cern for all the engineering skills, and they becomea very real part of the design. As architects, wehave begun to learn to make our building a stressstructure. But we have a long way to go to assimi-late all these many other engineering skills, suchas air conditioning, and get the design to grow outof these components of the building.

On completion of the working drawings andspecifications, the second stage of services is com-pleted and the third stage, business administration,begins. Services during construction include assist-ing with proposals and contracts. In the supervisionof construction the architect generally renders thefollowing services:

Advises on the qualifications of prospective biddersAssists in preparing proposal and construction con-

tract forms, advertising for bids, receiving andopening bids, and awarding contracts

Checks shop drawings and samples submitted by thecontractor

Makes periodic inspection of the construction whilethe work is being done

As an architect, I must take exception to thestatement made earlier that you must get your ar-chitect in this contract to agree to have a clerk ofthe work. This is not normal procedure. You areasking him to spend money he should be spending onother services he can render you better.

DISCUSSION

Question: Is it customary to pay the architect asmuch for a new building as for a remodeling?

MR. HAMMOND: The architect's fees should varyaccording to the complexity of the building andthe size. For a very large building they mightbe in the 10 percent rate.

MR. WEZEMAN: On the basic fee, 6-10 percentwhat does the architect provide for that?

MR. HAMMOND: The architect provides program-ming service with the librarian in the earlyphase, design, and working drawings. The extentof the construction supervision varies with thesize of the builciing and the complexity. It wouldnot, probably, involve furniture selection andlandscaping.

Question: If you r'ad the standard contract today, it

just says a professional person -working with an-other professional person. What we are tryingto find out is what is the architect responsiblefor?

MR. FYFE: The first thing I think we ought to getclear is that the architect is working for and withyou as a professional. He does not make a prod-uct and sell it. This is a very definite distinctionbetween his service to you and that of the generalcontractor.

The contractor, through the working draw-ings and the specifications, contracts legally toproduce a building in accordance with those docu-ments. You contract with the contractor to payso much money for doing so. The architect is nomore eager to have the roof leak than you are;but these are things he does not guarantee, be-cause he is not the builder. If he is competent,his drawings and specifications will coordinateall the things you need in the building in theproper way, and will guarantee that they are justwhat you need.

MR. WEZEMAN: What are the ranges of architects'fees on new work throughout the United States?

MR. FYFE: They vary from state to state and fromtype of work to type of work. A factory has avery low percentage of cost. A library gets intoa higher percentage. A very complex buildingwill be still higher.

The percentage of final cost of the work, exe-cuted, plus certain stated expenses the architectincurs, like travel, is one type of payment. Thisis the one with the range of 6-10 percent.

Another method is a fee or percentage of hisservices, plus all of his expenses. In otherwords, you pay the architect for his actual ex-pense, and then a percentage of his fee for hisprofit and overhead. It is difficult to give adefinitive answer to a nondefinitive problem.

MR. STOFFEL: I think one of the architects mightclarify the role of the architect once the contracthas been assigned to the contractor.

MR. HAMMOND: The architect must be the agentfor the owner all the way and control everythingto the client's best interests. He must also pro-tect the contractor during the construction phase.Is that what you mean?

MR. STOFFEL: You represent the contractor andthe client?

MR. HAMMOND: Yes. But our client is the owner,and we are primarily interested in the owner.

MR. FYFE: After construction begins, somebodyhas to decide if the contractor has actually metthe specifications and working drawings. Gener-ally, this devolves on the architect. In fact, heis judging his own work, and it puts him in aquasi-judicial position which has been recognizedin the courts. There is recourse through arbi-

itration, usually, or in the civil courts. The ar-chitect has to decide whether the contractor ac-tually did function in accordance with thecontract documents.

Question: This relationship between the architectand the librarian is far less important than therelationship between the librarian and the dec-orator, because the decorator deals with colors,drapery, and upholstery that many people sit onor look at every day. It is important to have aninterior decorator on the scene.

Sometimes a community wants to hire an ar-chitect to build a library, and then goes to a li-brary school to hire a librarian who is graduatingin June, saying, 'Let's start now, and we willhave a nice graduate and a library."

Now, does the architect say, "Wait a minuteuntil you get a librarian?" Or does he go rightahead and start constructing the building?

MR. FYFE: Some years ago we were put in pre-cisely that situation. The librarian was not aprofessional librarian, and as architects we hadbeen retained to do the job for the building. Weconvened a panel of librarians, city planners,and architects. We sat around the table and dis-cussed in some detail what a small communityshould have. If you do not want to do that, thenI suggest a library consultant can do what thelibrarian would do.

Comment: In a similar situation a librarian couldnot be hired at the moment, so the state librarianacted in that capacity. Thus, we had a profes-sional acting for the librarian interest.

!


THE LIBRARIES

Manitowoc Public Library

Manitowoc, Wisconsin

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: Perc BrandtType of library: Public librarymain buildingPopulation to be served: 32,275; projected to 45,000Area: 28,638 square feetBook capacity: 113,200 volumesSeating capacity: 164Cost: $419,900

Equipment: $69,000Building: $315,000Site: $35,900 (landscap'ng, architect's fees, etc.)

Cost per square foot: $11


Librarian: Mrs. Barbara KellyCritic: Roger Francis, Librarian, South Bend

Public Library, South Bend, Indiana

MRS. BARBARA KELLYManitowoc is located in eastern Wisconsin on

Lake Michigan, eighty-five miles north of Milwaukee.While the community is the shopping center fornearby agricultural areas, it is an industrial cityconcentrating on aluminum products, shipbuildingand repair, and malting concerns.

The Manitowoc Public Library serves only thecity of Manitowoc, population 32,275. Although thereis no county library service, Manitowoc is the countyseat, and plans have been considered for county ser-vice through the Manitowoc Library. This has beentaken into consideration in the library's buildingprogram.

The Manitowoc Public Library was founded in1900, and moved Mto its Carnegie building in 1903.The building contains 13,400 square feet of floorspace on three levels. While the building exteriorremains imposing in appearance, the interior leavesmuch to be desired. At the present time, through theuse of drawer-type stacks, some 30,000 adult non-fiction 13oks are condensed into the area designedfor 11,000. The library board, recognizing that thiswas an unsatisfactory solution to part of the problemof crowding, hired a consultant tc, conduct a buildingsurvey in 1959. Mr. Frederick Wezeman recom-mended that the board consider replacing the present

library building in two stages: first, planning an ad-dition and, secondly, replacing the present buildingwith a new structure. This plan was adopted by theboard; an architect, Mr. Perc Brandt, was hired;and plans for the addition, stage one, were prepared.

When the plans for the addition were presentedto the city council last December, the board was di-rected to investigate costs of an entirely new build-ing at another site. The council felt that the esti-mated cost of the addition$350,000would not beusing the tax dollar wisely. If the cost of a newbuilding was not too much above that of the proposedaddition, the promise was to include the library build-ing in a spring bond issue. The building plans pre-sented here this evening were thus designed duringthe following six weeks.

The plans for the new Manitowoc Public Librarywere designed for a downtown park located on themain two-way street, carrying traffic east and westinto the main shopping area. The park is well lo-cated in relationship to the business district, thecounty buildings, and the post office. The site meas-ures 300 feet by 250 feet. The area to be utilizedby the library building will be 116 feet by 180 feet,with the building placed near the street and facingnorth. A driveway and parking lot to the rear of thebuilding will be provided for staff and delivery pur-poses. It is not necessary, however, to providepatron parking as there is adequate on-street park-ing in the area.

Cost estimatesAfter these plans were drawn, our architect es-

timated that the new construction would cost$315,000, with additional amounts of $69,000 forequipment and $35,900 for landscaping, architects'fees, and contingencies. This is a total of $419,900,which pleased the city finance committee and as-sured their support for a new building rather thanfor an addition.

In our building program we stressed the followingpoints:

1. It was extremely important to have all publicservice areas on one floor.

2. A central control point was needed in order toprovide as much supervision as possible with aminimum staff.

3. The adult department was to have an open ar-rangement in order to allow flexibility ofservices.

4. An inviting browsing area that could be seen fromthe street was the "must" of one of our boardmembers.

5. A meeting room with seating for about 100 wasdesirable. Here there was some resistance bysome members of the city council who felt thatthe city should not be providing meeting space.

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6. With the imposing stairway to our Carnegie build-ing in mind, we stressed a ground-floor entrance.Also, a separate entrance for the children's de-partment was planned, to be used mainly whenclassroom visits were planned.

7. Air conditioning was not necessary in Manitowocsince the temperature seldom reaches 80°.

8. Open shelving for all the book collection wasdesired.The adult department is on the ground floor. It

is 90 feet by 116 feet and has 10,440 square feet.Book capacity, including the mezzanine, is estimatedat 70,000 volumes. The charging desk is located togive good control of the lobby, the entire adult de-partment, the rest rooms, and access to the offices.There is a workroom adjacent to the circulationdesk, which is designed to serve the referencedepartment in addition.

The browsing area is located at the front of thebuilding, and extensive use of glass is planned forthis part of the building. This should be no problem,as it is a north exposure. The reference departmentand card catalog are very near the circulation desk,which is important for a library with a small staff.Shelving is planned for a reference collection whichcan reach 5,000 volumes, and a special section willbe designed for Readers' Guide and other services.

The young adult section is planned 2s a minimumarea for a type of transitional library service.Hence, there is only a small book collection and 4tables. It has been placed at the rear of the building,in order to dispel the idea that the library is onlyfor students. The section is near the reference de-partment and the recordings collection, both usedheavily by our students. Incidentally, our record-ings collection is mainly a browsing one, but it isuncertain whether the present location will be satis-factory.

Space is provided in the neriodicals section for220 current titles with back issues to be shelved inthe mezzanine directly above. The public restrooms will be controlled by key. The receivingroom is located for delivery, and will also houselibrary supplies. The booklift will serve the mez-zanine, for shelving purposes, and also the technicalprocessing center directly below.

Children's departmentThe children's department is a room 36 feet by

64 feet, providing 2,304 square feet. Its book capac-ity is 13,500 volumes, and seating capacity is 44.The picture book section will be a corner near thedoor to keep the three- and four-year-olds fromcausing a commotion as they enter the room. Thereference section is to be located along the front ofthe building.

As our present meeting room is used most heav-ily by our children's department, it seemed wisest

to locate the new one likewise. It has the use of theseparate children's entrance. The hall to the adultdepartment can be closed for evening meetings.Boys' and girls' rest rooms can also serve themeeting room. The workroom is placed so as tofurnish control of the department during off hours.Our present children's room is on the second floor,and the department wished to continue the practiceof an individual desk in the new building.

The mezzanine concept is a holdover from ourplans for the addition, yet it provides an economicalmethod of handling a book collection. Also there isa quiet study area there which is highly desirable.The Manitowoc Room is a bonus provided by the ar-chitect as he planned the ventilating system. It willgive us a room for local history and special collec-tions, as well as space for small committee meetings.

The basement area houses the boiler and the ven-tilating equipment. This is the storage area for adultand juvenile extension work. The technical process-ing area may not be large enough, but it should notbe too difficult to change the north wall location.This is our plan. We hope it is going to materialize.

ROGER FRANCISThe total area provided in the buildingthe seat-

ing capacity, as well as the book capacityis appar-ently adequate for the anticipated service to berendered in the building. In fact, it exceeds therequirements that Fred W.lzeman spelled out in hissurvey of the building a few years ago.

On the first floor, in the periodicals area, thereis a solid wall where it would be nice to have moreglass along the front of the building. The library'slocation in the park will bring it up to the sidewalk.Thus, an open frontage for people to see into thebuilding, if the street is heavily traveled, would bemuch better. The windows need not be clear to theground, but could have low shelving along the front,perhaps three shelves high, with a ledge to displaybooks to the people passing by outside.

In the children's room, in front, there is a solidwall in the center. Here, again, ::omplete glassseems more satisfactory. The :wo sets of windowslook rather small. Mrs. Kelly tells me the staffwanted to get more wall shelving, and this was oneway they thought they could do it.

The adult section is satisfactory, except that thereference section might be moved closer to the pe-riodicals collection. One tier of stacks could be leftto separate the periodicals collection from the refer-ence area. One of the problems with this suggestionis that the staff would be getting farther away fromthe reference collection if they had to cover both theservice desk and the reference collection.

Another problem is the youth section. The teen-agers are in what appears to be a blind corner. Thismight pose some problems, since this area is nextto the stairway that goes up to the mezzanine. My

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suggestion would be to move the youth departmentinto the reference area and make the back of thebuilding the stack area.

Administrative areas

Now we turn to the administrative and the non-public areas. The men's rest room is just oppositethe desk. The women's rest room is located so thatone has to go into the corridor, past the librarian'soffice, and by the business office for access to it.Since the room will be controlled with a key, perhapsthis won't be as much of a problem as it might be.It might be wise to turn both these facilities arounda quarter of a circle, and have both of the doorsopposite the desk.

It is not anticipated that the children's roomtoilet facilities will be controlled by keys. My firstimpression would be to turn those facilities arounda quarter of a circle, and have both of these doorsopen into the children's room. As now located, theydo provide facilities for the activities room.

The staff will get quite a workout if they have togo from their workroom or service desk to the base-ment storage stacks for material. The stairwaymight be arranged to open into their workroom, ifthey are the people who will be using it most. Also,there should be a door at the back of the children'sworkroom; into the staff corridor. Otherwise, ifthe staff wish to use the staff facilities, they willhave to go around, making a longer trip. It mightprove wise to combine the librarian's office and theboard room, since the latter is used only infre-quently.

The activities room seems long. If it is to beused for large public meetings, fine. But if it is tobe used primarily for children's programs, isn't ita little large? If the windows are going to be there,they should be open windows, since this is a parklocation and there would be a pleasant view outside.

The librarian's office is small, and the businessoffice a little large. The toilet room in the closetright at the entrance of the librarian's office mightbe moved over to the side, so one comes directlyinto the librarian's office. It should not, however,be put at the back because a nice view of the parkmay be seen from there.

The processing department in the basementbothers me even though Mrs. Kelly tells me the staffis presently doing its processing in the basement.I would suggest moving it up to the first floor. Takethe space that is marked for the future bookmobilegarage, make this the receiving department, and putprocessing where receiving is now located. It thenwould be directly behind the workroom of the adultdepartment. This would be better than the up-and-down movement of staff on stairways and of bookson booklifts. The future bookmobile garage could be

attached to the rear of the activities room. It wouldadd to the cost, but it might be worth consideration.

In connection with the mezzanine, considerationshould be given to moving the youth study area tothe front of the building. As it stands, the youngpeople are next to a stairway where they can run upand down. Also, on the mezzanine, there is a quietstudy area. It is a long way from the adult circula-tion desk, and the line of supervision would notcover much of it. If the mezzanine is fairly open, itmight be well to rearrange the location, placing thestudy tables along the edge of the balcony so that thestaff on the floor below can supervise.

DISCUSSION

Comment: It seems that no matter where the teen-agers are put in a new library, no one is com-pletely satisfied.

MR. FRANCIS: It might be better to have the studyarea at the rear rather than forward where thelounge area is. The lounge area was placed thereso that patrons could look out the window onto thepark. But this, again, is a rather isolated areasome distance from supervision, and my sugges-tion would be to move it over to the side. I as-sume that the youth room is a recreational roomand that the students use the adult collection fortheir actual schoolwork. If this is their recrea-tional collection, this is one reason, maybe, thatyou put it to the side. It is not an incrementalpart of the library, as adult research and study.

I have seen a building in which the youngadults department was located in the front win-dow. In the mid-morning, to all intents and pur-poses, the library was vacant. In our planning,we made it very clear that we did not want thehigh school section up at the front where peoplesee empty tables and chairs until three-thirtyor four in the afternoon. This is bad psychology.

Comment: You should excavate the whole casement,because the library thirty years from now willneed that space. If you don't have the money toexcavate all of it, then you should do at least thearea under the stacks. Also, I wonder if the li-brarian is justified in having two circulationdesks.

MRS. KELLY: Since we have always had two circu-lation desks, this is somewhat of a compromisewe are making in order to satisfy the board. Weare planning our central desk so that it can con-trol the children's department to a certain extent.

Question: During busy times don't you think it wouldbe nice fc- there to be a small desk at which thereference librarian could sit?

MRS. KELLY: There will be one. It is not locatedon the floor plan, but we do provide that service.

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128 Problems in Planning Library Foci Wks

Question: It would be desirable to move the stairwayforward to have better supervision of the peopleccinifig down. Could it be pulled forward so thatit would be on the end of what is now labeled thereceiving room? At the same time, there oughtto be another stairway for the reference personto use for books on the mezzanine.

Also, many people will say that if you aregoing to require this extra space off the mainfloor, it would be better to have a second floor.Yet the mezzaraine space is a great deal moreeconomical per square foot than a real secondfloor. For example, you have to staff a secondfloor for supervision. With a mezzanine there isa lot of floor space without too much cost.

In the children's room, you might turn thebookcases around at right angles to the rear wall_You will get a lot more book space, and keep thechildren away from the front window. You stillhave 100 percent supervision.

What is the partition for between the receiv-ing room and the workroom? Why can't thatarea be thrown into one large space, and thatback wall pushed back as far as you need forthose two combined purposes? If money is aproblem, I think the architect could have chosena cheaper structure instead of this complicatedperimeter.

MRS. KELLY: Our architect has been very success-ful in his cost estimates, and feels that he can dothis building for the cost that he has estimated.He has done two other public buildings in the lastyear, and he has been under his estimate.

Question: I question the wisdom of having a roundtable that seats 8 people, because 8 people willnever sit at the table.

Comment: On the matter of the tables in the refer-ence roomwhere we provide single study tablesand 4-place round tables, almost without excep-tion the single tables are occupied first. Thenthere is one person at eath of the smaller roundtables as long as there is such space.

Question: I would like to inquire about the use ofthe equipment room up on the mezzanine.

MRS. KELLY: That is ventilating equipment.Comment: I notice that the library will be in an area

where it is often 30°-40°, and youngsters will becoming in with coats. Usually half the availableseating space will be taken up with coats andequipment. Yet there seems to be no arrange-ment made for this problem.

Question: What about microfilms? Are theyplanned for?

MRS. KELLY: The microfilms will be located inthe reference department.

Comment: The librarian will have a great deal ofcontact with the person in the business office.These two offices might be more closely con-nected.

Comment: There seems to be a lack of work spacefor the reference desk. If the reference area isbrought up tc date and a professional staff devel-oped, they will need a place to work out difficultqu Stions and choose their book selection. Forthat reason, I would second the suggestion thatthe workroom and receiving room be put intoone room, which allows for flexibility in thelibrary.

Comment: In one of our buildings we used too muchglass space. The western and southern eleva-tions were entirely glass. Our air conditioningcosts us $500 a month in the summer. If youuse too much glass, you are spending too muchmoney for heat in the wintertime, too much forair conditioning in the summertime, and youlose the benefit of the wall shelving.

Lake CountyPublic Library DistrictLake County, Indiana

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: Coleman & Coleman, Chicago, IllinoisType of libraries: Library Center and county

branch librariesLibrary Center and Branch Library, Merrillville,Indiana

Type of library: Administrative and processingcenter and county branch

Population to be served: 160,000 (presentpopulation)

Area: 19,500 square feet (Library Center);3,512 square feet (county branch)

Cost per square foot: $24

Cedar Lake Public Library, Cedar Lake, IndianaType of library: County branchPopulation to be served: 10,000Area: 4,100 square feetBook capacity: 18,000 volumesSeating capacity: 48Cost:

Equipment: $5,112Building: $70,347Site: $5,000

Cost per square foot: $17 (estimated construc-tion cost)

St. John Public Library, St. John, IndianaType of library: County branchArea: 3,750 square feet(Other factors now unknown)

Highland Public Library, Highland, IndianaType of library: County branchPopulation to be served: 18,000Area: 9,631 square feetBook capacity: UnknownSeating capacity: 100Cost:

Equipment: $15,000Building: $145,000

Cost per square foot: $15 (construction cost)


Librarian: William Shore

Architect: Fred Coleman

Critics: Mrs. Susanna Alexanciei, Librarian,Daniel Boone Regional Library, Columbia,Missouri

Everett Sanders, Librarian, Springfield andGreene County Libraries, Springfield, Missouri


WILLIAM SHOREThe building program which confronts us is basi-

cally quite simple. With the exception of the theeenew library buildings which we have completed thislast ye.,r, every one of the duLen other buildingsneeded to serve as a library agency in our systemis either woefully inadequate or nonexistent. There-fore, we must build simultaneously all those build-ings necessary for a complete library system. Ourpresentation is not one of planning and constructionof one library, but rather is the presentation of theplanning and construction of an entire library system.

Four years ago, the Lake County Public Libraryhad the rare opportunity of planning, organizing, anddeveloping a county station along the lines of regionallibrary operation. Prior to this time nine small li-braries, spread over approximately 240 miles, hadcontracted for service from the nearby municipallibrary. As a general rule, the standard of servicewas poor, with a token book stock, dilapidated build-ings, a small staff, and no future prospects of beingopen more than twelve to twenty-four hours a week.

To obtain better or complete library service, itbecame necessary to discontinue contract serviceand establish a separate library system. After theinitial break was accomplished, libraries of alltypes throughout the United States were contactedin an effort to obtain procedures, systems, andideas on how to provide the best possible serviceand at the same time operate within a relativelysmall budget.

Each one of our libraries, which are now fourteenin number, is situated in small population areas andis treated as an indiTridual community library. Thereis no large central library with its usual function.Rather, there is a rather small administrative andtechnical processing center that takes care of gen-eral acquisition, book processing, and book controlfor the community libraries.

Coordinating sections of the respective person-nel in the areas of children's books, adult education,and advanced practices are utilized to plan and in-struct effectively in their various spheres of .ctivity.The entire holdings of the library system are consid-ered as a single system, with many materials dupli-cated in each library. However, little-used but nec-essary books can be purchased in single copies andutilized by the entire system. This not only is aneconomy in the book budget, but reflects the bestuse in the universal library problem of not enoughshelf space.

Each individual library has a complete printedunit catalog of the entire holdings of the entire li-brary. All libraries in our system are connectedwith closed circuit teletype to accomplish circulationcontrol, administrative directive, monthly status re-ports, and reference requests. Daily courier ser-vice throughout the system is a necessary supple-ment. Machine processing, which is a vital part of

130 Problems in PL2nning Library Facilities

our operation, is accomplished efficiently and eco-nomically through the use of International BusinessMachines.

Building finance

The money for library buildings and operationin our particular service area comes from the prop-erty tax levied on all real and personal propertythroughout the service area. The taxing situation issuch that we are able to bond ourselves at this timefor approximately $1,500,000, and to maintain anannual operating budget of some $500,000- $500,000a year.

The three buildings we have completed duringthis past year were built from accumulated libraryimprovement reserve funds. This fund is sufficientto build one library a year. But since we have elevencommunities at the present time that need librariesimmediately, we must float a bond issue.

The Lake County Library District is composedof a tier of townships through the center of thecounty, lying directly south of the large metropolitancities skirting Lake Michigan: Hammond, Whiting,East Chicago, and Gary. It is about forty milessoutheast of Chicago. It includes four townships andparts of two other townships. It is some fifteenmiles long and sixteen miles deep, and at the pres-ent time has a population of around 160,000. Thepopulation growth during the past ten years has been108 percent. This population growth rate is pro -j ected to continue for at least another ten years,and very likely for another twenty years.

The butlding growth of the entire area is verylargely composed of large subdevelopments of singlefamily housing. The homes themselves are not par-ticularly oriented to single shopping areas or singlecommunities. Rather, housing areas are spreadwide. So the growth is a conglomerate mass, ratherthan isolated community groupings. There is no con-sidered community plan in this area. We make useof our best judgment and common sense as to plan-ning for future library locations. To a very largedegree, the libraries that we have planned will bebuilt in the general area of old locations.

Each community will receive a library whichhas sufficient area and roughly the same amount ofbooks no matter how many people are in the area,because one child and one adult need to be educatedor given cultural sustenance just as much as anentire community. We are building libraries ineach individual community from the taxes that aregathered throughout the large service area.

FRED COLEMANThe first point that we want to make clear is the

fact that tne Library Center, in our particular situa-tion, is not a central library. It is a center for or-dering and processing books and for the administta-

five work connected with the library. Any bookswhich are stored L the Library Center are eitherbooks in transit or books on which repair work orprocessing work has to be done. In the Center wehave a capability of storing only about 10 percent ofour total number of volumes. The ordering is doneby the director of the libraries and by the acquisi-tions librarian. When the order list is made up, itis sent into the central file room to check againstprevious orders.

Every operation dealing with the processing ofbooks eventually comes to this central file area.When the books are received, they are taken into theprocessing section. Here the books are checkedagainst the cards in the files and are then sent oninto IBM to be processed. When they come fromIBM, they go into the processing area where thebook pockets are inserted and labels added. Finally,they are stored temporarily in the stacks or go backout into the shipping area to be distributed to thevarious libraries. The stacks for reference andbibliography are used quite heavily both by person-nel in the filing area and by supervisory personnel.These stacks are so arranged that they are accessi-ble to both groups. The financial and maintenanceends are cloth disconnected from the processing cen-ter. People in these areas are not physically in-volved with the operation of this particular corearea and need only be interconnected by intercom.

Library Ce "fer

We will now go into our proposed new LibraryCenter. The site for this building has not been se-lected. We are dealing primarily with open prairieand, therefore, the site selection is not actuallymandatory before such a building is designed. Also,the building itself is going to determine the size ofthe site. With both the Library Center and our com-munity libraries, our patrons primarily will driveto these facilities. Our population is so widely dis-persed that it is impossible to locate these facilitiesadjacent to the mass of the population. This, too,allows us far more freedom in site selection.

A written program has been developed whichstates the library's needs in the Library Center.As architect, I have replied to this written programwith a written proposition and a written analysis ofmy observations of their operation.

The proposed Library Center is 228 feet in diam-eter and contains 19,500 square feet. A piece ofproperty is needed approximately five acres in size,or a frontage of about 400 feet and a depth of approx-imately 500 feet. The employee parking is at therear of the building, and the employees will enterthrough the garden area. There are two small park-ing areas, one to either side of the building. Thedrives will be one-way so that there will be a circu-


a .

Lake County Public Library Centerand Branch LibraryArchitect's rendering

lar flow of traffic around the building and into thevarious parking areas.

The building follows very closely the work flow.The central core, or hub, is really the heart of theentire operation. Surrounding this central core orprocessing center are shipping and receiving, thebindery, supervisor's areas, IBM room, a smallgraphic arts room, secretarial area, administrativea_ ea, board room, employees' lounge, lunchroom,toilet facilities, maintenance area, garage area,and -3oiler room. The annular area immediatelyadjacent to the processing center contains thosepeople most actively involved with this particularcenter.

Offices

The bottom quadrant of this ring contains theoffices of the assistant director, administrative as-sistant, supervising librarian, and comptroller. Im-mediately in front of them is the secretarial space.One secretary can probably handle the work of twoor three of these particular individuals, but we haveprovided enough space if each of them needs his ownsecretary. The individuals in this ring are immedi-ately in charge of the processing area. These peopleare also fairly adjacent to the main entrance, as isthe director. This is done primarily because theseare the individuals who will be interviewing booksalesmen and outside personnel.

The board room also is adjacent to the main en-trance, due to the fact that the public will attend theboard meetings, as well as adjacent to the director'soffice so that it can, if necessary, be used as a cau-cus room. This board room will serve many func-tions: as a meeting room, as a teaching room, forinstruction of the staff, and as a conference room.The next room contains the employees' lounge areaand toilet rooms. Both of these rooms, as well as

Coleman & Coleman, Architects

the director's office, look out into a garden courtarea. In the lower quadrant there is also a meetingroom for adult education classes and special servicelectures that the Library Center will present.

Supervisor's area

In i- e right-hand quadrant are the IBM Room,which we are going to soundproof, and the reproduc-tivn department which will serve the entire Center.Next to this is the supervisor's area. These super-visors will consist of the children's supervisor, thereference librarian, possibly a public relations indi-vidual, and the adult education supervisor.

These individuals are people who are in and outof the building quite often and really do not need agreat amount of privacy. There will probably beone or two s3cretaries serving all of these individ-uals. These supervisors would have a certainamount of storage in their own cubicles and alsohave access to the general reference collection.

In the rear quadrant are located the boiler room,toilet facilities for the maintenance and janitorialpeople, a small bindery for minor repairs, and theshipping and receiving departments. The shippingdock, which will allow us to pull oi.r vehicles insideso that we can function properly in inclementweather, is located here. Also included is a largestorage room, the audio- visual department whicheventually will have a ;u11-time individual, the main-tenance supervisor's office, and his storage andwork area. With a system of this size, we are goingto have to do a certain amount of maintenance suchas minor furniture repairs, plumbing, and electricalwork. There will be adequate storage and shops inthis particular area to do these things.

We are able to use all standard equipment andfurnishings since the areas at the wall, or theperiphery of the building, are used primarily aspassage areas. We have attempted to make thisbuilding as flexible as possible by keeping the struc-


Lake County Public Library Centerand Branch LibraryFloor plan

1 processing center2 shipping and receiving3 bindery4 supervisors' offices5 secretary6 IBM department7 graphic arts8 secretary area9 comptroller

10 head librarian

11 adm. assistant12 assistant director13 board room14 lounge and lunch room15 audio-visual department16 general storage17 shipping dock18 garage19 boiler room

20 garden areas21 office and storage22 community library23 meeting room24 lobby25 secretary23 director27 maintenance supt.28 maintenance shop

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Lure fairly independent of the actual subdivision ofthe building itself. There are very few walls in thebuilding which cannot be moved, if necessary, to con-form to the changing needs of the library. We feelthat we have planned for the ultimate expansion thatwe will need. Should any expansion become neces-sary, it can be added on in the garden area in thecuter ring.

We have planned a small community library inconjunction with the Library Center. This libraryis a completely separate entity from the LibraryCenter and will function separately. In Merrillville,where the Center will be located, there is a need fora new community library. For the safe of economywe have built it in conjunction with the Center. Thislibrary will function exactly as the other small ccm-

SUPERVISORS

I.B.M.

DEPARTMENT

GRAPHIC ARTS

Lake County Public Library Centerand Branch LibraryTechnical processing center area

munity libraries. The only real interaction betweenthis and the Library Center will be in the use of themeeting room.

MRS. SUSANNA ALEXANDERThe ideas Mr. Coleman and Mr. Shore are pro-

jecting to us today will undergo changes again andagain before these buildings are a reality, since theyhave developed something considerably differentfrom what most of us think of in terms of a total li-brary program. The philosophy of the library pro-gram certainly enters into the criticisms of the plan,because the whole program is designed around a phi-


losophy of how to serve a scattered populationthroughout the county area.

Our first question is the question of designingthis service center building before the planners havethe site selected or know where the building is to beplaced. The materials are going to feed out fromhere to all of the community libraries. It seemslogical, therefore, that the building will be locatedin the central location of not only the present ser-vice area but also the pctential service area of thislibrary. If the service center is located in the rightsite for a community library, this is fine. But wewould not want to put a community library here justbecause it would become a part of this building.

Another question is on the circular work-flowplan. We wonder if the architects, by placing thiswork area in the center with all the other areasaround it, are perhaps limiting the possibility ofexpansion here. It appears on the plan that when theCenter has reached a volume of 45,000 or 50,000books yearly in processing, it may not have any placeto expand to move these materials. We have been as-sured by Mr. Coleman, however, that this is a flexi-ble plan. Working walls are being used here, and itwill be quite possible to enlarge the center area.

Concrete Bonze

In the building there is a concrete dome, whichmeans that there is no outside light in the center ofthe building. We are concerned about tae people whoare going to be working in some of the office spaceswhere they actually have no outside light.

Mr. Coleman mentioned the IBM Room which ap-pears to be right next to the community library.While there are wonderful ways of insulating walls,we also need to be sure that the room is completelysoundproof. Otherwise, this can present quite ahazard.

Another question is, where are the people in thisarea going for their reference service in depth? Asyet, the system has not reached a point where it isgiving reference service hL depth. When it does, itanticipates that the service will be located in thisservice center, because this is where the basic mim-eographic materials and the lesser-used materialsare. Aga :n, this projected use would be a most im-portant consideration in the location of this building,because if this is to become something more than aservice center and community library, the possibilitymust be taken into consideration now.

EVERETT SANDERSIn breaking up a reference collection, which Mr.

Shure proposes to do, and depending entirely on thecommunication and messenger services, it is goingto pose a problem for the busy person wanting touse some reference or research material _ He wouldhave to wait until the book was located at a certain

library and brought to the point where he was waitingfor it; and then it may not be adequate to answer hisquestions. Instead of periodicals, microcards willbe used which prob,....ly are sufficient. They couldbe put in each of the branch libraries.

DISCUSSION

Question: According to this proposal, this libraryis going to cost approximately $24 a square foot.What is the cost of schools in your area?

MR. COLEMAN: Our schools in this particulararea, the Chicago-Calumet Region, have beenbuilt as low as $11.36 a square foot and up toas much as $28 a square foot. This is all rela-tive to exactly what is put into them. The aver-age would be about $20 a square foot for a schoolwithin an urban complex.

Question: Do you feel you can justify $24 a squarefoot to the public on a bond issue?

MR. COLEMAN: We have tried, in all of our build-ings, not to use particularly the cheapest mate-rials. The materials that, over a long period oftime, need the least maintenance are most likelyto become the most reasonable. No doubt thebuilding could be built cheaper, but then as muchwill be put into ii over the period as the originalcost of the building. This certainly is noteconomy.

Question: What is the comparative cost between thiscircular building and one of the same area thatmight be square or rectangular?

MR. SHORE: You can enclose the greatest area byusing a periphery, by using a circle. This is one ofour premises. The cost would be quite comparable,because of the fact that we will go into thin-shellconcrete on the dome and have a large work areathat will give complete flexibility without interiorsupport.

Question: If this is to be basically a processing cen-ter, why should the size of the lot required be400 x 500 feet? That seems to be an excessiveamount of lot for a limited number of people.

MR. SHORE: We probably will not be able to getthis much land. This is what we would like tohave in order to create a certain setting for thebuilding.

Comment: Since the architect is using a thin-shellconcrete structure, he must believe in it. It isvery efficient, I know, but there always seems tobe a maintenance problem.

MR. SHORE: I think this is a. question of size, andwe are dealing with a dome of 70-foot span. Ithink we are at the size where it can be con-trolled properly. This has always been one ofthe big arguments in the architectural and engi-neering professions. These things can be doneeasily in South America and Mexico, where there

is a constant temperature. We have 30 °- 40°changes in temperature, and this is a validcriticism.

Question: Is it possible to raise the whole shell andput in a lertical skylight for the inner offices?

MR. COLEMAN: This is possible. Right now weare not thinking in these terms. With clericalwork, particularly in the reading of IBM cardsand bibliographical material which is quite oftenprinted, natural Light creates a difficult situation.Also, these people will have a view into the eastcorridor.

Question: Why is there a need for a circula.1 buildingat all? What do you gain by the circular building?

MR. SHORE: My particular concern is to get an ade-quate building to house the technical processingwhich I must accomplish. Mr. Coleman has de-veloped a circular idea. It is aesthetically pleas-ing to me, but the shape makes no difference solong as my operation can be put inside thebuilding.

MR. COLEMAN: As far as we have gone with ouranalysis, this shape seems to give the most effi-cient flow and the greatest possibility for inter-action among the staff.

Question: In regard to the area of the inner floor,exclusive of the offices or the grounds, wouldthe areaapart from the stacksbe open forworking?

MR. COLEMAN: The center core is around 9,000square feet, which is many times the size of thepresent area. A little less than half of thiswould be actual working area, and the other por-tion would be the peripheral stacks. Remember,too, that these stacks are not going to be usedto house a permanent collection.

Question: How far will a book travel before it getsto its first checking point?

MR. SHORE: Under the ideal situation it wouldprobably travel 35 feet.

FRED COLEMAN

Cedar Lake Library

The Cedar Lake Library was completed in Octo-ber of 1962. We are going to use this particular li-brary as a prototype for other libraries. Therewere several problems and obstacles that we had toovercome in these small community libraries. Ourfirst problem was being unable to provide an ade-quate staff. Our premise was that each of these li-braries would have to be controlled visually by oneindividual. By the use of low planters and 42-inchbookstacks we have accomplished this. Our secondproblem was that of flexibility within the building it-self. We have attempted, by the use of a core system,to develop a, plan which would be entirely free of im-movable objects such as washrooms and furnace. By


doing this, we can readily rearrange the entire li-brary to fit the changing needs of new library tech-niques.

The entire Cedar Lake project, unfurnished butincluding all architectural fees, landscaping, and ex-terior sidewalk work, cost $70, ::7, exclusive of land.This was accomplished by the use of brick, steel,concrete, and wood which, in general, retained theirown characteristics in the final finishes. The ex-terior walls, for instance, are face brick inside andout without any plaster. We attempted to use mate-rials which were reasonable in price, yet of a qualitythat would keep our maintenance costs to a minimum.The initial cosi of the materials used is completelyrelative to the over-all cost of maintaining them overthe amortization period of the building. This partic-ular project ran approximately $17 a square foot,which in our area is an extremely reasonable pricefor the quality of building we obtained.

In the communities in which we are planningthese libraries, we have found a very definite needfor a cultural focal point. These are essentiallycommunities that have grown without planning. Weare attempting to fill this need through our buildingprogram, the landscaping, and the surrounding atmos-phere. The buildings, in the areas in which we navesufficient land, will be quite open both in the interiorand on the exterior. Where we are in a commercialor business district, we have walled off the rear ofour building and have created our own atmosphere.

At Cedar Lake the library is in a shopping centerbordered on two sides by commercial property. Onthe south side is a large parking lot. Just inside themain entrance are the charging desk and controlpoint and the periodicals reading area. We havedone this for a very specific reason. In these smalllibraries, located in or close to shopping areas, weare going to have a lot of people coming in to killtime. Thus, this area is a potential focal point andin this location is under the immediate supervisionof the librarian.

The adult area on the other side of the chargingdesk is screened by a 42-inch planter. There are42-inch stacks between the adult reading area andthe children's area in the rear to give good visualcontrol. On the other side, there are 84-inch stackswhich are well lined in relation to the librarian, sothat she can see through them.

In the back is our delivery entrance where ourdelivery vehicle can drop the books. The librariancan go back here to pick up the books at her con-venience and put them where they belong. Here,also, is a small office for the librarian, a utilityroom, two washrooms, and storage and kitchenfacilities.

The children's area serves a dual purpose. It isalso a meeting room for discussions, adult educationclasses, and community use. There will be a folding


wall locking across one of the window members SGthat this room can become a separate entity from thelibrary. It has its own toilet facilities, storage forchairs, and kitchen facilities.

St. John Library

The next library to be presented will be the St.John Library. There are two schemes proposed forthis part5cular library to solve the problem of thelocation and orientation of the building on the lot andits relationship to the main north-south highwaythrough our section of Indiana. The highway is heav-ily traveled by both automobile and truck traffic,thus creating a noise problem as well as traffichazards.

In one scheme, the parking is in the front of thebuilding, and in the other, it is in the rear of thebuilding. Our problem is whether we want to set thebuilding back far enough from the highway to alleviate

Lake County Public Library: Cedar Lake LibraryWest and south elevations

the noise tuation, or whether we shoulc: place thebuilding ch.ier to the highway, solve the noise prob-lem by c, e proper landscaping, and put unsightlyparking t) the rear. The former scheme sets thebuilding back a good 150-170 feet. Eventually, a newparochial school is to be built immediately to thenorth, and to the west, a large housing development;so we feel this is probably a very good site in rela-tion to the people we have to serve.

The interior arrangements in the St. John Libraryare similar to those of Cedar Lake. The only differ-ence is that we are able to open the building up onthree or four sides, whereas we were able to openup only on two sides ii, the Cedar Lake scheme.

Highland Library

The Highland Library is also presented in termsof Scheme 1 and Scheme 2. Scheme 1 proposes toretain the existing memorial library, which is verysmall and inadequate, and to add to it a one-storyaddition. There is considerable feeling in the corn-

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minty for this old building since it is a war memo-rial that the citizens have erected themselves. Wefeel that it is entirely impractical to retain thisbuilding, as we are unable, even with the new addi-tion, to provide adequate space for community need:. .

We therefore propose, in Scheme 2, to removethis existing building and to construct a two-storyand basement st...-ucture that will adequately fulfillthe need. With a two-story situation our control andstaff problems become somewhat more complex.For example, we now find it necessary to have aminirr.....m of two people to maintain control. Thebasement of this library would be used as a commu-nity meeting place.

The Highland Library is located in a commercialcomplex with a municipal parking lot across thestreet to the south. We are creating our own atmos-phere for the building by the use of a reading courtin the rear. With the two-story scheme we are ableto provide adequate space, almost 10,000 squarefeet, i.n a three-level situation.

The lower control deskthe main control deskis immediately adjacent to the door, and the periodi-cals section is again immediately under the super-vision of this desk. Also, there are the 42-inchstacks for better supervision. The young adult ref-erence and reading area, and the children's area,are in the rear immediately adjacent to what nowbecomes a large court. There are two stairways tothe second floor halfway back on both sides of thebuilding. The core with toilet and mechanical facili-ties is in the back. The second floor is devotedlargely to the adult section. Eighty-four-inch stacksare being used throughout the bay with a centralizedcontrol desk. A planter aivides the reference read-ing area from the novel reading area.

In the basement scheme there is a large meetingroom which will seat 150 people quite comfortably.It is provided with toilet facilities and a smallkitchen unit. Tie library will be located en the mainstreet. With glass in front and the 42 -inch stack,you will be able to look through the library and intothe garden area in the back.

EVERETT SANDERSIn looking at the material Mr. Shore and Mr.

Coleman presented, we were able to list severalrather weighty questions concerning both the Centerand the branch libraries. Instead of building elevenlibraries like those already built, we suggest consid-eration be given to four large regional libraries.For example, one could be located in the heavilypopulated section of the northwest corner of theregion and one in the corner around Cedar Lake.Probably the large Library Center, including libraryfacilities, should be considered for Merrillville.

This territory is immature. It has not reachedits fullest extent yet, and it is growing rapidly. Thepopulation will probably double in ten years, and

there is no master plan for the development of thearea. Consequently, it is very difficult to plan a li-brary program. Although I believe bookmobile ser-'ice is not the complete answer to library service,it could be employed here in the outlying areas.There are many housing developments with nothingelse around themno shopping centers or anythingof this kind. It is very difficult to say that this isthe place we are going to develop, that we will put abranch there, in such a situation.

Cedar Lake Library

The site for the Cedar Lake Library has beenwell chosen. There is a great deal of assurance thatthis site will be developed to the extent that peoplewill be converging here for purposes other than li-brary use. This is an important consideration. Thelibrary will serve the area at the present time, andbecause of the brick areas inside the base the build-ing can be expanded. The three accesses to the li-brary are a little difficult to supervise. I think thosedoors will probably be locked most of the time.

The maintenance of this building will be veryeconomical because all the plumbing and heating fa-cilities are tied into one room in more or less openfashion. The workroom is too crowded. There isnot enough space in that little area for the librarianand materials used.

St. John Library

The St. John Library is, of course, a prototypeof the Cedar Lake Library, aid I have no questionabout the similarity in plan of the two library sites.They are far enough apart so that it will not detractfrom the appearance of one building to have anotherone like it some place else.

With the St. John Library floor plan the parkingmight be pulled around to the north side and stillhave access to the entrances. The entrance on theeast side also might be pulled around to the northside, and that would eliminate some of the problems.

There is a tremendous difficulty here for north-bound patrons. Coming from the south, they arecompletely cut off by a tremendous flow of traffic.To make a left-hand turn here would be dangerous,and pedestrians would not dare cross the street.

Highland Library

It would be a great mistake to use the old High-land Library. A library, in our estimation, is avital structure that is used by the people. It is not amonument. It is something for everyday life. It isthe real reason for our existence; we as librariansare useful to people.

With the two-story plan at Highland, the person-nel costs in the next ten or twenty years will behigher than the cost of an additional lot in another

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favorable location. If you are going to maintain twostories, it means that you will have to double yourpersonnel at a time when you may not need so much.And how are you going to maintain that second floorwithout personnel?

Also, we have to consider the stairways. Foryoung people they are no problem. But, we havemany elderly and lame people who visit our librar-ies, and stairways do pose a problem to them. Inaddition, the two stairways constrict the building inthe middle, making it seem like a very confined area.Finally, it is a mistake to locate the rest rooms inthe same area with the children's departmelt.

MRS. SUSANNA ALEXANDERI still question the prototype library, and I have

not been convinced by either Mr. Shore or Mr. Cole-man that this is going to meet the needs of the indi-vidual communities.

Mr. Coleman mentioned that they are buildingthese for a small staff library, but that they antici-pate growth and will allow additional staff. I cannotsee where the additional staff is going. There is notreader space to sacrifice for them.

I question cutting off the children's area for acommunity room. I cannot agree with the thinkingthat the children's room should be shut off at anytime that the library is open, particularly in thissituation where you have families coming into thelibrary.

The site of the St. John Library is not entirelysatisfactory. I understand there is some commercialbusiness across the highway, where people will begoing to park and trade. If the library were on thatside of the highway, you could draw these people.Where the site is now located, there is little possi-bility for commercial buildings. There already is aschool located there, and it is being developed for aresidential area.

WILLIAM SHOREThe bulk of the books in the children's room are

outside of the dividing wall so that, if necessary, thechildren's tables and chairs could very easily beplaced outside the wall.

These are not prototype libraries. The prototypewas used to describe the interior traffic flow, andthe traffic flow was different in Highland than it wasin Cedar Lake or St. John. Also, the architecturalfaçades in Cedar Lake and St. John are different.It is the interior design that has been taken as proto-type simply for the work flow and circulation ofbooks.

As far as staff seating goes, two people are usingdouble desks with quite sufficient space for both. Ifan additional desk in this area became necessary, itwould be at the control point. You may have a read-ers' adviser desk in your adult or young adult area,

and there is sufficient space for the material neces-sary for counsel.

DISCUSSION

Question: If the entire lot size were used, would thebuilding be about the same square footage as ontwo levels?

MR. SHORE: Using the entire lot, you would getonly 4,200 square feet, which is not sufficient.By utilizing a complete basement, or a basementthe same size as the second floor, you get about8,500 square feet. Thus, you have to either builda two-story building on this lot, c,r find a differentlocation where a single-story library could bebuilt.

Comment: You could tear dcrivn the old building andget the square footage you suggest.

MISS FLANDERS: In the Highland branch you haveno windows on the street.

MR. COLEMAN: Nobody goes by on that side, so tospeak; the side where everybody goes by is open.It is complete glass from wall to wall, and groundto ceiling, so that you can see through thebuilding.

Question: What provision is made for anybody want-ing to do research in these libraries?

MR. SHORE: These libraries, at the present time,are not designed as research libraries. Sincewe started about four years ago with practicallyno books, a has taken us four years to build sim-ply the standard collections in each of these corn'nullities. However, we can bring the books to-gether. The reference coordinator can makefairly detailed bibliographies for the individual.Books we do not have can be obtained on inter-library loan. We do not have, and probably willnot for five or six years, a complete index refer-ence service. At the end of this period, the areain Merrillville will contain the reference collec-tion, the encyclopedias, and reference books.

MR. COLEMAN: We, as architects, feel that thebest we can do is to keep the libraries as flexibleas possible so that they can change their interiorarrangement to conform to these particular needs.

Question: The Cedar Lake plan seems to have twobasic errors. First, the children's area is soremote. Secondly, the receiving area is such adistance from the control room. I wonder if youcan tell us why you decided on these particularlocations?

MR. COLEMAN: The alley runs along that side ofthe building, and it was our thought that the de-livery vehicles could stop for a period of five orte-k minutes and create no disturbance in the li-b, try. Also, the librarian would normally knowapproxim2tely when the truck was going to be


there, and she could, when she had time, bringthe materials out and work on them. The deliv-ery room is more or less a depository duringthis interim.

MR. SHORE: There is no workroom in the librarybecause there is no work accomplished in thenormal sense. The librarian receives booksand recordings, and shelves them. There is astorage area, where books may be placed on re-ceipt, and the bocks she is sending out may alsobe placed there on an outgoing shelf.

Question: Since the Highland building is 1,60e squarefeet, why is it not possible to use the side streetas your main entrance, with one half of the build-ing being juvenile circulation and the other adult,with your desk in the center? This would createa building that is much more flexible.

MR. COLEMAN: In the one-story scheme we havechanged the entrance to the side. But this streetdead-ends 200 or 250 feet beyond the library,and there is practically no traffic whatsoever.

Comment: If you take the space at the front of thebuilding where the two trees are shown, and thespace at the rear where a couple more trees areshown, and remove one of the stairways, youwould have almost as much room on the mainflooreven if it did not expand to the westasyou now have on the Moor and a half.

MR. COLEMAN: It happens to be a mandatory lawin Indiana that you must have two exits for anypublic area. We cannot eliminate the stairway.

Comment: One of the things that has impressed mein the group of studies here is that the plannershave attempted to create an environment in alibrary which I am sure, in many instances, doesnot exist in the community. A two-story develop-ment might ensure some resultant benefit to theusers with this creation of a favorable environ-ment.

146 Problems in Planning ' ..brary Facilities

Ogden Public Library

Ogden, Utah

STATISTICAL DATA

Architect: John L. Piers, Ogden, UtahType of library: Main public libraryPopulation to be served: 110,000Area: 44,600 square feetBook capacity: 200,000 volumesSeating capacity: 350Cost:

Equipment: $150,000 (estimated)Building: $892,000 (estimated)Site: $18,000 (demolition, estimated)

Cost per square foot: $20 (estimated)


Librarian: Maurice MarchantArchitect: John L. PiersCritic: Hoyt R. Galvin, Librarian, Public Library

of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, Charlotte,North Carolina

MAURICE MARCHANTOgden, Utah, traditionally is a railroad junct.i.:m

of national importance. It has some local indut.,try,primarily food preparation. During World War II,several military installations were organized in itsenvirons, which have grown with the years. Recentlyrocket and guided missile plants have come into thelocality. Population is expected to grow in WeberCounty irom its present 110,000 to 200,000 by 1980.It is strongly urbanized with a fringe of agriculturalpursuits around it.

Most of the people live within about a fifteen-minute driving distance from downtown Ogden. Ourpresent library service consists primarily of a Car-negie Library that was built in 1901 when Ogden hada population of 16,000. We now have 163,000 volumes.In addition, we have one small branch with 100,000volumes. The circulation in the county area outsideOgden is served by a bookmobile in conjunction withthe state library.

When we started to plan for a new library, weconsidered the importance of locating a new site.We found that 60 percent of our activities combinedlibrary stops with other activities, such as shoppingor work, and that 75 percent of the people came tothe library by automobile. We determined from thisthat we needed a good downtown site with adequateadjacent parking.

Our survey pointed out that our present librat ysite was a good one. It is one block fro-n the city's

busiest corner. It is on the main downtown thorough-fare with a municipal parking lot behind for about144 cars. The area of our site is rather small, how-ever, for the building we are contemplating, and itdictated the design of a multistory structure.

There are other libraries in the area which af-fected our decision as to what kind of a library wewanted. We have State College in Ogden, which isjust developing a 300,000-volume library. The SaltLake City Public Library is building a new libraryonly thirty miles away. The University of Utah Li-brary is expanding a $6,000,000 building in Salt LakeCity, and the Latter Day Saints Church there has avery large genealogical library. We wanted ourmain library to be a strong reference service, how-ever, with eventual expansion of circulation tosmall neighborhood branches.

An analysis of the past several years' experiencein the library indicated that to develop a librarywhich would maintain its use for a period of twentyyears, we should make room for 200,000 volumes,350 seats, and 700,000 circulation. Our emphasisin developing this library is economy of operationand economy of maintenance.

Open stacks

We wanted open stacks largely to provide forgood visual control by a minimum staff in the read-ing areas. We did not wish to duplicate the cardcatalog for the main adult collection, which meantthat as much of the adult book collection as possibleshould be on the main floor. This dictated to us theremoval of both the periodicals department and th .

juvenile department from the main floor.Our charging of all books will be centralized on

one desk to provide a strong exit control. Therewill be no film library, and we will not provide anauditorium, just one meeting room for about 50 peo-ple. This will not unduly affect the community inas-much as there ai e several auditoriums around thecity that are available.

One of our prima problems has been the transi-tion of readers from the juvenile level to the adultlevel; we lose quite a few readers between those de-partments. We want to provide a stronger transitionby developing a good young adult department whichwill be physically close to the children's department,but connected to and supervised from the adult ser-vices department.

It was important, we felt, to have the literature,arts, music, and recordings collections fairly closeto the young adult. If we cannot accommodate thepublic service on two floors, perhaps periodicalsshould be the one facility to be moved off the twofloors, because its use is strongly school-oriented.Our information desk is integrated with a fairlysmall reference of about 300 books and supervisionof the card catalog.

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JOHN L. PIERSThe site of the library is on an existing civic

center site. One block north of this site is the heartof the business district. Washington Boulevard isthe main street in town, and the side street, 26thStreet, is also a busy thoroughfare. The site has astrong relationship with the downtown area, it isvery closely identified with the old building, and thelibrary owns the site.

The small size, however, dictated a multistorybuilding. A one-story plan would extend over thewalks. Also, the present parking is very poor be-cause it is in the back of the building. One of ourbasic criteria was to get a building that would bevery flexible from an interior arrangement pointof view. We developed square modules of 22 feet 6inches. The columns are 22 feet 6 inches, but wehave opened up the middle bay 45 feet.

The board wanted strong control in this building;it desired both a physical control for checking thebooks and out and a visual control from the infor-mation area in the center of the building. That wasone of the reasons we left the columns out of themiddle.

The other criterion was that the library shouldbe about 95 percent open stacks in the reading area.With our budget, this necessitated 7-foot stacksaround the periphery of the building with all thepeople in the center.

On the main floor we have the entrance area andthe information and reference center. The adult col-lection is primarily on the main floor, but does notinclude the 700 and 800 series and the popular read-ing areaa duplicate volume az ea. The readingcourt, next to the popular reading area, is closedoff but not covered. On the other end is a WesternHistory area that encloses the local history collec-tion and rare books.

On the upper floor is the children's area. Oneof the criteria was to close this children's area offat certain times, primarily at night, while otherparts of the library :vere still open. Also, music,literature, art, and fiction are on this floor as wellas utility aLeas: toilets, mechanical room, elevators,and stairs.

Lower level

On the lower level are the periodicals and news-papers. The stacks at the left are for the bookmo-bile. While the bookmobile is not stored at the li-brary, we are still going to have to charge if fromthe central library.

The offices are downstairs since we wanted toprovide as much adult service on the main floor aswe could. There are a number of enclosed areasin the basement which may later be opened up. Thestairway and the elevator walls, of course, are con -stant.

The outside appearance of the building is ratherbulky, but we have a massing problem with the build-ing next door. We do not want tremendously largeglass areas since we feel this is quite a mistake,even with low-transmission glass. We have intro-duced a break panel between the glass areas that re-lates in color back to the building and the cast con-crete panel above.

HOYT R. GALVINThe statement that this is a small site is merely

a point of view. There are from 33,000 square feetto 34,000 square feet on this site. I could argue thatthis is a big site. The building, roughly, is 44,000square feet. With three levels, you might call it atotal of 44,000 square feet on a site of 33,000 squarefeet.

If you apply that to today's population, that isabout .4 square feet per capita. Then, if you projectit to the population of 200,000 that is expected intwenty years, it drops down to .22 square feet percapita. So we cannot debate the size of the buildingexcept to say that maybe it is small, and that theplanners should think seriously about how they aregoing to expand it.

Mr. Marchant referred to economy of operation,yet the building may be even more expensive to op-erate than necessary on this 33,000-square-foot siteThe building is set back 40 feet from a 20-foot side-walk. If you used all of the site, whic!- T supposewould be running a good thing in the ground, youwould get a 66,000-square-foot building on groundlevel and one level above.

One thing I learned was that excavating in thisarea is not too satisfactory. The builders expectthe water table to be rather high, and frankly admitthat this lower level may create a good many prob-lems. It is suspected that the square footage onthe lower level might be even more expensive thanthe square footage on the ground level or the upperlevel.

Mr. Marchant, being approximately thirty milesnorth on a freeway from some 1,200,000 books inSalt Lake City libraries, is justified in consideringa smaller book collection than some of us wouldneed in communities of similar size. Not enoughserious work has been done on furniture, equipment,and layout. For example, should the periodical ma-terials in the basement be separated from other ref-erence materials? I recognize the problem of thislarge city-county building next door, yet you mustfirst create a functioning library, and then do thebest you can with beauty.

Possibility of rear entrance

With the 144-car parking lot in the back, I visual-ized myself parking my car there and getting out togo into the library. I immediately began to get angry

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because I could not get in the back door. So I com-mend very earnestly the possibility of two entrances.They would make the control more difficult, but it isvery important in this building, with 144-car parkingin :")! rear, that patrons be able to enter at the backof tt t building as well as in the front.

There are two charging desks. The desk on therigil Is the check-in desk, and the one on the left isthe eck- out desk. I am concerned about the dupli-cat., . A clerks on those desks in the slow hours.Mr. ,Varchant has the idea to have a sign at timeson o:te of them, "Closed for now," but it would bebetter to put both operations on one desk.

Ts.:ere is a problem with the Subject arrangement.First, this is not a large enough community, in myphilorlphy of library administration, to have asubje:t-departmentalized library. Secondly, in thispart: ..ular plan, Mr. Dewey's classification schemegets a little confused in the collection. The averageper t-on who comes to the library is somewhat hesi-tar . and does not like to ask for help. He likes toshow how good he is at finding books. He looks atthe card catalog and finds .016, but I think he willhave trouble locating the number the way the bookcollection is arranged.

Also, I am concerned about the reference workarea. Maybe Mr. Marchant has some reference li-brarians that are not disorderly. If they are reallygoing to get work done, they will probably have tohave a place where they can be disorderly. Youshould have a room for pamphlets, and that is notclear to me as the building now stands. There is alittle bookmobile office, but there is no place toput books except way off down in the lower level.The popular reading room is another place wherethe layout needs serious study, because this is alarge room and yet it does not seat enough people.Some of the information stations could be combined.

The hall is a delightful architectural featurewhich brings the pierced brick wall in through thebuilding, but it leads to lost footage. For example,one does not need to go to the mechanical roomthrough the hallway since there is another entrance.Public itnkers could be put in this hallway. Alsothe entrance area, where people come in the doorand decide where they want to go, does take somespace, but this might be too much space.

Mr. Marchant has visionsand I emphasizevisionsof getting groups of children who come into the library to march dutifully down the hall andup the stairway next to the exit. I think the otherstairs, next to the elevator, and the elevator itselfare going to be an attraction to them.

Story hour room

The story hour room, about 4,000 square feet,seems extremely large. Yet the rest of the chil-dren's department, with the present shelving and

furniture arrangement, does not store many booksor seat many children. A serious Furniture- layoutproblem is present there.

I wish there were a way to develop a story hourarea without complete identification of that space.I had the delightful privilege, some three years ago,of being with a team of fifteen American librarianswho visited Swedish librarians cur ten days. We sawsome unique arrangements with story hour rooms.Sometimes the library would simply have a draperyfrom the ceiling that could be pulled in a kidneyshape, and there would be a story hour room. Thedrapery was an imaginative touch, and the roomcould still be used for other purposes during the day.

The projecting cantilevered sections of the sec-ond floor create both problems and opportunities.The plans show bookshelving. There could be someindividual study tables in here, if there were reason-ably good control and no need to worry too muchabout the distance. Shelves in these sections will bea constant problem, for they will become shelves oflost books.

On the lower floor, the office area seems to besatisfactory. If an assistant librarian is hired someday, space could be provided for an additional officewithout losing flexibility. The glass wall should beremoved, as a double-space bookshelf will serve thesame purpose; the wall makes the building moreexpensive.

The service elevator is a long way from the stor-age room, and conceivably many things in storagewill be hauled down in this elevator. The catalogingroom seems quite small.

The microfilm presently is limited to newspa-pers. In time the library may have other types ofmicrofilm, and the small microfilm area may thenbecome a conference room. The microfilm readerswould then be scattered around the building.

The assembly hall, Mr. Marchant says, seats 50people. According to my calculations, it would seat75. The ledge here is rAce since it permits exhibitsand displays as an educational adjunct to a meetingtaking place. The staff robm seems quite satisfac-tory. Only one area is indicated for lockers, whichseems quite small. There might be a smaller lockerarea in the work spaces adjacent to the librarians.

DISCUSSION

Question: Is there a library consultant engaged forthe interior layout?

MR. MARCHANT: No, and we do not feel that ourinterior layout is anywhere near completed.

Comment: With this furniture layout, the "lovenests" are too many. When you have an areawith information centers, you should be able tosee the stacks.

Question: I would like to question Mr. Piers about

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the concrete panels. Isn't there some materialthat is as cheap yet wouldn't Jock ugly and mot-tled and worn so fast?

MR. PIERS: This is a precast concrete panel thatwould probably be a marble aggregate. We havefound this one of the most successful buildingmaterials in the intermountain country for dura-bility, permanence, and effectiveness. It hasbeen used quite extensively. The big problemv.-ith any concrete is to get it properly drippedso that water will not drop down on the face of it.

Question: If you eventually take over the control ofthe" bookmobiles, are you looking to the future inhaving these stacks so far away from your onlyservice entrance? The space you are using forthe cataloging and the microfilm reading roomis approximately the same as the space you areusing for your stack area of bookmobile.

MR. MARCHANT: We had thought, at one time, ofputting the storage area on the main floor. Wewould like to have everything on the main floor,but there is not room. We thought we could putthe storage down, and run a book truck up oncea day when putting materials on the bookmobile.

Comment: First of all, I would take issue with yourtotal square footage on this site. It is 30,000,not 34,000, according to my mathematics. I envythis library having available 30,000 square feetfor this building, but the builders are going toutilize only 18,000 square feet.

It would be very wise to eliminate your 40-foot setback and bring your building to the side-walk. You have the possibility then of using dis-play windows in between the windows that provideyour lights. If your building is located in thedowntown area, you should have display windowsand the exterior should be very attractive. Thetyping room could have typewriters, coin-operated or rented.

Question: My question is in relation to flow of mate-rials, primarily in terms of the book return area.There is only a public service elevator, and theregular service elevator in the back. With a po-tential of 750,000 circulation, how are you goingto get materials up and down easily?

MR. MARCHANT: It is a way around to the servicearea. The materials will go either there or up tothe public area. We will probably resolve theproblem by using the public elevator in the morn-ing before we open up to the public.

Question: When the building is open, you are goingto be in a situation for some time where you willnot be able to service all of these desks. Whatarrangements are you making to handle problemsthat you obviously anticipate in designing thebuilding, but that you will not be able to copewith at the beginning?

MR. MARCHANT: There are a number of reasonsfor the way the building is oriented. One person

on the main floor can see the entire seating areain both directions.

Comment: I subscribe to your havirg most of yourimportant public functions on the main floor. Inote that you have a Western History room here.Would it not be better to move this local historysection upstairs? A higher priority might beput on that closed space than using it for a localhistory collection.

Comment: People do not seem to read outside. If itis warm, they go inside an air-conditioned build-ing. If it is cold, they go in where it is heated.I think the reading court is a nice architecturalgimmick, but I recommend you use your moneyotherwise. Also, I am concerned about the twoelevators, wondering whether one, combiningservice and passenger elevator, would be better.Then the other one could be used to take booksfloor by floor and could be located over by yourservice entrance desk.

THE SCHOOL LIBRARY

AND THE ARCHITECT

The Architect

CHARLES J. BENDA, JR.Consultant, Architectural PlanningState Department of EducationTallahassee, Florida

Education is a lifelong process. One objectiveof the school program is to teach the student theskills for self-education after he leaves school. Theschool library, or instructional materials center,represents perhaps the most important single areaof the school program in teaching the process ofself- education.

The objectives of this library space, as an archi-tect should know, are to: (1) support the instruc-tional program; (2) provide materials for personalneeds; (3) provide for reference service and re-search; (4) serve the entire school; (5) provideneeded services to implement the educational pro-gram; (6) serve the teachers as needs demand inpreparation of subject matter and student motivation;(7) provide adequate materials, facilities, and ser-vices to meet the needs; (8) provide an atmosphereto encourage pupil participation and search for infor-mation and knowledge on their initiative; and (9) pro-duce an atmosphere conducive to recreationalreading.

The architect should be aware of the programand activities if he is to produce a dynamic plan.This knowledge should include, and be based on, thelibrarian's philosophy of prelibrary use, the elemen-tary program, and the secondary program.

School Libraries

fhe architect should know how the library is em-ployed by individual pupils for research assignmentsand recreational reading. He should know spaceneeds for teachers and any planned community use.For example, many of our junior colleges serve anarea that sometimes includes students from sur-rounding counties who commute each day. A schoollibrary, open for use by the junior college studentnear his home, would, if suitably planned, be of im-measurable value to the student and community.

The librarians' use of this facility I will bypassit is known better to you. To acquaint the architectwith your needs invite him to observe a working li-brary facility of your choosing. He might, by obser-vation of patterns and movement of all occupants inthis special space, provide suggestions and flow pat-terns to improve the circulation.

Specific requirements

Specific requirements that an architect shouldbe furnished may be listed as follows:

1. Stacks to provide for a specified number of vol-umes. Shelves adjustable to accommodate over-size books. Stack heights up to 6 feet high alongwalls and 4 feet high when used as space dividers.

2. Rack space for magazines (slanted-type shelving)for the number of issues currently received, andplanned to include some growth in subscription.Rack space for newspapers designed for economi-cal storage.

3. Storage for present recordings and a reasonableamount of growth, tape recordings in a cabinet,and filmstrips in a cabinet provided with drawerstorageto be added to as the collection grows.

4. Tables and chairs for the required percentageof users in the reading area, with not over 6pupils per table. Table height to fit the user.(You may wish to recommend that one third ofthe tables be round or other than rectangular.)

153


5. Study carrels (based on the number required byyour program). The carrels to be individual orin multiples, with partitions for privacy and ashelf for materials. Proper lighting and an elec-tric outlet to be provided each carrel.

6. Informal seating in the browsing area to be home-like and invite participation and use.

7. Circulation desk to be placed at a focal point forgood supervision. The design could be counterheight, movable or sectional, perhaps of a circu-lar shape, with a book return drop slot, built -incharging facilities with card files for books incirculation, and lockable money drawer. Storageshelves and drawers as needed.

8. Card catalog in five-drawer units. These unitsmay be stacked as recommended; or set sideby side with a countertop over them to serve fora ready reference work surface.

9. Four-drawer vertical files to be placed wherebest to provide the function they will serve.

10. A dictionary stand and an atlas stand located forbest use.

Workroom

In the workroom careful planning is most im-portant. Sequence and flow patterns should be fullyunderstood by the architect. You could compare theefficiency of this room with the efficiency that youelTect of your kitchen. I mean by that the ease ofsequence of receiving and storage, to preparation,to serving, and back to storage. This is a simpleflow pattern.

The equipment will include a work counter. Thework counter should be 3 feet high and 30 inchesdeep; the length may vary due to the design of theworkroom. It should be provided with a sink andrunning water. The physical design of the countershould include a kneehole space beneath the middleone third of the counter wide enough for two peopleto sit aad work comfortably. There should be openshelves above, drawers for supplies at one end, anda closed cabinet under the sink. The countertop andsplash should be finished with a surface that is easilycleaned and water resistant. A space should be pro-vided for lacquer spraying andas an added luxuryan exhaust fan over the area to remove the fumes.The equipment should be positioned in the workroomto permit ready supervision from the reading area.

There should be provision for shelving of currentmagazines and newspapers, and shelving for at leasttwo years of back issues of periodicals.

Storage facilities for audio-visual equipmentshould take into consideration the size of the equip-ment and the frequency of use. The architect needsinformation on motion-picture projectors, filmstripprojectors, tape recorders, record players, opaqueprojectors, overhead projectors, screens with pro-jection stands, globes, roller-type maps, and post-

ers. With this information he can best use histalents properly to store materials and provideease of access.

The conference space should be large enough tohave a table and chairs for the number of occupantsyou desire. The room should have some shelvingspace.

Oilier space needs

Space may be needed for film preview with a per-manent small screen.r This space could be providedin the audio-visual storage room. Several viewerscould serve adequately for preyiewing. Listeningstations for tapes and recordings, if desired, shouldbe planned for.

If the library is to be separate from the schoolbuilding, rest room facilities for library staff are avital consideration. A custodial storage area shouldbe an important part of the planning. Only throughcontinuous maintenance can your library be main-tained in its new condition. The only other itemwould be wardrobe space for your convenience andstaff use.

The environment of the library facility encom-passes all factors that lend themselves to your com-fort and pleasure. The environment is controlled byair conditioning and heating. acoustics become animportant consideration for sound abatement or ab-sorption. Carpeting or floor treatments are neces-sary for absorbing and relieving the normal noise ofmoving chairs and scuffling feet. Considerationshould also include walls and ceilings. The colors,another phase of environment, should be attractiveand restful. Lighting is a factor that has been rea-sonably understood, and for this architects refer tothe Illuminating Engineering Society Standards andgood practice principles.

Well-planned utilities are always a prerequisiteto an adequate facility. A display use of a chalk-board in the area of the circulation desk and a bulle-tin board in the entrance area would complete alibrary.

All this information can be furnished the archi-tect by including it in a well-prepared document ofeducational specifications which tells him in alan-guage he understands your desires and needs. Gooddesign and the pleasure gained in the use of a well-executed building can only happen when the entireprocess is a cooperative effort.

The School Library Program:What the Architect Needs To KnowJOHN L. CAMERONChief, School Housing SectionU.S. Office of Education'

In order to have a more complete understandingof the librarian's role in the planning of new or re-modeled school facilities, I believe it will be well tooutline briefly the most important steps leading upto the actual planning of a library in a particularschool building.

Every building project, whether it is to be a newfacility or a renovation, should be part of a long-range program adopted by the board of education.Long-range programs should evolve from schoolsurveys. W. L. Lathan, a former associate of minein North Carolina, once said, "I have become con-vinced that the time to have a survey is when youthink you don't need one? His statement illustratesthe importance of having a definite plan preparedbefore you are confronted with the necessity oftaking action.

Surveys will include status and predicted trendstudies of (1) the economic and sociological struc-tures of the community, (2) the population, includingage groupings and migration, (3) transportation,(4) zoning, (5) geographical characteristics, (6) thecurriculum, (7) personnel, and (8) finance. Out ofthe surveys will come recommendations on suchfactors as organization of the schools, includingschools that should be eliminated and new ones thatshould be constructed; at least general areas inwhich school sites should be purchased; the facili-ties that should be included in each school; a planfor financing the building programs; and a plan forphasing out the program in terms of the resourcesof the community and in accord with the needs asthey will occur. In rinny cases the resources of acommunity do not permit the realization of all facili-ties when they are needed. Therefore, the recom-mendations may include a suggested order of priorityof projects.

In developing the long-range plan it is importantthat consultations be held with many nonschoolagencies, associations, firms, and individuals. Ishall mention only a few: city or county planners,highway and street departments, recreation and

1. In his prefatory remarks Mr. Cameron observed that: aAmember of my staff, J. L. Taylor, is presently developing apublication on Libra)), Facilities for Elementary and Secon-dary Schools. Mary Helen Mahar and Richard Darling, fromthe Library Services Branch in the Office of Education, areserving as consultants."

School Libraries 155

parks departments, urban renewal authorities, andprivate builders of residential properties. After along-range plan has been adopted, it is importantthat it be reviewed periodically, and modificationsmade to take into account changes in conditionswhich were not foreseen in the original planning.Gerald Horton Bath has said: 'History is like asurveyor's transit. Unless we use it frequently tolook back and get our bearing, it will not be of muchhelp to us in running a straight line ahead?

My tr-..tatment of the over-all educational planninghas been very superficial; however, we must movealt ng and will assume, therefore, at this point thatthe over-all planning has been completed and a long-range plan adopted by the board of education. Wewill concern ourselves now with one new schoolwhich the long-range plan reveals will soon beneeded. We shall assume that the site has been pur-chased, funds made available, and an architectselected.

Quality of education

All of us are familiar with the expression, "Ahouse does not make a home." It is equally true that,"A schoolhouse does not make a school." The prin-cipal function of a school plant is not only to accom-modate the school program, but also to facilitate theteaching-learning processes. If it fails in this func-tion, the quality of education may be seriously im-paired and the cost of instruction increased.

John Lyon Reid, noted San Francisco architect,has very aptly stated, "Education is fluid; as such ittends to take the shape of its container." Many ofyou undoubtedly are familiar with examples in whichschool buildings have, to a large extent, dictatedschool programs. A striking example is found inthe development during the early part of this centuryof the junior high school. The most impelling forcein the establishment of junior high schools in thiscountry grew out of a building problem --the neces-sity of relieving overcrowded schools, particularlysecondary schools.

The need for a new school building should bebased upon the purposes which the school is to serve;from purposes the school program evolves. The ed-ucational specifications are developed to interpretthe requirements of the school program to the archi-tect in such a way that the completed facility willserve its function.

The determination of the need for an educationalfacility is based upon the many purposes which theschool is to serve. If this were not true, we couldnot Justify the annual expenditure on public elemen-tary and secondary schools of more than $19 billion,of which approximately 25 percent is for capitaloutlay.

The purposes of a school should be based uponwhat the community should do, and is willing and


able to du, in the way of educating its people. Pleasenotice I did nut say that the purposes should be basedupon community needs. The day is past when we canplan to educate our youth with the expectation thatthey will remain in the community. The averageAmerican family now moves once every five years.Younger families move on an avt-rage of every two-and-one-half years. Included in our purposesshould be that of preparing each student to his full-est potential of being a useful and gainful citizen,zegardless of where he may live.

Some of the purposes which a school may havewill be common to all other schools. Others will bethe same as for many other schools. There may beone or more purposes which only the single schoolserves.

School program

From the purposes which a school is to serve,the school program is developed. The answering ofquestions such as the following is basic in the devel-opment of the school program:

1. What educational levels (age or grade) are to beserved?

2. How many pupils is the plant to accommodate?Now? Future?

3. What staff will be available?4. What courses will be. offered?5. How many pupils might reasonably be expected

to take each course?6. How will the school be organized to carry on the

course offerings?7. What will be the "extra" or cocurricular activi-

ties in the school?8. How will the school be organized to carry on the

cocurricular activities?9. What nonstudent activities will be available at

the school to people in the community?10. Will they be available during school hours or

only during nonschool hours?

Educational specifications

When the program of the school has been deter-mined, it is then the educators' job to interpret theprogram to the architect. This interpretation takesthe form of educational specifications.

Most of us are familiar with the specificationswhich, along with the plans, constitute instructionsand interpretations from the architect to the builderas to how the building shall be constructed. Thespecifications thus become a vital part. of the con-tract for construction. Educational specificationsare the instructions and interpretations from theduly authorized school officials to the architect asto the educational program the building is to accom-modate. These educational specifications should be-come a vital part of the contract between the ownerand the architect. The educational specificationsfurnished by the educator to the architect should

convey, as clearly as words can convey, the pro-gram both indoors and outdoors, during schoolhours and nonschool hours that the completedfacility As to accommodate; yes, and facilitate.

It is in the development and interpretation of theeducational specifications that library supervisorsand librarians can contribute most in the developmentof plans for a new school building. You must remem-ber, however, that there are many other persons whoare also conct... aed, and that the school superinten-dent, or his assistant in charge of school planning,has the responsibility of developing the educationalspecifications.

I firmly believe that a particular school facilityshould not be designed according to the specificationsof any one persc n. This holds true for librarians aswell as for teachers and others. There is no way ofknowing how long an individual teacher or librarianwill serve in the school after it is completed, or ifhis particular ideas and tastes will be suitable tohis successor. I am not saying that many of theideas of an individual cannot be incorporated intothe new facility; this can readily be done if we incor-porate a reasonable amount of flexibility in our plans.

It is my belief that the educational specificationsfor a biology laboratory should be developed by acommittee of the most capable biology teachers andsupervisors in the school system. The developmentof educational specifications for a library should, inEke manner, be done by a committee of the most cap-able librarians in the school system.

The type of information on the library which willneed to be included in the educational specificationscan be summarized by the following question: Whatwill be done in what way by how many persons fromwhere and of what size and in what capacities at anygiven time, using what type and quantity of supplies,equipment, and materials? This means that the ar-chitect in planning a new library will need to knowthe answers to such basic questions as:

1. How many items of printed materials of differenttypes will need to be in the library?

2. How many and what types of audio-visual aidswill need to be included in the planning?

3. What are the most efficient ways for the materi-als and audio-visual aids to be utilized?

4. How much and what type of preparation of mate-rials is contemplated?

5. Should the plans incorporate facilities for themaintenance and repair of books, films, and thelike?

6. What controls governing the operation of the li-brary are contemplated?

7. Will a professional library for teachers and otherstaff members be a part of the school library?

8. Will there be departmental libraries in additionto the main library?

9. Will books, films, projectors, and so on be regu-larly disbursed from the library to the class-rooms?

10. Will conferences with individuals or groups beheld in connection with the library program?

11. Is it contemplated that audio-visual aids will beutilized in the library? If so, by individuals?groups? what size groups?

12. What is the maximum number of books that mightbe expected to be checked out in one day? re-turned in one day?

13. What activities in connection with the libraryprogram will require special acoustical treat-ment? special lighting treatment?

14. How many and what type of materials will bedisplayed?

15. How many full- and part-time librarians will beavailable?

16. How many student assistants will be available,and what type of work will they perform?

17. What should be the capacity of the space devotedto each activity of the library at a given time?

The above questions are by no means all-inclusive. They do illustrate the types of informa-tion that should be conveyed to the architect throughthe school staff member in charge of the educationalplanning of the entire school.

If you are fortunate enough to be contemplatinga new library in the next three or four years, beginnow a study of your functions and needs. It will betime and money well spent to find out where thereare libraries which are reputed to be serving theirfunctions well and go visit them. Do not just look atthe facilities, but study how well the library accom-modates the activities of the different programsincluded.

It has been said that a good architect commis-sioned to design a home will often literally live withthe family for several days before beginning his de-sign, in order to learn firsthand the activities of themembers of the family. He can use this know3edgeonly as a point of beginning, however, since the re-strictions of the present residence may unduly influ-ence the activities of the family. Many architects,before starting plans for a new school building, willspend a considerable amount of time in differentparts of several schools in order that they maybetter understand the various activities.

In summary, I would like to repeat the followingpoints:

1. The absence of adequate educational specificationscould well mean that the completed library willdictate what the library program will be.

2. Educators should not attempt to be architects.Bill Caudill, Dean of the School of Architectureat Rice Institute and a noted school architect,once said to the American Association of SchoolAdministrators that AASA stands for 'Associa-tion of Amateur School Architects." Likewise,architects should not attempt to be educators.AIA is the acronym for the American Instituteof Architects. At times one could well say that


it apparently stands for "Amateur InstructionAdministrators." A limited amount of this inter-play, however, is desirable.

3. Do not confuse educational specifications withbuilding spscifications. Do not tell the architectthat you .leed 2 storage cabinets 2 feet 3-3/4inches wide x I foot 10-7/8 inches deep x 5 feet4 inches high. Tell him what and how much is tobe stored, who is to use it, and how frequently.Utilize his training and experience by letting himfigure out how provisions can best be made. Ar-chitects are human, however, and the educatorshould check to be sure that the necessary provi-sions are made in the plans and specifications.

Just as the compass has many points, the in-volved process of school planning has many facets.There will be many times when we will have diffi-culty in finding the answer to the principal problemwith which we are concerned. However, by intelli-gently seeking and finding the answers to the manyother problems involved in the process, we willinvariably be able to find a just and equitable solu-tion to the major problemproviding the opportunityfor every child to "burgeon out that which is withinhim."

158 Problems in Planning Libra,y Facilities

A New School LibraryPlanned for a Program

BLANCHE JANECEKLibrarian, High School, Laooratory SchoolUniversity of ChicagoChicago, Illinois

In 1912, Dr. Charles Judd, Dean of the School ofEducation at the University of Chicago, first pro-posed to the American Library Association that aschool library be established as a study center of aschool. He defined this as an area filled with mate-rials which young people could use in their studying.

Despite a lukewarm reception, the UniversityHigh School Library was organized in 1913 as thefirst study center type of library in the country.The original purpose for the library has been re-tained and extended. It is now identified as one ofthe centers for learning at the University. It is afunctional school library which effectively providesa program for teaching and learning. Provision ismade for each student in the school' to have libraryperiods daily. These may be either formally sched-uled or unscheduled.

Many types of quality materials are provided.The materials currently include: approximately17,000 hardback books; 6,000 paperbacks; 2,500foreign-language books in French and German (andthe library is beginning its collection of books inLatin and Russian); 550 recordings; 53 file drawersof pamphlets; a sizable collection of college catalogsand yearbooks; current subscriptions to 125 periodi-cals, and back issues from 1949 to the current datefor about 85 titles; the New York Times from 1910to the present date on microfilm; an extensive refer-ence collection; and (next year) professional, flat-map, and art prints collections. Materials are or-ganized to facilitate independent use by students.The high school library experience is an importantpreparation for future use of college and universitylibraries. Approximately 99 percent of the studentswill enter college. It is also an important contribu-tion to the development of a library habit hopefullycarried on into adult life.

Seating capacity

The library seats 152 students in the main read-ing room. There are 4 conference rooms, 3 beingused for group work and 1 equipped with three type-

1. The Laboratory School includes a combination of seventhand eighth graders (prefreshmen) through seniors. In age,students range from twelve to eighteen years old.

writers for student use; 10 individual study carrels;2 microfilm readers; 4 earphone record players;and a compact staff workroom and stacks area.

The number of students the librarian assists issomewhat similar to the number for which anyteacher assumes responsibility. For 750 studentsin the school there are 6 full-time professional li-brarians, 1 skilled typist, 6 paid and 12 volunteerstudent assistants. The physical facilities, materi-als, and staff make it possible to plan the most im-portant part of the library programlibrary instruc-tion. There are three approaches in this program:(1) Each librarian assumes the responsibility formaking the maximum use of every moment with eachstudent. The librarians know most of the studentsover a five-year period. (2) An integrated libraryinstructional program is offered through the socialstudies, English, and science classes at all levels.(3) A formal elective course in library researchskills is given at a sophisticated level for seniors.

In 1955, preliminary plans were projected for anew high school building. The head librarian wasfortunate to have been included in all of the libraryplanning with the administrators, architects, andlibrary equipment consultant. A number of individ-uals, including the librarian, were asked to statethe philosophy underlying their particular curi'lcularareas. This two-year process involved much discus-sion and terminated with space areas allocated tothe classrooms, science laboratories, library,cafeteria, and teacher offices.

Space needs

During the next two years, 1957-59, the librarianhad the opportunity of working with the architects totranslate the philosophy into functional workingspaces. The space was finalized at 152 feet x 64feet at its longest and widest points, comprising atotal of approximately 7,400 square feet, includingthe reading room, 4 conference rooms, 2 stackareas, an office, and workroom. There were manycharacteristics of the school which the librarian hadto emphasize continually. Opportunities for studentsto work in the midst of many, to work together insmall groups, and to isolate themselves for completeconcentration were to be provided.

The greatest concern arose over the librarian'sideas pertaining to the conference rooms. Each wasto be as soundproof as possible and with no glasswall for supervision. The librarian conceded to asmall glass pane in the conference room door. Theuse of a room such as this should ensure a degreeof privacy to the users.

Another characteristic of the school had to betaken into consideration. Since this gifted schoolpopulation had become accustomed to easy accessi-bility and availability of many kinds of materials,one large room was preferable. Because of the size

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of the room, two entrance-exits were necessary.This caused no concern so far as circulation of ma-terials control was concerned, since the studentshad always checked out their own materials, andthe charging desk could be in the center of thelibrary.

Equipment

The librarian had also contacted a library equip-ment firm with whom she wanted to work. From1958 to 1960 it was the librarian's good fortune tohave had the services of a consultant who was atrained librarian. Mr. Robert Broadus, now teachingin the Library School at Northern Illinois University,gave invaluable help in planning the layout, furniture,and equipment. Mr. Broadus visited the old libraryquarters, observed the activities of the students, anddiscussed with the librarian all facets of the school,curriculum, and student use of the library. Aftertwo months of this activity practical plans werestarted. All standard equipment was used with slightmodifications to meet the needs of this particular li-brary. Because of the volume of materials withwhich the students worked, it was imperative to re-quest a table for only 4 studentsnot standard in1959, but currently standard (66 inches x 42 inches).

Five years were spent planning the library inthe new high school building at the LaboratorySchool, University of Chicago. It is hoped that thebest of the traditions of libraries were retained,and that flexibility was provided for the accommo-dation of new ideas.

11.

Remodeling To Fit a Program

MILDRED L. KROHNCoordinator of LibrariesShaker Heights City School DistrictShaker Heights, Ohio

Two elementary schools in the Shaker HeightsCity School District, Lomond and Ludlow, are athree-year experiment to determine how well inter-mediate grade children can acquire work-study skillsand proceed independently to satisfy their educationalneeds. Lomond has an enrollment of 625 and a bookcollection of 12,000 volumes, Ludlow an enrollmentof 300 and a collection of 6,800 volumes. The stafffor these two schools includes three librarians,one clerk in each school, one audio-visual clerk,and a half -time technician in the larger school.

How did this experiment start? At Lomond, thelarger school, regular library scheduling left nofree time for individual library use. To make avail-able free blocks of time, large group instruction wastried by having all the fourth-grade classes in-structed at one time, the fifth-grade at another, andso on. This saved repetition of lessons and gave op-portunities for the practice of skills taught and forindividual research.

Lomond began with large group instructionclasses in the auditorium, using the overhead pro-jector and participation sheets as teaching aids.After some experimentation, this instruction wasmoved to a large classroom next to the library.Arms were installed on the chairs used so that chil-dren could write during the lessons.

After a year's experimentation the idea seemedto merit further study. Application to the FordFoundation resulted in a matching grant of $45,000from its Fund for the Advancement of Education.


The Foundation asked that another school be in-cluded, and we selected our smallest school, Ludlow.

Lomond School

To carry out our plans, it was necessary to en-large both libraries. The project director, and prin-cipal of Lomond, said he wanted the room to be en-tirely unlike the former library in appearance andarrangement because he hoped for new accomplish-ments. The emphasis was to be different. Thetraditional emphasis on the teaching process was toshift to the learning process as the more importantconcept. Individual ability to obtain information ona topic or problem independently, under the generaldirection of the teacher, was now most important.Also, results in the communication of ideas betweenpupils and teachers as they shared the use and pres-entation of appropriate materials were emphasized.

During the summer of 1962, alterations weremade at Lomond. Originally the plans were to put adoor in the north wall to the adjoining classroom, orperhaps a partial glass partition, and to keep thatroom as the large group instruction classroom.However, the addition of audio-visual materials tothe existing library resulted in the entire north wallbeing taken out. The additional space was added tothe library, and the large group instruction wentback to the auditorium.

Perimeter shelving was not sufficient to takecare of the 12,000 volumes, so freestanding double-faced stacks were ordered to be placed down themiddle of the long room. Since we planned to haveunscheduled classes in the fourth, fifth, and sixthgrades, the best arrangement seemed to be to placethe eight stacks in U-shaped areas.

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since thought what a conservnive I was. How elseis progress made except by doing things contrary tothe existing order! This arrangement proved to bevery practical, for activity can go on in three orfour areas without disturbing any of them. Sound isabsorbed because of this arrangement, and there hasbeen no tag played around the stacks. I do not guar-antee this at the secondary level, however. Shelveswere built along one wall in two alcoves for viewingand listening, and on the north wall five carrels withcorkboard walls were built.

The former workroom became the audio-visualtechnician's workshop. We are clamoring for drapesand carpeting to improve the room's appearance andhope to get them in the next year's budget.

Ludlow School

At Ludlow, the library was housed in a classroom-size room. Instead of knocking out a wall, the librarymoved to the kindergarten roomthe largest roomand a most attractive one. Its adaptability was amaz-ing. The cloakroom became the workroom and stor-age area. A former cupboard became a viewing areawith the building of shelves on three sides and theplacing of stools there. Six commercially built studycarrels became the center of the reference area, anda windowed alcove became a most attractive storyarea.

The total project has influenced the thinking of li-brarians and principals in the other schools of oursystem. In the elementary area, one school movedits library into the auditorium, another into the kin-dergarten room, and two more libraries will moveinto the auditorium in the fall term, leaving onlythree that require major building alterations to beon a par with the other libraries. One of our twojunior highs is being enlarged this summer. Thehigh school was doubled in size a year ago and en-joyed conference rooms, audio-visual materials,and individual study carrels for the first time thispast school year.

Because of the numerous visitors, Ford hasgiven us an additional grant to have a full-time pub-lic relations coordinator who will, during the nextschool year, take care of visitors and answer cor-respondence and outside requests for material onthe two project schools. Our visitors have beenuniversally enthusiastic about this program, andalmost no one has been unhappy about the physicalarrangement. How adaptable it is to other librarieswould, in my opinion, depend on the staff available.


THE DEPARTMENTALIZEDSCHOOL LIBRARY

Departmentalizing the School Library

MRS. GEORGIA RANKEN COLEAssistant Professor, School of Library ScienceUniversity of KentuckyLexington, Kentucky

It has been said that "Vanity ruins more womenthan love." This is true, for think of all of us who,in our vanity, believe we can discuss the departmen-talization of school libraries or s: me other aspectof the program! Nor is this "ruinous vanity" limitedto women; men are quite as disastrously afflicted byit. The only difference is that they are not likely tobe ruined by love.

Had vanity not stood in the way, I certainlyshould have seen the monstrous problems awaitingany person who attempts to discuss trends in schoollibrary quarters. However, certain proposals do as-sert themselves. Four are common to the manymethods and procedures proposed for improvingour schools and school libraries:

1. Every pupil should be given an opportunity to de-velop to his fullest potential. (Does this have afamiliar ring?)

2. The body of knowledge is too extensive for theschool to cover, and is growing at such a rapidrate that every person must continue to studyand learn throughout life. Therefore, the empha-sis in the schools must be to develop in the pupilthe desire and capacity to assume more and moreresponsibility for his own education.

3. There is increasing recognition that opportunityfor learning can best be provided when teachersand other members of the staff work together,each making that contribution for which he hasspecial talent or training.

4. Instructional materials of all kinds are being usedin teaching and in studying to a far greater extentthan in the past.

Those who reject proposals are likely to say,"Why, that's what we've believed all the time; that'swhat we've been doing all these years." The enthu-siastic supporters, on the other hand, may say, "Thisis completely different; there never has b.:::en any-thing like it before." Both are right. If we look atthe four beliefs expounded by edmators since thetime of John Dewey, the philosophy has not changed,but the school programs which grew out of this phi-losophy have changed.

It is impossible to discuss here the implicationsfor school libraries of all four proposals. It mustsuffice to discuss only one. The Trump Plan is thez.bvious choice, for it, of all the proposals, has beenmost widespread in its influence.

The Trump Plan

The term "Trump Plan" refers to the findingsand recommendations of the Commission on the Ex-perimental Study of the Utilization of the Staff in theSecondary School,of the National Association of Sec-ondary School Principals. The NASSP, recognizingthat the nationwide shortage of teachers was likelyto continue for many years, appointed the Commis-sion to recommend a plan which would make it pos-sible to maintain the same, or better, quality of in-struction by more efficient use of teacher time. Theplan was called the Trump Plan after the Directorof the Commission, Dr. J. Lloyd Trump. The Planrecommends the organization of the secondaryschools around three kinds of activities: largegroup instruction, individual study, and smallgroup instruction. The key to the Trump Plan isrecognition of individual differences in teachers aswell as in pupils. The Plan provides for better utili-zation of teacher time by organizing teachers intoteams. Each teacher does the kind of work forwhich his talents and training best suit him. Clerksand other helpers assume nonprofessional duties.The resulting staff organization is a hierarchy rang-ing from teacher specialists to general aides:

Teacher specialists are career teachers whoteach subject matter for which they are particularlywell qualified, usually to large groups. They havegeneral charge of evaluating students.

General teachers are qualified, certificated per-sonnel with less experience than teacher specialists.They participate primarily as observers and consul-tants in discussion groups. The salary of generalteachers, as proposed by the authors of the Plan, ismarkedly lower than that of teacher specialists.

Instruction assistants are persons with specialtraining and experience for certain aspects of in-struction. They do much of the evaluation of studentwork: papers of all kinds, art projects, and the like.

Clerks are available about ten hours per weekper professional teacher.

General aides are adults with at least highschool education. They supervise cafeteria, play-ground, hallways, and so on.

Co»z»zzazity consultants are members of the com-munity who are utilized for specific assignmentswhere they are better qualified than any availableteacher. Their contributions can be taped or filmedfor future use. The practice of using the talents ofpeople in the community is not new with the TrumpPlan. Some strategically located schools have car-ried this practice to its ultimate, with very outstand-

ing people in various areas teaching single classeswhich may be offered early in the morning or latein the afternoon.

Staff continues to include specialists such asnurses and psychologists.

The Trump Plan provides for much more, ofcourse, than reorganization of staff time and pupiltime. It calls for new approaches to learning. Per-haps the most important emphasis is on preparingthe student for lifetime learning. It is the uniquescheduling of teachers and students, however, whichhas brought about such a widespread change inschool design.

Adapting libraries

We have described the school's program. Nowwe must plan the library quarters for a school oper-ating under the Trump Plan. But library facilitiescannot be planned in a vacuum. They must be de-signed in relation to the rest of the school plant.Let us look now at schools in which the Trump Planis in operation. Here it must be emphasized thatnot a great many schools have adopted the Plan inlobo, although a considerable number seem to beusing elements of it. In most cases where theTrump Plan is in full operation, the schools haveconstructed buildings which were planned with theprogram in mind.

The authors of the Trump Plan emphasize thefact that the program for each school will be differ-ent. They carefully refrain from planning sampleschool facilities, or anything of the sort, whichmight become a rubber stamp for schools all overthe country to copy. They do guide architects intheir planning to this extent.

"Because class groups will vary in size, theschool plant of the future must provide rooms forgroups of 10, 20, 50, 100, or possibly more students.A variety of instructional and resource areas willreplace the present series of standard, stackedclassroom cubicles, each designed to contain 30students and one teacher. Study halls as they arenow known will not exist. Instead there will bestudy-resource rooms where students may read,listen to and view tapes, observe films and slides,work on self-teaching and self - appraisal machines,use science and other equipment, think, write, andparticipate in other more or less individual studyactivities."'

Obviously, the greatest change in school buildingsmust be in size of classrooms. Instruction may begiven to groups of 50, 80, or 100, and students spendabout 40 percent of their time in such large group

1. J. Lloyd Trump, Images of The Future: A New Approach tothe Secondary School (Washington, D.C.: National EducationAssn., 1959), p.28.

Schuul Libraries 165

instruction. Then they meet for another 20 percentof the week for small group discussions. The sizeof these groups may vary from 10 to 20. The remain-ing 40 percent of the student's time is spent in indi-vidual study: in the laboratory, in the library, orperhaps in some place outside the school.

In translating the Trump Plan into brick and con-crete blocks, there seem to be three significantchanges: (1) interior walls have become flexibleand in some cases disappeared altogether; (2) roomsizes, instead of being standard, vary from verysmall to very large; and (3) each department hasbeen planned as a self-sufficient unit. Thus, English,science, social studies, and other departments eachhave their own areas. Each area has its own roomsfor large group instruction. In most cases curtains,accordion doors, and the like are used to createspace for small group discussion from the largegroup areas.

Each department or cluster, as this area is fre-quently called, usually has its own teacher-work orresource area. These areas vary from a kind ofJoint office to what amounts to a departmental libraryhousing instructional materials of all kinds, equip-ment, supplies for preparing instructional materials,and even carrels or cubicles for int. Idual study. Insome schools these areas are designated as depart-mentalized libraries; more often, they are not.

Central libraries

And what of central libraries in these schools?Short of visiting a great many of the schools, it isdifficult to find out. The libraries seem to be largelytraditional, except that they are furnished with somestudy carrels. They are not the old two-classroom-size libraries which were standard for so long, butthey seem to be little different from libraries beingbuilt in schools all over the country regardless ofthe program. There are exceptions to this, of course.

Mention should be made here of the schools whichhave been constructed recently in which the centrallibrary suite has departmentalized reading rooms.Undoubtedly, the best-known example of this is theWest Leyden fan-shaped Instructional MaterialsCenter, at Northlake, Illinois. I know also of theNorth Central and the Lawrence Central high schoolsin Indianapolis. This trend seems to indicate that inthese schools emphasis is being placed on preparingstudents for lifetime learning.

In general, it seems that library quarters havenot changed greatly under the Trump Plan, evenwhen the rest of the school building has changedradically. Undoubtedly, many libraries in TrumpPlan schools are giving very adequate service.There may be a great difference in program inthese schools, but the staff has found that it cancarry on the library program in traditional quarters.Probably some of us are not sorry to see the school


library retain its traditional face. We liked the li-brary as it was in the past, and we cto not wish tosee it changed.

Almost any of us will disapprove, I think, of whatseems to be change for the sake of change. The li-brary with shelving around its walls and tables inthe center is considered outdated by some educators.These same people insist on lining the walls withstudy cubicles and shelving the books on 7-footstacks in the middle of the floor. This latter ar-rangement could become as well established as theformer once was. Just why it is superior to theformer has yet to be explained to my satisfaction.

Actually the changes in school buildings are notso radical as they may seem. There are still roofsoverhead and walls to keep out rain, wind, and snow.The library, too, will continue to be recognizableas a library. Through years of experience we havearrived at various standards for quality and useful-ness in library quarters, furniture, and equipment.There is no reason for these standards to be putaside until they can be proved to be obsolete.

Whether we are reluctant clingers to the past oreager reachers for the new, we must remember atthis point one of the first maxims we learned in li-brary school. School library quarters are plannedfor the school's library program. That program, inturn, grows out of the program of the school. Then,of course, library quarters for Trump Plan schoolswill change some, just as the rest cf the building haschanged, and libra-ians must accept these changesand welcome them because they can mean improvedlibrary service.

We would have been less than human, however,if we had not been frightened by some directionswhich the Trump Plan has seemed to take. In thefilm, And No Bells Ring, which depicts a school cfthe future, the library quarters have been takenover for large group instruction, and no mention ismade of where the library is now located.2 In fact,it woull seem that its resources have been distrib-uted to form small personal libraries for studentsin each of the cubicles around which the action ofthe film centers. Dr. Trump himself has put ourminds at ease regarding this matter. He has saidthat the student keeps numerous resources in hiscubicles but that he has checked these materialsoutfrom the library, we presume. The other ques-tion which disturbs us regards the resource areaswhich appear in each of the departments of theschool. Will these become collections of materialspurchased without plan and with no ties with theschool library? This question has not been an-swered to our satisfaction.

2. National Association of Secondary School Principals, AndNo Bells Ring; 2 films, each 281 minutes, sound, black andwhite (Washington, D.C.: The Association, 1960).

Library chawes

If the library is to continue to be effective, theseresource areas must become libraries. I think theywill become departmental libraries or branches ofthe central library, staffed by professional person-nel. The school library then will grow more likethe college library. This is in keeping with theschool program which is growing even more similarto higher education: in subject matter, in scheduling,and in use of staff time. If this development seemsambitious, consider that if schools were meeting theAmerican Association of School Librarians standardsregarding personnel there would be little problem instaffing departmental libraries.

In the small school, there probably will continueto be a single, central library in the school. But itwill change somewhat, as will the central libraryand the departmental libraries in the large school.The most obvious change will be in total size. Theschool library will become larger. Present spacerequirements are based on the assumption that thestudent will spend approximately one sixth of histime in the library. In Trump Plan schools he spends40 percent of his time in individual study. At leasthalfprobably moreof this time is spent in the li-brary. Also, the authors of the Trump Plan specifythat students will work at carrels or cubicles. Con-siderably more space is required to seat studentsin carrels than is necessary to seat an equal numberat tables.

The second major change will be in the mannerin which students are seated in the library. Carrelsor cubicles will make up a major part of the seating.Dr. Trump has said that the school will need onE,for each three students enrolled.3 These cubicleswill be somewhat different from those used in thelibrary in the past. They will be taller and will pro-vide greater privacy; they will be equipped withdrawers so that students may keep paper, pencil,and other supplies there; and they will be equippedfor listening and viewing. This does not mean thatthere will be no tables in the library. Undoubtedlythere will be some tables.

Also, I am sure we shall continue to have easychairs here and there throughout the library. Afterdays of reading about the Trump Plan, one can almostbelieve that young people of today have time for noth-ing but scholarly pursuits. Young people are stillhuman and will continue to read for pleasure, and weshall continue to provide spots where they can relaxwith good books to read strictly for fun.

The emphasis in the Trump Plan on the use ofmany instructional materials by both teachers andstudents may mean a happy change in the use of ma-terials which require projection or audio equipment.

3. J. Lloyd Trump, 'Images of the Future for School Librar-ies," ALA Bulletin, 55:129-31 (Feb. 1961).

In time, large group and small group instructionareas will be equipped with television receivers andspeakers. Cubicles, too, may have small receiversand speakers. Films, filmstrips, slides, magazinesand newspapers on microfilm, and whatever othervisual materials may develop in the future will beprojected from a single central source. At this I113ment the expense of such an arrangement seems pro-hibitive, but with an enlarged market the cost woul idrop steeply.

The Trump Plan library needs considerablespace fcr teacher use. In each library there willneed to be a place or places for teaching teams toplan together so that the various resources theyneed will be near at hand. Teachers need placeswhere they can study. Some new schools have in-cluded an office for each teacher, but this is notcommon in Trump Plan schools. The Trump Planrecognizes that teachers must c,,ntinue to study andlearn. The library must provide space and re-sources for their study.

The library will be open at hours and on dayswhen school is not actually in session. While thisidea is not new with the Trump Plan, it should bementioned here with the reminder that librarieswill be located near exits and will have provisionsfor independent control of heating and coolingsystems.

A few people have thought that the flexible wall,or a lack of walls, which characterizes Trump Planbuildings is necessary for a satisfactory TrumpPlan library. Thus, at least one library has beenplanned without walls. Perhaps I shall be brandedas a traditionalist, but I do not believe this will bethe pattern in school libraries. Flexible walls willbe used in library areas as they are already beingused, so that conference rooms can be made largeror smaller, the end of a workroom become a pre-view room, and so on. Perhaps we have too longlaughed at the librarian who is a "keeper of books."I think the time is fast approaching when the valueof a fine library in the school will be widely recog-nized. The library's public will realize that manyof these materials will be used only rarely but thatthey are needed. They will want walls aroundtheir libraries.

New programs

At this time it seems that the library has achance to realize its full potential under the Trumpand other plans. Certainly all those who are influ-ential in undertaking a new program of instructionbelieve that the Trump Plan and other proposals pro-vide a great opportunity for learning. These pro-grams provide a more important place for the libraryin learning than before. The library program will bea challenging one for many reasons.

1.


With departmentalization it will be logical for li-brarians to be specialists in various areas. Nolonger will administrators seek a librarian forthe school. They will look for science librarians,so vial studies librarians, and so on, as the needexists. These librarians will be particularly wellqualified to serve on the departmental teams ofwhich they are a part.

2. Libraries will give more direct service to teacn-ers than they have in the past. The teacher spe-cialist described in the Trump Plan needs alibrarian working side by side with him, spendingalmost as many hours as he spends in preparinga lecture.

3. There will be less distinction between librariansand teachers than there has been in the past. Li-brarians will do more teaching than beforenotonly will they teach students to use the library,but they will take their places as members of theteaching team and may teach anything for whichthey are particularly well qualified. The factthat schools are teaching students to take respon-sibility for their own education means that thetalents of the librarian will be in greater demand.

4. The library collection will give attention to theneed of teachers for continuing study in their sub-ject areas. Not only will the library purchaseprofessional materials for teachers; it will alsopurchase the newest materials in their subjectareas. There will be considerably more duplica-tion of materials than in the past.

5. While recognizing that the library serves studentsbest by working through teachers, librarians un-derstand also their part in helping the student totake responsibility for his self-education. Theywill work with him in his inuependent study.Each student will use many materials, many ofwhich will be very technical materials.

Is this program really likely to happen or is itonly a dream? If school libraries never were quiteable to achieve their full potential before, is thereany reason to believe that they can do so in thefuture? Will administrators employ enough librar-ians to man departmental libraries? Or will theresimply be decentralization of libraries with resultingchaos? None of us can answer these questions atthis moment, of course. There are reasons foroptimism, however.

The more effective the school library, the morelikely it is to have the staff, budget, and space neces-sary for its operation. Under the Trump Plan thereis the opportunity for the library to be more effectivethan ever in the past. Surely any teacher who usesthe library as implied in the Plan will recognize thebenefits to his students and to himself! An apprecia-tive, yet demanding faculty is the best support whicha library can have in seeking additional staff.

The growing similarities between schools andcolleges have been recognized. Let us hope that


public schoolteachers will grow more similar tocollege faculties in their attitudes toward librariesand librarians. It is reasonable to assume that asthe demands made on secondary school libraries be-come more similar to those made on college librar-ies, school library standards will need to be raiseduntil they are similar to standards for college librar-ies. One of the rewards of being on a university fac-ulty is that university teachers realize that thelibrary services they desire will not be available un-less the library is adequately housed, adequatelysupported, and adequately staffed.

The progress which school libraries have madein the three years since the publication of Standardsfor School Library Programs is evidence that highergoals for school libraries can be reached.4 Moreimportant, the national climate is right for them.Never before have reading and libraries been heldin such high esteem in this country, nor has asmuch attention been focused on them. These factorscombine into a formula which seems to assure suc-cess for school libraries in achieving their full po-tential under the new educational programs.

4. American Association of School Librarians, Standards forSchool Library Programs (Chicago: American Library As-sociation, 1960).

A Departmentalized School Library:Two-Floor Plan

MYRTLE ELLISHead LibrarianYork Community High SchoolElmhurst, Illinois

School librarians are being challenged as neverbefore to help create adequate school library quar-ters. This involves active participation in schoolplanning working with architects, superintendents,and school boards. The teen-age explosion in ourpublic libraries gives us additional reasons to per-suade the public to provide adequate school libraryquarters for our students. The librarian who hasthe opportunity to help build new school libraryquarters will find it both exciting and exhausting.It requires hours of research, visitation, and muchprivate meditation. The best of library schoolscannot prepare one for the minute planning involved.

It has been said that the only thing that is per-mactent is change. To keep abreast of constantchalige, our school library liierature is indeed help-ful. The publication of the new Standards for SchoolLibrary Programs in 1960,1 and the Illinois Curric-ulum Program booklet Instructional Materials,2gives every librarian much to contemplate.

When planning new library quarters the librar-ian must be aware of new educational trends, see asmany library programs as possible, exchange ideasconstantly with other librarians, and make a scrap-book of ideas for future reference. The perfectschool library has never been built. Moreover,changes in the philosophy of school library servicemake it impossible. Each school library has to findits own distinctive character, plan, and function de-pending on the community, the faculty, the curricu-lum, and the student body which it serves. Everyschool librarian can dream of an ivory tower, butexcellent salesmanship, backed by sound reasoning,is essential if an adequate, all-embracing libraryprogram is to be achieved.

Library planning

Our present quarters at York are six years old.The superintendent is a man of vision. To do some-thing unconventional, to experiment, to build a li-brary on a completely different pattern with the em-

1. American Association of School Librarians, StandardsforSchool Library Programs (Chicago: American Library As-sociation, 1960).2. Illinois Curriculum Program, limb-notional Mater:ells(Springfield: Office of the Supt. of Public Instruction, 1961).


phasis on separate departmentalized reading rooms,is a grave responsibility. We would not have hadthe fortitude to proceed without the enthusiasticsupport and encouragement of leaders in the schoollibrary field, such as Dr. Frances Henne. A roughsketch of our plans was presented to the faculty andreceived their approval and support before westarted working with the architects. The architectsalso accepted the challenge and gave us wonderfulcooperation.

We now have in our district two libraries: Yorkand Willowbrook. Each library, a two-floor plan,has four reading rooms, three of which are parti-tioned from the adjoining lobby by glass. Both li-braries have a seating capacity for more than 200students, shelving for about 20,000 volumes, and atotal area of about 9,400 square feet. Downstairs,off the lobby, is a union catalog with a completerecord of the library book collection. Each readingroom upstairs has a duplicate catalog for that par-ticular collection.

The libraries are designed on a subject divi-sional plan. The four reading rooms are languagearts, social studies, science and the arts, and fic-tion. The material in each room has been chosen tofit curriculum needs in each of these subject fields,including pamphlet files and special reference tools.

"Why two levels?" you may ask. Experienceteaches us the first task of every librarian is to de-termine the total number of square feet requiredfor the library program desired. The second taskis to insist that the location is advantageous andadjacent to the academic classrooms. Since wewere assigned a long, narrow wing for our new li-brary, we had to choose between quarters on bothsides of a hall, or quarters on two levels. We chosethe two-floor library, making us very accessible tothe social studies classes on the second floor plusbeing adjacent to some English classes on bothfloors. The two-floor library called the students'attention not once but twice to the library program,giving us twice the publicity. It also reinforced theprogram by creating two traffic centers rather thanone. An automatic lift between the two levels makesthe collection somewhat flexible.

Why multiple rooms or departmentalized li-braries? Possibly many schools, like ours, arefinding that taking additional subjects and partici-pating in extracurricular activities leave studentslittle time to use the library during the day. In ourdistrict, school-bus transportation precludes anyconcentrated preparation of library assignmentsbefore or after school. Faculty members seldomhave time for a leisurely hour to become acouaintedwith new library materials. These were significantfactors in planning new quarters for our district.Our answer was a laboratory classroom library towhich each teacher could bring classes for severalperiods or for several days at a time. The teacher,

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the librarian, and the students could then function asa unit in working with library materials.

Many activities can be carried on without toomuch conflict. For example, we can scheduletwenty-eight classes a day, though we do not en-courage being programmed that heavily. Work onterm papers for English, a class in vocations, booktalks in the fiction room, plus a speech class work-

ing on current magazines, can and sometimes do goon during just one class period.

Staff reaction

What is the reaction of our own library staff toour two-level, four reading rooms program now thatwe have occupied our quarters over a period ofyears? Did the district reproduce a second libraryin the image of the original because the library pro-gram was so successful? These are questionswhich we have been asked many times.


Unfortunately the librarians, the faculty, and thestudent body ha..e not been polled in regard to thespecific strengths and weaknesses of our particularphysical setup. This should have been done beforemeeting with the architects to plan a second library.Although this action was recommended, the commu-nity asked that the second school be equal in allphysical facilities. Under these circumstances, theresponsibility for expression concerning the advan-tages and disadvantages of our program is mine.

At the inception we hoped to create materialcenters that would allow for the maximum amountof class scheduling, so that the majority of studentscould have time and opportunity to use the library.Our physical quarters have successfully met thesedemands. We wished to avoid the large one-areareading room, seating over 200 students, that calledfor extensive supervision on the part of the librar-ian. In our present quarters no librarian supervisesmore than 60 students. As our professional staffincreased, each librarian was a specialist in herparticular subject field. For example, we now havea trained librarian with a social studies major whoorders and catalogs the materials for the socialstudies reading room, in addition to working withthe faculty and students in her particular subjectarea. Professional. staff responsibility is clearlydefined. Each librarian contributes an equal anddefinite share in the total library program.

Two floor library needs

I feel sure our librarians in the district wouldagree that in a two-floor library:

1. More trained staff is required to operate, main-tain, and present materials.

2. Duplicate cataloging for the second-floor readingroom is time-consuming for the librarians andfor the ordering and processing department.

3. Library orientation for freshmen is a must, andthe training program has to be more extensive.

4. Upperclassmen, in order to master library tech-niques, should be reoriented to the variousreading rooms in the light of their new subjects.

5. Though the flexibility of the collection throughthe use of the booklift makes transportation ofbooks rather simple, it does involve carefulplanning on the part of the teacher and the li-brarian.

6.. Librarians must communicate with one anotherconstantly in regard to programming, policies,and ordering.

7. The two-floor plan is somewhat more expensivefrom the standpoint of duplication of some ency-clopedias and reference tools.

There are times, after a weary day, when all ofus feel that a one-floor library with all patrons, li-brarians, and secretaries on one floor would make

life much simpler. Nevertheless, in the over-allview, as we move from room to room and floor tofloor taking a long look at the activities throughoutthe four reading rooms, we wonder what it would belike to have all this traffic on one floor. Would webe able to survive?

What kind of physical facilities would I recom-mend for a third library in ray district? I wouldhope we could have the freedom, money, and timethat went into the original planning of York. I wouldhope for many visitations and consultations withother librarians outside of our district, plus con-stant meetings with our own professional districtstaff for wham I have the greatest respect. Whenthe staff reached an agreement as to the right pro-gram for the new school, I would look ahead to theday when we would be asked to justify our plans tothe administration, school board, and architects.Considering the fine esprit de corps that has existedamong our library department, the administration,and the board, we would be confident of a sympa-thetic audience.

A Departmentalized School Library:One-Floor Plan

H. F. ALWINLibrarianHomewood-Flossmoor High SchoolFlossmoor, Illinois

Planning a school library, or remodeling exist-ing quarters, begins with a study of that school'sphilosophy, objectives, and curriculum and whatpart the library is to play in the total educationalprogram. Homewood-Flossmoor High Schoolserves two suburbs of the same name located abouttwenty-five miles south of Chicago. The area has apopulation of some 20,000, mostly in the middlesocioeconomic level.

Planning the Homewood-Flossmoor High Schoolstarted, as it should, several years before theschool opened in September, 1959, with the educa-tional program. A committee of citizens, as wellas the board of education and administration, con-tributed to the plans. A survey of the two commu-nities revealed that 75 percent of the students upongraduating from high school attended college. Itwas upon these facts that a curriculum and, ofcourse, the library were planned.

This school is built on the one-floor plan. Thelibrary is located in the central core of the build-ings, which includes the administration and businessoffices and the science, mathematics, business edu-cation, and fine and practical arts classrooms.This building is air-conditioned for summer schoolusage. The other four buildings are set away fromthe central building some 100 feet and are reachedthrough enclosed passageways.

Planning details

The library is a large room on the south side ofthe central building. The main reading room is 106feet long and 40 feet wide. The floor level of the li-brary is 2-1/2 feet lower than the rest of the build-ing. The main entrance is on the west end, downfive broad steps past a beautiful planter and the cir-culation desk. A ramp on the east end of the librarypermits students in wheel chairs to enter the li-brary, and also serves as a way to push out trucksof books for classroom use.

The floor covering is asphalt tile in shades ofbrown. All heating and cooling units are located inthe ceiling, covered by perforated metal paneling.The temperature of the library is kept comfortableat all seasons of the year. Fluorescent lighting withtubes hidden by translucent fixtures provides ade-quate artificial lighting for all reading areas. Nat-ural lighting enters the main reading room through


a bank of 18-inch windows near the 12-foot ceilingon the south wall of the main reading room, andalso through the large windows on the south wall inthe four rooms adjoining the main room. In each ofthe windows in the four bays, which come to a pointin a saw-tooth fashion, there is a small panel whichcan be opened for ventilation if necessary. In the30-inch space below the windows, there are twoshelves, the lower one slanting. There is also adoor in one of the rooms which will eventually leadonto a terrace.

Along the north corridor wall, above the 6-footshelving, windows make possible an inviting viewdown into the library for those passing by in thecorridor. On the east wall, in front of the two con-ference rooms, there is 7-foot shelving. Theshelving is all in 3-foot sections, 8 inches deep.The bottom shelf is slanted for ease in readingtitles and numbers.

By a rectangular arrangement of low bookcases,picture and map file, atlas cases, newspaper racks,and card catalog, a reference area is created in thecenter of the library. (This is the way the main li-brary room was built in 1959.)

On either end of this main room, on the regularfloor level, are two other departments under the li-brary's administration. At Homewood-Flossmoorthe library is responsible for the distribution, col-lection, storage, and care of the rental textbook andsupplementary book collection. On the west end,beside the good-sized workroom (15 feet x 18 feet)which ib on the same level as the library, is thetextbook room. This room (16 feet x 16 feet), whichis entered through the workroom and from the hall-way, houses the school's collection of textbookssome 9,000, when they are all turned in in June.Except for the distribution in the fall and the collec-tion in the spring, the work here is carried on bythe clerical assistants. Beyond the ramp, at theeast end of the library on the main building floorlevel, is the audio-visual department. The audio-visual area (16 feet x 40 feet) has an office, a work-room, and two preview rooms and is also under thesupervision of the library.

By 1961, the school's enrollment had grown tomore than 1,200 students, and several additionswere planned. The library was one of the areas tobe enlarged to make room for more books and morestudents to use library facilities.

Remodeling features

Although the architects, Perkins and Will, hadenvisioned more library space, they had planned forit in one of the classroom wings to be built later.The administration and the librarian decided that inorder to have all educational materials centrally lo-cated and administered, it would be better to enlargethe existing area of the library by moving out the

174 Problems in Planning Libra)), Facilities

outside south wall. Our decision to divide spaceand the book collection by subject materials wasbased on the standards, which recommend that, forsupervision and good service, not more than 100students and preferably not more than 80 be seatedin one reading room. Since we were building for ananticipated school enrollment of 2,500 students, itwas imperative that, in order to seat 10 percent ofthe students as recommended by the standards, webuild multiple reading rooms.

One of the impressive features of the originallibrary was the south wall of five saw-tooth bays,separated by Lannon stone piers. These piers were9 feet high and 18 inches thick. They protruded fourfeet into the room and extended 10 feet beyond thewall on the outside. Since we had decided to depart-mentalize the library, these piers made naturalroom dividers for five rooms. An addition wasbuilt, 120 feet long and 30 feet wide, divided intofive rooms each 24 feet x 30 feet. The ceiling inthe new rooms is 8 feet high.

The rooms are divided from the main readingroom by walls which have 5-foot shelving, with a-foot windows above the shelving. There are doorsconnecting the main reading room with the subjectarea rooms, as well as doors opening between therooms.

One of the rooms became the periodicals roomto house the increasing collection of magazines, op-erating on a plan to keep magazines for five years.We had outgrown the small magazine room locatedbehind the charge-out desk. This room became thelibrary office. The microfilm readers are in theperiodicals room. We have also put the verticalfiles in the periodicals room. There is a counter infront of this room which serves as a room divider,and the students do not enter the periodicals roomexcept for those using the microfilm readers. Stu-dents present their requests for materials at thecounter. They have to get the information for theirmagazine requests from the Readers' Guide, andthat for their pamphlet subject requests from thecard catalog. The space which was the library of-fice in front of the periodicals room has become thelistening area.

One of the new rooms we built became the socialscience library; in this area are the 300's and the900's except for biography. The magazines whichrelate to this subject area are also kept here. M-other room became the English and language room,housing the 400's and 800's as well as the relatedmagazines. Of the two rooms remaining, one willbe used as a faculty study and professional libraryuntil the faculty study and lounge are built in aboutthree years; and the other is presently occupied byindividuals doing typing for the faculty. As our en-rollment increases and the book collection grows,one of these rooms will become a science and ap-plied science (500's-600's) reading room. The

other may become a fine arts reading room, or itmay be thk . the social sciences will spill over intoa second room. Another possibility is that we maymove fiction into one of these rooms and make it abrowsing center.

These rooms presently seat 34 students. Mostof our classes have about 25 students; therefore,other students who come to the library in smallgroups can avail themselves of the materials inthese rooms. Teachers tell us that they like tobring their classes to the subject area rooms for li-brary research work.

Throughout the library we used rectangular ta-bles, round tables, individual study tables, and car-rels. With the present space and furnishings we canseat 185 students. The enrollment will be 1,750next year. Eventually, when we add the two roomsnow being used for other purposes, there will beroom to seat slightly more than 250. As I have said,the new standards recommend that the library beable to seat 10 percent of the student body, and themaximum anticipated enrollment of Homewood-Flossmoor is 2,500.

Time schedules

Homewood-Flossmoor High School has hourclasses and no study halls. Students may come tothe library at 8:00 in the morning and stay until 5:00in the evening. During the regular daily classschedule, students come to the library by classes,accompanied by the teacher, or in small groups onpasses. Usually arrangements are made a week ormore ahead of time. A system of house telephonespermits late arrangements for small groups if nec-essary. The library is also open two evenings aweek, from 7:30 to 9:30.

We have had five different classes, or approxi-mately 155 people, in the library at one time so far.It becomes quite a busy place. Students are free tomove about from room to room tc gather materials,but teachers are generally encouraged to keep theirclasses together in one area. On an average, 500students come to the library in a day.

At first, it was anticipated that it might besomewhat difficult to supervise these rooms, espe-cially before and after school when there were noteachers present and only one librarian was on duty.This was not a big problem the first year. Therooms are often used by the more serious students,who want to get away from the freer movementwhich goes on in the main reading room. Groupswho need to converse extensively are encouraged touse the conference rooms. One of the previouslymentioned conference rooms is called the collegeroom, and all literature pertaining to going to col-lege and college catalogs are kept there. This roomis extensively used by college counselors and stu-dents after school.

A Departmentalized School Library:One-Floor Plan

H. F. ALWINLibrarianHomewood-Flossmoor High SchoolFlossmoor, Illinois

Planning a school library, or remodeling exist-ing quarters, begins with a study of that school'sphilos'phy, objectives, and curriculum and whatpart the library is to play in the total educationalprogram. Homewood-Flossmoor High Schoolserves two suburbs of the same name located abouttwenty-five miles south of Chicago. The area has apopulation of some 20,000, mostly in the middlesocioeconomic level.

Planning the Homewood-Flossmoor High Schoolstarted, as it should, several years before theschool opened in September, 1959, with the educa-tional program. A committee of citizens, as wellas the board of education and administration, con-tributed to the plans. A survey of the two commu-nities revealed that 75 percent of the students upongraduating from high school attended college. Itwas upon these facts that a curriculum and, ofcourse, the library were planned.

This school is built on the one-floor plan. Thelibrary is located in the central core of the build-ings, which includes the administration and businessoffices and the science, mathematics, business edu-cation, and fine and practical arts classrooms.This building is air-conditioned for summer schoolusage. The other four buildings are set away fromthe central building some 100 feet and are reachedthrough enclosed passageways.

Planning details

The library is a large room on the south side ofthe central building. The main reading room is 106feet long and 40 feet wide. The floor level of the li-brary is 2-1/2 feet lower than the rest of the build-ing. The main entrance is on the west end, downfive broad steps past a beautiful planter and the cir-culation desk. A ramp on the east end of the librarypermits students in wheel chairs to enter the li-brary, and also serves as a way to push out trucksof books for classroom use.

The floor covering is asphalt tile in shades ofbrown. AU heating and cooling units are located inthe ceiling, covered by perforated metal paneling.The temperature of the library is kept comfortableat all seasons of the year. Fluorescent lighting withtubes hidden by translucent fixtures provides ade-quate artificial lighting for all reading areas. Nat-ural lighting enters the main reading room through


a bank of 18-inch windows near the 12-foot ceilingon the south wall of the main reading room, andalso through the large windows on the south wall inthe four rooms adjoining the main room, In each ofthe windows in the four bays, which come to a pointin a saw-tooth fashion, there is a small panel whichcan be opened for ventilation if necessary. In the30-inch space below the windows, there are twoshelves, the lower one slanting. There is also adoor in one of the rooms which will eventually leadonto a terrace.

Along the north corridor wall, above the 6-footshelving, windows make possible an inviting viewdown into the library for those passing by in thecorridor. On the east wail, in front of the two con-ference rooms, there is 7-foot shelving. Theshelving is all in 3-foot sections, 8 inches deep.The bottom shelf is slanted for ease in readingtitles and numbers.

By a rectangular arrangement of low bookcases,picture and map file, atlas cases, newspaper racks,and card catalog, a reference area is created in thecenter of the library. (This is the way the main E-brary room was built in 1959.)

On either end of this main room, on the regularfloor level, are two other departments under the li-brary's administration. At Homewood-Flossmoorthe library is responsible for the distribution, col-lection, storage, and care of the rental textbook andsupplementary book collection. On the west end,beside the good-sized workroom (15 feet x 18 feet)which is on the same level as the library, is thetextbook room. This room (16 feet x 16 feet), whichis entered through the workroom and from the hall-way, houses the school's collection of textbookssome 9,000, when they are all turned in in June.Except for the distribution in the fall and the collec-tion in the spring, the work here is carried on bythe clerical assistants. Beyond the ramp, at theeast end of the library on the main building floorlevel, is the audio-visual department. The audio-visual area (16 feet x 40 feet) has an office, a work-room, and two preview rooms and is also under thesupervision of the library.

By 1961, the school ; enrollment had grown tomore than 1,200 students, and several additionswere planned. The library was one of the areas tobe enlarged to make room for more books and morestudents to use library facilities.

Remodeling features

Although the architects, Perkins and Will, hadenvisioned more library space, they had planned forit in one of the classroom wings to be built later.The administration and the librarian decided that inorder to have all educational materials centrally lo-cated and administered, it would be better to enlargethe existing area of the library by moving out the


outside south wall. Our decisiola to divide snaceand the book collection by subject materials wasbased on the standards, which recommend that, forsupervision and good service, not more than 100students and preferably not more than 80 be seatedin one reading room. Since we were building for ananticipated school enrollment of 2,500 students, itwas imperative that, in order to seat 10 percent ofthe students as recommended by the standards, webuild multiple reading rooms.

One of the impressive features of the originallibrary was the south wall of five saw-tooth bays,separated by Lannon st'. ie piers. These piers were9 feet high and 18 inches thick. They protruded fourfeet into the room and extended 10 feet beyond thewall on the outside. Since we had decided to depart-mentalize the library, these piers made naturalroom dividers for five rooms. An addition wasbuilt, 120 feet long and 30 feet wide, divided intofive rooms each 24 feet x 30 feet. The ceiling inthe new rooms is 8 feet high.

The rooms are divided from the main readingroom by walls which have 5-foot shelving, with a-foot windows above the shelving. There are doorsconnecting the main reading room with the subjectarea rooms, as well as doors opening between theMOMS.

One of the rooms became the periodicals roomto house the increasing collection of magazines, op-erating on a plan to keep magazines for five years.We had outgrown the small magazine room locatedbehind the charge-out desk. This room became thelibrary office. The microfilm readers are in theperiodicals room. We have also put the verticalfiles in the periodicals room. There is a counter infront of this room which serves as a room divider,and the students do not tinter the periodicals roomexcept for those using the microfilm readers. Stu-dents present their requests for materials at thecounter. They have to get the information for theirmagazine requests from the Readers' Guide, andthat for their pamphlet subject requests from thecard catalog. space which was the library of-fice in front of the periodicals room has become thelistening area.

One of the new rooms we built became the socialscience library; 4.n this area are the 300's and the900's except for biography. The magazines whichrelate to this subject area are also kept here. An-other room became the English and language room,housing the 400's and 800's as well as the relatedmagazines. Of the two rooms remaining, one willbe used as a faculty study and professional libraryuntil the faculty study and lounge are built in aboutthree years; and the other is presently occupied byindividuals doing typing for the faculty. As our en-rollment increases and the book collection grows,one of these rooms will become a science and ap-plied science (500's- 600's) reading room. The

other may become a fine arts reading room, or itmay be that the social sciences sill spill over intoa second room. Another possibility is that we maymove fiction into one of these rooms and make it abrowsing center.

These rooms presently seat 34 students. Mostof our classes have about 25 students; therefore,other students who come to the library in smallgroups can avail themselves of the materials inthese rooms. Teachers tell us that they like tobring their classes to the subject area rooms for li-brary research work.

Throughout the library we used rectangular ta-bles, round tables, individual study tables, and car-rels. With the present space and furnishings we canseat 185 students. The enrollment will be 1,750next year. Eventually, when we add the two roomsnow being used for other purposes, there will beroom to seat slightly more than 250. As I have said,the new standards recommend that the library beable to seat 10 percent of the student body, and themaximum anticipated enrollment of Homewood-Flossmoor is 2,500.

Time schedules

Homewood-Flossmoor High School has hourclasses and no study halls. Students may come tothe library at 8:00 in the morning and stay until 5:00in the evening. During the regular daily classschedule, students come to the library by classes,accompanied by the teacher, or in small groups onpasses. Usually arrangements are made a week ormore ahead of time. A system of house telephonespermits late arrangements for small groups if nec-essary. The library is also open two evenings aweek, from 7:30 to 9:30.

We have hal five different classes, or approxi-mately 155 people, in the library at one time so far.It becomes quite a busy place. Students are free tomove about from room to room to gather materials,but teachers are generally encouraged to keep theirclasses together in one area. On an average, 500students come tk., the library in a day.

At first, it was anticipated that it might besomewhat difficult to supervise these rooms, espe-cially before and after school when there were noteachers present and only one librarian was on duty.This was not a big problem the first year. Therooms are often used by the more serious students,who want to get away from the freer movementwhich goes on in the main reading room. Groupswho need to converse extensively are encouraged touse the conference rooms. One of the previouslymentioned conference rooms is called the collegeroom, and all literature pertaining to going to col-lege and college catalogs are kept there. This roomis extensively used by college counselors and stu-dents after school.

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It must be -3mitted, however, that all these de-partments ar.ti a large reading area are quite asizable job for two and one half librarians to super-vise. Because the charge-out desk is at one end ofthe main reading room, it requires much walkingback and forth across the long reading room. Whenplanning a departmentalized library, it might bebetter to have the main reading room square ratherthan a long narrow room, and have the departmentrooms on each side of the main reading room. Themain entrance and charging desk, too, could then bemore centrally located. One school successfullyused a triangular design and placed four readingrooms adjacent to the central browsing and generalreference area. A natural entry was created at thetip of the triangle. Two other schools have the de-partmentalized libraries and conference roomsalong two sides of the main reading room.

It would likewise appear to make the workeasier if all departments under the administrationof the library would be on the same floor level, un-less there are definitely two-story levels in the li-brary plan. Finally, it would seem that if the text-books and audio-visual were part of the library,these two should be located next to each other andon the same floor level to avoid climbing eitherramp or steps.

THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARY

The Elementary School LibraryPlanned as an instructionalMaterials CenterALICE LOHRERAssociate Professor,Graduate School of Library ScienceUniversity of IllinoisUrbana, Illinois

A general and observable characteristic ofAmerican education, which differs somewhat fromeducation in other parts of the world, is its changingnature. Most changes have come from forces withinour society rather than through efforts of the t.luca-tional system. It also has been evident that the rateof change at the elementary level has not alwaysbeen so rapid as at the secondary level. This is nolonger true. Tremendous changes are taking placein elementary schools throughout our country. Mosteasily seen are the changes in the architecture ofthe school buildings. .

The number of new buildings is the direct resultof great population increases in recent years. Thestructural changes, however, reflect: (1) changesin the attitude of our society toward elementary ed-ucation; (2) newer techniques and experiments inteaching methods which require more space andmore flexible areas; (3) learning activities beingprovided for our children; (4) the provision of manytypes and kinds of instructional materials; and (5)concern for the individual child and his learning andcreative needs.

The professional literature is replete with booksand articles that highlight research findings in edu-cation which evaluate these concepts and provideexcellent guidelines for planning and constructingbetter schoolhouses to meet these changes. Someare listed in the footnotes and Bibliography of thispaper. The books and articles emphasize the needfor group planning on the part of school board mem-bers, school administrators, teachers, librarians asmaterials specialists, parents, citizens, and schoolarchitects. They recommend a community surveyto provide facts relating to population trends, schoolbuilding obsolescence, site possibilities, and eco-nomic costs. They suggest a study be made of ed-ucational trends and patterns of teaching as well asan analysis of classroom and specialized educationalspace needs. Specific details and helpful sugges-tions are given in many of these guides to assist inmaking wise decisions as to the best type of school

School Libraries 1T7

plant to provide, the most flexible and expansiblearrangement of space areas, and the need for fur-niture and equipment that is well designed for func-tional use.

Concept changes

A significant observation that should be made atthis point is the inclusion in recent books on ele-mentary school planning of a section relating towell-designed areas for the school library and in-structional resources of the school. Books writtenprior to 1956 either ignored the possibility of needfor a school library at the elementary level, ormade passing reference to a small area of class-room size planned for such purpose. Books writtensince 1956 take for granted that there must be anelementary school library designed as a laboratoryfor purposeful learning activities. Recommenda-tions for schools with enrollments from 300 or morepupils include areas that contain: (1) a minimum,essential space for reading, viewing, and listeningactivities by individuals or groups; (2) space forexhibits; (3) space for office, work, and conferenceneeds; (4) space fcr the production of materials;(5) storage and stack space for school-owned printedand nonprinted learning resources and for equip-ment that is rented or borrowed; and (6) space forprofessional resources and work needs of teachers.

School building planners are aware of the newermethods of teaching and newer media of instructionwhich require more space for child learning activi-ties of an individual or group nature. They take intoaccount the needed change in arrangement of teacherto learner.' They also give recognition to commu-nity need and use of school facilities. They urgeflexibility and expansibility in planning to take careof future as well as of present needs.2

Instructional materials center

A question that might well be raised at this pointis whether new school buildings, designed and builtfor kindergarten through the sixth grade, do providefor a school library planned as an instructional ma-terials center. Are there such schools and, if so,where are they? Are there many or are there onlya few? Complete answers to these questions can-not be given, for changes are taking place every day,but the recent study conducted under the auspices ofthe U.S. Office of Education, Educational Media

1. Educational Facilities Laboratories, Inc., Here TheyLearn; first annual report (New York: The Laboratories,1959). 32p.2. D. B. Harmon and Associates, Flexibility in the Co-ordi-nal:d Classroom (Cleveland, Ohio: E. F. Hauserman, 1956).37p.


Branch, with a grant from Title VIA of the NationalDefense Education Act has factual data to give par-tial answers.

The study is in its final stage, and the report isnow being written by the author of this paper. Someof the data available indicates that school librariesfunctioning as instructional materials centers areto be found at each level of the educational system.Elementary school libraries were visited in twentystates, and Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, andVirginia were found to have examples of well-planned facilities and programs at the elementarylevel. Seven states have examples of school librar-ies that have inadequate quarters but have fine pro-grams of service and resources, and do function asinstructional materials centers. These includeFlorida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Other examples, instates visited, include elementary school libraryprograms that either have inadequate quarters orare in beginning stages of development but do haveprograms that function as instructional materialscenters. These states include California, Florida,Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana,Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, NorthCarolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wis-consin.

Lack of time or lack of schools prevented thesurvey of elementary school libraries in otherstates. Many of the elementary libraries visitedwere located in schools built long before plans in-cluded a school library as an essential area of theelementary school plant, or before a library wasconsidered as a materials center. As the teachingmethods in these schools changed and educationalprograms expanded to meet modern needs, a schoollibrary was considered essential. Space was lo-cated, resources and equipment were provided, andstaff was hired to develop the library program. In-creasing enrollments and need for classroom spacehave jeopardized some of these initial programs.But each month and each year the number of suchschool libraries increases and will continue to in-crease, inadequate though the total number seemsto be when national statistics are quoted.

In light of the present-day need for more ade-quate space and well-designed areas and facilitiesfor an elementary school library, it may be fortu-nate that only one third of the elementary schools inour country have school libraries. School systemsand communities that are now making plans for anelementary library program can take advantage ofnew trends and ideas, and can design and providefor the expanding resources and services now rec-ognized as essential in our elementary schools. Itis also easier to plan for new schools than it is toplan for remodeling old quarters when space is in-adequate or building structure is inflexible.

Modern trends

What are some of the characteristics today ofthe elementary school and the resulting library pro-grams that need to be taken into account when plan-ning quarters, facilities, and resources to accom-modate them?

Learning activities at the elementary level areplanned so as to promote large and small groupsworking together3 and to provide for ability groupingof children for study and work projects. The activi-ties include use by children and teachers of manyinstructional and learning resources, such as tele-vision, electronic learning devices, laboratories,and programmed materials. There is stimulationto use a wide variety of reference materials, in-cluding audio and visual resources for problemsolving, and to make possible experience opportu-nities that are meaningful to the child. Activitiesinvolve group construction, display of individual andgroup work, the development of cultural skills, theexploring and investigating of areas of special in-terest to a child to mention only a few.

Teaching methods are much more liberal andexperimental and allow less memorizing, more dis-cussion, more laboratory-type work, more smallstudy groups, and more individualized learning sit-uations. Curricula may be more rigid, but notteaching methods.4

Classroom and special service areas are beingdesigned and equipped to provide conditions underwhich children learn best. Rooms are being de-signed for purposeful group Planning and activities,for individual study and research, and for classdiscussions and evaluations. These activities re-quire larger floor areas than did learning programsof the past.

There also needs to be more room for expan-sion for tomorrow as well as for today. Schoolbuildings are said to have a functional life span ofabout fifty years. They need to be flexible in ar-chitectural design and construction to allow for thecontinuing change in the educational programs.

The new look

What is the new look in building design for ele-mentary schools? There are many. Buildings aremuch more functional in design. They tend to beone-story structures located on spacious grounds.sThey have open or enclosed corridors and walkways

3. National Council on School House Construction, Guide forPlanning School Plants (1958 ed.; Nashville, Tenn., 1958),p.40.4. Walter McQuade, ed., Schoolhouse (New York: Simon 8:Schuster, 1958), p.16.5. National Council on School House Construction, op. cit.,p.43.

depending on the climatic conditions of the area.°Some schools are built on the campus plan, withclustering buildings housing small class units and atotal school enrollment of no more than 400-500pupils and preferably less.

Primary grades are housed in areas separatefrom the intermediate classes and have their ownplay areas but share expensive facilities, such ascafeterias, auditoriums, gymnasiums, and libraries.This may mean a separate library building or a li-brary wing as a part of the administrative unit ofthe school. The arrangement of the library areaprovides for the needs of the two age groupings.

There is, also, the school-within-the-schoolplan of the campus-type arrangement. In this pat-tern each unit is self-contained with its own admin-istrative and teaching staff, but again shares facili-ties. The size of each unit will determine whetherlibrary facilities are shared or separate. Somecommunities have small neighborhood units ofcottage-type buildings with two, three, or fourrooms for the younger children. These buildingsare planned to be used for residences when schoolneeds change.

School construction usually provides nonload-bearing partitions? free of conduits, pipes, andducts to facilitate rearrangement of room spacewhen and if needed. Heating and ventilating sys-tems are zoned to serve separate areas. Conven-ient storage areas for the entire school are plan-ned with movable and stackable furniture, andequipment and facilities are designed for multipleuse in the classroom or library. Portable stagesand science laboratories, freestanding cabinets astemporary subdivisions, and facilities for commu-nity groups are part of the planning. Acousticalcontrols8 take into account that noise is a barrierto hearing and concentration and, therefore, tolearning. Schools are being built with radio andtelevision antennae wired to each classroom,study, and service area, and with conduits to antic-ipate future needs as well as to provide for school-wide use of newer media of instruction availabletoday.

The library program

How do these elements affect the library pro-gram and its spatial requirements? Engelhardthas listed a number of items to keep in mind inpreliminary planning for functional library quarters."'

6. Ibid., p.44.7. Ibid.8. Walter McQuade, ed., op. cit., p.134.9. Benjamin Handler, Economic Planning for Better Schools(Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan, 1960), p.61.10. N. L. Engelhardt and others, School Planning and Build-ing Handbook (New York: F. W. Dodge, 1956), p.76.

School Libraries 1'79

They include: (1) scope of library service; (2) in-tegration with community life; (3) supplementary li-brary facilities, (4) varied school use of the library;(5) general reading room; (6) library classrooms;(7) service for teachers; (8) supplementary rooms;(9) essential equipment; (10) details of equipment;(11) volumes to be housed; (12) librarian's officeand workroom; (13) conference rooms or alcoves;and (14) natural and artificial lighting.

Analyzing the first of these elements in moredetail, one needs to know what is the scope of ele-mentary library service and what activities arecarried on in the library areas by children, byteachers, and by the library staff. The U.S. Officeof Education study previously mentioned revealedthat children use the library for individual study,reference use of materials, checking out of books,browsing and recreational reading, reference to thecard catalog, viewing filmstrips or looking at pic-tures, listening to recordings, listening to a storyhour program or viewing television programs, plan-ning exhibits, and lessons on the use of library re-sources.

Teachers use the library in planning units of in-struction, and seek assistance from the school li-brarian in finding resource materials. They useprofessional materials, course outlines, and peri-odicals to keep up to date with teaching methods.They use typewriters and duplicators in preparingclass materials. Also, they evaluate and utilizesupplementary textbooks for special units, read forpleasure, work together on planning units of work,and search for illustrative teaching materials.

The library staff professional, clerical, stu-dent assistants, and P.T.A. helpers are responsi-ble for the ordering and processing of all materialsused in the library program, including books, pam-phlets, periodicals, and all types of audio and visualmaterials and realia. The professional staff workwith children and teachers in selecting, locating, andusing library resources. The staff are responsiblefor audio-visual materials and equipment, and pro-vide for the scheduling, storage, distribution, andinspection of them. These are but some of the ac-tivities carried on in the dynamic elementary schoollibrary programs of today.

Theory in practice

Keeping in mind the previously mentioned ac-tivities and resources used in the library or in theclassroom, we need to look for unique features es-sential in planning for functional space and facilities.Picture books, periodicals, and disc recordings eachrequire a special type of shelving. Oversize, ad-justable shelves for reference books and magazinestorage are usually standard equipment.

In some elementary school libraries recordingsare housed in an audio-visual storage room or lab-


oratory. In other schools they are in the libraryreading room, so as to be easily accessible to chil-dren and teachers. The same is true of filmstrips.In some school libraries they are in specially de-signed cupboards or on shelves which pull out forease in locating items needed. In other school li-braries the filmstrips are housed in the workroomor audio-visual storage room.

Children and teachers use the card catalog forfinding available resources, and then locate thefilmstrip, book, pamphlet, recording, or micros^.opedesired. More and more libraries are using thedictionary card catalog with varied colored cardsfor the listing of all instructional materials locatedin the library or in the school. Community resourcefiles also are kept in the library.. If there is closecooperation with museums, zoos, and public li-braries, their special lists and guides are madeavailable.

Since elementary school children find no moredifficulty in locating and using nonbook materialsthan in locating printed materials, careful consid-eration needs to be given to the housing of many ofthese resources in the library reading and studyareas. Housing instructional materials in offices,storerooms, or workrooms puts a barrier betweenthem and the user. Expensive, little-used, and bulkyobjects needing special housing are usually caredfor in the audio-visual storage area.

Space needs depend on the size of the collection,the type of materials available, where they can beused most efficiently and effectively, and whetherthey are for teacher and class use, for child and in-dividual use, or for both. Room for expansion,flexible shelving, movable cabinets, cupboards,equipment, and stackable furniture need to be pro-vided if special library resources and programs areto be available wherever and whenever needed.

All instructional materials and equipment shouldbe planned for class use as well as for use in the li-brary areas. Book trucks with rubber wheels, andportable audio-visual equipment carts and projectiontables, should be provided in sufficient quantity tomake class use easy and efficient. Where the schoollibrary is in a different building from the class-rooms, or on another floor, plans should includestorage facilities on each floor or in each buildingfor audio-visual equipment.

Scheduling is usually handled through the library,as are all library facilities. Flexible scheduling ofclasses or groups in the library requires morespace, but provides for meaningful use of libraryresources and services. It also takes into accountthe needs of small children and their listening andcreative activities in addition to those of the uppergrades.

Small areas anCt carrels planned for referencework or group projects are more meaningful in the

elementary school library program than are confer-ence rooms, and space for these activities is needed.Booths, carrels, or small rooms equipped for indi-vidual viewing or listening need to be provided forthe child who wants to reinforce what he has heardor seen by listening or looking again. Children whohave been absent or who need to review should haveavailable to them tapes, kinescopes, or disc record-ings when they return to school. Teaching machinesand pr&grammed instructional materials for indi-vidualized learning of skills need to be accessiblewhen needed, whether in class or in the libr:

All of these teaching devices and resources areavailable in some schools, and more will be avail-able as funds from federal and state agencies areprovided and utilized. Today's child is not handi-capped as often as the adult is by resistance to useof the newer media for learning. Research as wellas observable evidence indicate the effective usethat can and is being made of television as a teach-ing and enrichment medium only one of manyteaching tools or devices now being used in schools.Several excellent books and pamphlets are availablegiving detailed information regarding these de-vices."

Working space

To provide for large or small groups, and forindividual use of the library resources, it is neces-sary to have tables and chairs that can be arrangedto suit different needs. Flexible table arrangementsmake possible group discussions and group projects;stackable tables to clear space make possible grouplistening for such activities as story hour programs.Accordion walls as room dividers provide for ex-pansion of areas. Such walls are not very satisfac-tory as sound barriers, and use of them should beplanned accordingly.

A library classroom makes it possible to giveformal instruction when needed. Also, it frees themain study area for continued use by groups or in-dividuals coming from classes for reading, refer-ence purposes, viewing, or listening activities. Thegenerally recommended reading space for 10 per-cent of the school enrollment is apt to prove inade-quate for the expanding program of the library as amaterials center and learning laboratory. Probablytotal space, including all areas of the instructional

11. Florida, State Dept. of Education, The Materials Center(Bulletin No. 22C; Tallahassee, 1954). 136p.

Planning Materials Centers (Bulletin No. 22E; Talla-hassee, 1958). 49p.

Pennsylvania, Dept. of Public Instruction, Curriculum Devel-opment Program, The School Instructional Materials Centerand the Curriculum: The Library Audio Visual Center (Har-risburg: Dept. of Public Instruction, 1962). 37p.

materials center, should be planned for 40 to 50percent of the enrollment.12

The work-storage area of the library can bemore effectively used if planned in connection withthe art workroom, the teachers' workroom, and theduplicating areas of the school office. Facilitiesand equipment that can be used interchangeably byfaculty and staff reduce costs and result in moreefficient equipment utilization. Duplication ma-chines needed by office and teaching staff can alsobe used for making some transparencies needed inthe classroom. Darkroom facilities and a produc-tion area for teacher-made materials may be pro-vided in the school, or be located at a system,county, or district materials center. If it is in theschool building, it needs to be planned as part of theresources center with appropriate equipment, out-lets, counter, and tools needed.

If central processing of all printed and audio-visual materials is provided for the school from acentral office, less work space may be needed forthe library. Work space, however, for preparingexhibits, mending, clipping, or mounting picturesand for pupil-initiated display or illustrative proj-ects will be needed regardless of central process-ing. Work space or laboratory area is also neededfor the production, handling, and inspecting of audio-visual materials and equipment. Provision for re-pair of equipment is usually contracted for from acommercial agent or from the district center. Ifrepairs are to be made at the school, space pro-vision for such service is needed.

Since teachers and pupils both need work spacefor library-initiated projects, their requirementsneed to be recognized in the planning of work space.The librarian's office, adjacent to the work areas,needs to be situated so as to give a clear view ofthe main study and reading area for easy supervi-sion.

Audio-visual needs

Studios for closed-circuit television, audio-learning laboratories, listening stations, learninginstrumentation rooms, film preview room, andplanetarium and observatory areas, as described inthe publications put out by the Pennsylvania Depart-ment of Public Instruction in 1962, indicate the trendin planning space for a school library as an instruc-tional materials center.13 Most of the elementaryschools visited in the twenty states indicated thattelevision instruction planned by local teachers forlocal needs proved more satisfactory than programs

12. Pennsylvania, Dept. of Public Instruction, CurriculumDevelopment Program, op. cit., p.15.13. Ibid., p.23.


originating at studios far removed from the schoolsystem. Provisions for the electronic devices arebeing made available in many of the schools, andother systems are studying the needs and problemsinvolved. Equipment and facilities needed for theseplanned areas are provided in several publications."It is suggested that many functions and facilities canbe performed in one room with planned areas foreach facility rather than in separate rooms for each.Space areas rather than rooms need to be kept inmind when looking to future building needs. Expan-sibility and flexibility are key words.

If the space can be equipped for previewing andlistening, it will make it more convenient for teach-ers in selecting resources for purchase, loan, orrenal for class use. Additional resources are usu-ally available for teachers at the administrativecenter of the school system, but they do not precludethe need for some of the materials housed in the li-brary.

Location of the library unit or units should beconsidered, first, in relation to the total physicalplant of the school one floor, one building, or sev-eral buildings; second, in relation to pupil andteacher use during school hours. Many elementaryschools provide for library services during summerterms as well as during regular school periods.Outside entrances and location near to truck-loadingareas make for convenience in use for deliverypurposes and for after-school use of the libraryfacilities.

Suggestive floor plans are available for ideas inplanning the wise use of space needs and spaceavailability. Each area designed for a school needsto be created to fit the individual and particular pro-gram of that school and should not conform to anyrigid pattern. Reading the literature, visitingschools that have made progress in developing pro-grams to fit modern educational needs of pupils andteachers, and Consulting with library supervisors,architects, electronic engineers, and specialists inthe communication media, as well as having discus-sions on the local level by local school personnel,will provide a climate of thinking and planning thatwill produce plans for functional and flexible spaceto meet local needs. The elementary school libraryof the future that is planned as an instructional ma-terials center will play a vital role in providing for

14. Arno DeBernardis, Planning Schools for New Media(Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Health, Education, andWelfare, 1961). 72p.

Helen Hefferman and Charles Bursch, Curriculum and theElementary School Plant (Washington, D.C.: Association forSupervision and Curriculum Development, 1958). 71p.

John Henry Herrick, From School Program to School Plant(New York: Holt, 1956). 482p.


quality education for American children of today andtomorrow.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Educational Facilities Laboratories, Inc. NewSchools for New Education; a report from AnnArbor. New York: The Laboratories, 1959.53p.

The Things of Education. New York: TheLaboratories, 1961. 46p.

Engelhardt, N. L., and others. Planning ElementarySchool Buildings. New York: F. W. Dodge,1953. 268p.

Florida. State Dept. of Education. Handbook forFlorida Supervisors of Instructional Materials.(Bulletin No. 22H.) Tallahassee, 1961.

Illinois. Dept. of Public Instruction. Illinois Cur-riculum Program. Instructional Materials.Springfield, 1961. 146p.

Lowrie, Jean Elizabeth. Elementary School Librar-ies. New York: Scarecrow, 1961. 235p.

New Jersey. State Board of Education. SchoolhousePlanning and Construction: A Guide. Trenton,1961. 95p.

New York. State Education Dept. Planning Schoolsfor Use of Audio-Visual Instructional Materials.Albany, 1959. 28p.

South Carolina. State Dept. of Education. Standardsfor Accredited Elementary Schools of South Car-olina. Columbia, 1962. 32p.

An Elementary School Library:Lauderdale Manors SchoolMRS. JO E. DEWARLibrarianLauderdale Manors SchoolFort Lauderdale, Florida

A library is a service, not a building. It canexist in a truck, in a barn, in an old water tank, buta basic shelter of some kind is a prerequisite. Werealize that to get the full benefit of a library pro-gram, something more than basic shelter is re-quired. If an efficient and smooth-running organi-zation is to result, the shelter must be adaptedstructurally to the activities that go on within it.As school libraries become increasingly compre-hensive in scope, their physical facilities must beadapted to meet their newer functions.

The perfect physical plant does not spring full-blown, and despite our careful planning, we some-times doubt that the perfect physical plant even ex-ists. However, in Florida, we particularly areproud of our progress in developing school libraryprograms and facilities during the past ten years.We believe much of it is due to the now famousFlorida "materials center" concept and the cooper-ative planning it has engendered.


At the foundation of Florida's school library de-velopment program lies the ideal of making thewidest possible range of instructional materialsavailable. to the highest number through centraliza-tion of all learning materials. A noble effort isbeing made to ensure that every elementary schoolchild will have good library services available.This ideal does not exist statewide, but more mod-els are springing up. State standards, based on theFlorida materials center plan, have reinforced thelocal efforts in many cases.

Model center

The model elementary school materials centercontains books, magazines, newspapers, and infor-mation and picture files, along with maps, globes,realia and museum objects, filmstrips, tapes, re-cordings, slides, transparencies, charts, and otherforms of communication. It houses and distributesthe equipment necessary for the use of these ma-terials. Movie projectors, filmstrip projectors,opaque and overhead projectors, record players,tape recorders, and other audio-visual equipmentare provided and scheduled by the central center.Not all Florida school libraries conform to thismodel, but Lauderdale Manors does fit the descrip-tion in every detail.

Lauderdale Manors Elementary SchoolFloor plan

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Lauderdale Manors is a large elementary schoolin Fort Lauderdale. A total of 1,100 students and 40faculty members is serviced frorr one central facil-ity. Let us look first at the physical plant itwill give you some background for a brief look atits program which we col. 'er its unique feature.

The floor plan for the riz.tc.:als center at Lau-derdale Manors is th_ work of local school archi-tects employed by Broward County. It is based onspace allocation and equipment specification stan-dards oeveloped the state level. It follows thegeneral patte'-ns outlined in Planning Materials Cen-ters.' This bulletin defines the areas of activityand their space allotments. It also gives samplefloor plans and detailed drawings for built-in cabi-nets and storage areas to accommodate audio-visualequipment, recordings, magazines, picture books,and workroom and office supplie-. The LauderdaleManors layout is not an exact reproduction of any ofthe sample plans, but it incorporates most of therecommended features.

It must be pointed out that the total space allot-ment, which is less than 1,500 square feet, is basedon the assumption that the desirable enrollment foran elementary school is not more than 750 pupils.Lauderdale Manors has maintained a consistent en-rollment in the neighoorhood of 1,000 during thepast seven years, despite the efforts of the schoolboard to reduce its size by trimming its boundarylines. We have found that a materials center de-signed for 750 students, and servicing over 1,000,encounters expansion problems very early. Up tonow, we have modified the floor plan by adding morefacilities within the original walls. Every foot ofavailable space has been made as functional as pos-sible, and in some cases multipurpose areas havebeen set up within the building. The conferenceroom, for example, serves also as an audio-visualpreviewing and storage room, through the additionof cabinets and curtains for darkening. More re-cently, the installation of some extra shelving forprofessional books has given it the added functionof a faculty reading and study room.

Area allocationsThe reading room area of 1,140 square feet has

a seating capacity of 52. It houses almost 7,000 li-brary books, plus magazines, newspapers, referencecollection, card catalog, a display case, and twobulletin board areas, plus some audio-visual ma-terials ..ach as recordings and filmstrips. By add-ing counter-height shelving when expansion was

1. Florida, State Dept. of Education, Planning Materials Cen-ters (Bulletin No. 22E; Tallahassee, 1958). 49p.

necessary, we have divided the reading room intoareas for different activities. Reading and brows-ing, circulation, reference, storytelling, and teach-ing the use of the library to small groups and indi-viduals have all been provided for in this space. Itis possible for several different activities to go onsimultaneously in the library. One group may bewriting reports in the reference corner; others maybe browsing for recreational reading, reading mag-azines, or checking out audio-visual materials forroom use.; and a storytelling session may be goingoa in the primary corner at the same time. Thecirculation desk is near the entrance and providesthe break between the eading room and the confer-ence and work areas.

The conference room has an area of approxi-mately 175 square feet and a seating capacity of 8.It houses audio-visual equipment and professionalshelves and serves a multitude of purposes, as wehave mentioned. It is partitioned from the main roomwith clear glass jalousies so that supervision can beexercised by the librarian when curtains are opened.When curtains are drawn, it becomes a private con-ference room or study room.

The workroom, with its floor space of only 168square feet, manages to serve as an office, receiv-ing room, magazine storage area, and book pro-cessing and mending center. The side adjacent tothe main reading room also has a glass jalousiepartition. The work counter, sink, and overheadcabinets take care o: processing and mending sup-plies, and the shelving around the outside wall takescare of magazine stacks and books being processed.Here, again, space is at a premium especiallywhen you consider that it is the work area for thelibrarian, a part-dine clerk, a staff of 12 volunteerP.T.A. assistants, plus occasional student helpers.The problem is alleviated simply by the fact thatthe schedules of the assistants are staggered, andthe day-to-day activities of the librarian require agreat amount of duty on the main floor. Seldom aremore than two or three persons occupied in thisspace at one time, though it is never unoccupied.

On the aesthetic side, our physical facilities areenhanced by a pleasant, inviting atmosphere. Dra-peries, potted plants, and lounge furniture have beenadded. Most of all, a 30-foot mural along one highwall above the bookcase is a center of attraction forchildren and visitors alike. It must be noted herethat these extras in decor did not come from budg-eted school funds. They have been financed by theP.T.A. volunteer committee through profits fromthe annual book fair which they sponsor.

All these physical facilities add up to somethingmore than basic shelter and something less than theideal. We do not have carpets and music, but wehave a building that is reasonably adapted to thescope of our program and to our school's philosophyof individual learning.


Operating plan

Lauderdale Manors School operates under aunique plan which is called the Continuous ProgressPlan. It eliminates grade lines in the primary unitand stresses individual growth rather than groupperformance. A child advances at his own rate, andis e' posed to enrichment and more learning as fastas he is ready for it. Naturally, reading is at thecore of this kind of program, and a materials centerthat is always accessible is essential. The library'sopen schedule plan of operation dovetails perfectlywith this philosophy.

No entire class is scheduled for regular libraryperiods. The exceptions are a story hour for first-year students, and a library orientation programfor all classes at the beginning of every year.Thereafter, the library is open and availablethroughout the entire day to every child. Studentsvisit the library individually or in small groups tocheck out a book or to work on research projects.1,Vhen they need help, the librarian is on hand togive on-the-spot assistance and instruction in li-brary skills. These skills develop quickly when achild sees a need for knowing, and they are notlikely to be forgotten when another occasion arises.

Our children begin very early to develop theseskills, because a library-conscious faculty sees toit that the children are aware of the library andcreates many occasions for them to come. Readingfor pleasure, for enrichment, and for informationare all stressed in the classroom. Many teachersalso keep a record of children's outside reading,and every teacher makes sure that all students geta chance to check out books at least once a week.Many do this far more often. Some of the faster-reading students visit us daily. There is no limitto the number of times they can come, so long asthere is a reason for coming.

This kind of promotion of the library is, ofcourse, not limited to the teacher's efforts. Thelibrarian sees that teachers are informed of newmaterials, makes frequent bulletin board displaysthat tie in with classroom activities, and sends ma-terials of all kinds to the classroom for use withparticular units of study. The more cur lines ofcommunication are kept open, the more we all ben-efit from the use of what we have.

Our circulation figures show that the library isbeing used extensively by faculty and students alike.Our average of approximately 1,200 books a week ismore than one book per person for our population,and this does not take into account the many refer-ence books and periodicals which are used daily inthe building. Statistics, though, can often say onething and mean another. The real satisfactioncomes with watching the children grow more andmore independent in their use of library skills anlwith the certainty that the lil,rary is an integ;a1 prtof their learning experiences.


An Elementary School Library:Chantilly School LibraryGLORIA BROWNLibrarianChantilly Elementary SchoolCharlotte, North Carolina

The 1,984-square-foot library is the center ofinstructional activity in the Chantilly ElementarySchool. It is used by teachers and students for re-search, curriculum enrichment, and recreationalreading.

Filmstrips, slides, recordings, models, charts,collections, pamphlets, maps, globes, science kits,realia, magazines, and books are organized for useby groups or individuals. Films from the audio-visual center are borrowed weekly and distributedthroughout the library. Record players, projectors,screens, tape recorders, bioscope, microscope,magnifying glasses, and filmstrip viewers for indi-vidual or small group use are provided to make useof these materials.

Grades 1-6 come as a class with their teacherfor scheduled library periods. Grades 3, 4, 5, and6 come twice a week; Grades 1 and 2 once a week.These class periods are used for reading guidance,stories, book talks, dramatizations, lessons on thelibrary, study skills, reference, research work, andbrowsing. Individuals and small groups (teachersand students) are free to come to the library as theneed arises to use the facilities.

Reading room 1,581 square feet

The reading and interest circle in front of thesouthwest wall has 37 chairs in deep shades of red,yellow, and green, arranged in two rows, tallerchairs in the back. The two browsing areas areseparated by a medium-sized bulletin board. Abovethe display groups is a mural-type bulletin boardfeaturing library-related artwork of the children.(All artwork is clone by the children.) Storyhours,dramatizations, book discussions, and any instruc-tion that does nct require the use of tables takeplace in this area.

Eight apronless tables, 5 round and 3 rec-tangular, are placed conveniently in the readingroom; chairs are taken from circle area to supple-ment 32 matching chairs when needed. Library in-struction involving writing or the use of tables takesplace here. Browsers and researchers find themuseful, also.

The inform:31 furniture is arranged in an L-shape in the northwest corner. Three red-coveredlounge chairs, a tall lamp for an end tzblo, and a

low table for books, magazines, and plants comprisethis popular grouping. Above the shelving are fig-ures of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs made bythe children.

The circulation desk is near the east wall of thereading room within easy reach of entrances to theconference-reference room, audio-visual-libraryworkroom, aid reading room. Nearby is the cardcatalog. The L-shaped, counter-height circulationdesk is composed of interchangeable units. On theentrance side is a depressible book truck for booksnot returned that morning. (Classes scheduled thatday return books in the morning so that books maybe slipped and shelved and ready for circulation.)On the other side is an oversized book truck with astandard-sized book truck nearby. Biographies andfiction books are placed on une, and nonfiction andeasy reading on the other, to facilitate shelving.Counter-height stools are available for those whoprefer to sit at the circulation desk. Two sectionsof low shelves behind the desk are used for nonfic-tion books.

The easy book collection fills the north wall.The books are in picture-book-sized bins in lowshelving. Windows with Venetian blinds and twosmall bulletin boards are above the section.

Nonfiction comprises five sections of standard-height shelving on the east wall. A large framedpicture hangs above the shelves; small objects areplaced at intervals to further stimulate interest inthe books. Biographies individual and collectiveare kept in two sections on the south wall, near anentrance to the reading room. Fiction fills theeight sections on the west wall. Two large framedpictures are used to promote interest in the books.

Combination conference and reference room143 square feet

Nine sections of low shelving fill three sides ofthe combination conference and reference room,which is separated from the audio-visual-libraryworkroom and the reading room by glass partitions.A huge bulletin board over the center section ofshelves is reserved for use in promoting reference.Two walls of shelves are occupied by referencebooks and balk issues reference magazines. Thethird group of shelves is used for the return ofbooks by class groups.

Lie reference room contains nine sets of ency-clopedias. Latest editions are reserved for use inthe library. Others may be checked out by individ-uals or classes on a daily basis single vciumes orsets. Mobile carts are available for transportingsets. Magazines and other reference books arecirculated cm the same basis. A table in the centerof this room comfortably seats 4; 6 may use theroom for a conference.

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Combination audio -tisual -workroom -273 square feet

The combination audio-visual-workroom issmall and used by many individuals. Every spaceis designated so that all facilities may be used asefficiently as possible. This room is thought of asbeing divided approximately into two L's. The li-brary workroom area occupies the east portion,with the bottom part of the L facing the conference-reference room, and the audio-visual portion en-compassing the west side.

No wall separates east from west, but a long,center counter helps to regulate the flow of traffic.This counter has a laminated top and is primarilyfor the use of the library assistants. Abort 6 inchesbelow the counter top is an open space extending thelength of the counter. This space is used for flatstorage of library displays. On the east and westsides of the counter, extending almost its entire 6-foot length, are double-tilted recessed shelves, deepenough to hold a large science kit on the audio-visual side as well as other audio-visual materials.

Carts or dollies holding a movie projector,filmstrip machine, +ape recorder, and a recordplayer are stored against the wall in the audio-visual area near the door. Behind the door are theprojection screens. Duplicate audio-visual equip-ment is kept in the primary wing, but its use isregulated through the library. Above the audio-visual equipment are cabinets containing back is-sues of magazines for teacher reference. Along thesame wall, and adjacent to the machines, are twosteel filing cabinets for the pamphlet collection,audio-visual information, library information, li-brary lessons, bulletin board materials, and the like.

Next to the cabinets is an open storage area di-vided into narrow partitions for storing large stand-in charts, posters, and visual materials. Abovethe cabinets are shelves housing manuals of instruc-tion for teachers. At this point a counter top is in-jected in a short L-shape. Below the counter top isan open space that permits the storage of the bio-scope, mobile carts, extra filmstrip machine s, andso on. On the laminated counter top are filmstrippreviewers for single viewing and for small groupviewing. Six electrical outlets are available in thearea for previewing films, filmstrips, slides, andrecordirgs.

The adjacent part of the L-shaped counter topcontains the filmstrips and slide collection, housedin metal cabinets. File boxes are here for checkingout all audio-visual materials. Above the counterare adjustable shelves containing professional booksfor teacher use; models of ear, eye, heart, andtorsr; a telescope: and other science materials.Ont shelf is reserved fol films borrowed from thecentral audio-visual office.

The recordirr;s cabinet, 6 feet hy 2 1/2 feet,cccupics the iemaindrr the audio-visual area,

with partitions tall enough to accommodate 12-inchdiscs. The shelf above this cabinet is for visualmaterial too large to be stored elsewhere. Cork isused on the top doors of the recording cabinet sothat they may be utilized as a bulletin hoard. Theaudio-visual check-out sheet for scheduling ma-chines is kept here, and a list of the films and tran-scriptions received that week. Other audio-visualinformation also is posted here.

The official library workroom area has counter-top-height cupboards and various-sized drawers forlibrary supplies and visual instructional materials.Some of them are narrow for material that getslost in a deep drawer. The laminated counter topcontains a sink with hot and cold water. There aretwo electrical outlets above the counter a conven-ient place to use the electric stylus or to previewaudio-visual material. Also above the counter area small bulletin board and three rows of adjustableshelving for processing books. Directly behind thiscounter is the center counter, described previously.

Two sections of 7-foot-high, adjustable shelvingalmost fill the remainder of the east wall. Theshelves are used for new books and professional li-brary materials. The north wall of the libraryworkroom area is made up of a counter-top deskwith a dropped section for typing. The shelf listcabinet is conveniently adjacent with a large workarea on either side. Drawers are designed andfashioned for specific library needs.

Hospital and Institution Libraries

Planning a Special Libraryin a Federal Office Building

MRS. ELAINE WOODRUFFLibrarianU.S. Civil Service CommissionWashington, D.C.

Preliminary planning for the Civil Service Com-mission Library began in 1956, at the time require-ments for space, floor covering, and other specialfeatures were submitted for the area of the buildingdevoted t3 the library. By 1962, when constructionbegan, a library consultant was called in to aid witha number of special problems. His assignmentcalled for a survey of space requirements; a com-plete layout of the library including color coordina-tion, equipment, and stack specifications; design ofspecial equipment needed; and recommendations asto source of purchase.

In order to provide maximum information forthe consultant, our previous outline of requirementswas reviewed, and we prepared a formal statementdescribing our activities, collections, and all otherfactors which might influence the final design. Weidentified four areas which would affect the design.

The role of the Civil Service Commission as thecentral personnel agency of the government extendsthe library's responsibility for service to otheragencies and organizations as well as to our own.The Commission is an older agency, established in1883. It is forward - looking and yet preud of itsbackground and traditions. Our first requirementwas that the library represent the Commission,both in its color scheme and general decor and, ifpossible, in a special motif. Also, it was requiredthat it be a reflection of the Civil Service Commis-sion, not men-Ay another new or "modern" library.

Within the Washington office our public consistsof approximately 1,000 employees at the professional

and technical grade levels which use the libraryservices most consistently. However, any figureson seating capacity needed would have to be esti-mates, since the agency is separated into fourbuildings. Also, a great percentage makes use ofour services by phone. Approximately 50 percentof the library's users are from outside the Commis-sion. It is frequently necessary to collect and holdlarge stacks of material for these people, fromwhich they may select and utilize only a few items.

Every year a number of outside researchersspend several weeks or even months in the libraryon personnel or civil service research projects.Study space away from the general flow of traffic isneeded for them. An analysis of use patterns indi-cates that approximately 35 percent of the publicare in the relatively short-term, "take-with" cate-gory; 10 percent come in to browse; 53 percentstay one or more entire days; and 5 percent stay aslong as a month to six months.

The library's services

While all of the library's services are notunique, certain elements of each function affect de-sign and space requirements. The way in which anactivity is performed, rather than the volume ofwork, changes the situation from library to library.For example, in our reference work, materials forinternal, regional, and interlibrary loans are se-lected directly from the shelves and sent to thecirculation desk for snipping out, never impingingon the reference area at all.

The law and legislative reference section hastraditionally had a separate entrance and its ownreference and circulation system. Since its in-quiries are quite distinct from general reference,this seemed a desirable arrangement to continue.At the same time, a new arrangement was neededwhereby telephones and desks in this area couldsimultaneously be covered by other staff memberswithout special assignment.

189


While some circulation records are needed bythe reference librarians, the long-term, project,and interlibrary loan files are referred to less fre-quently. Eliminating these activities left only the`take-with" charging that needed to be performedthere.

The library is responsible for distribution ofCongressional bills, hearings, reports, and publiclaws a space-consuming, large-scale shippingoperation. While this function is better out of thepublic area, the same materials are requested fre-quently in person and must be readily accessible tothe law staff.

A major activity of the staff is the preparationof bibliographies and other research publications,on a daily, monthly, or annual basis. Special spacemust be provided away from the public area for as-sembling and distributing these publications.

The library's collections

The library has four separate beck and pamphletcollections, in addition to the periodicals collection.Most important is the personnel management clear-inghouse, a carefully selected and separately clas-sified collection of 32,000 items. It needs to bemaintained as a unit, yet adjacent to the generalreference collections of 30,000 volumes.

The law and legislative reference collectionnumbers approximately 18,000; it is considered aseparate entity although it may be used in generalreference. A small but unique collection of mate-rials on civil service history is also part of the li-brary. Now housed in file cabinets, some other typeof storage system was desirable.

Other factors affecting stack space requirementswere the cataloging of all pamphlets instead of hous-ing them in vertical files, thus invalidating the mea-surements of volumes per linear feet; a completelyopen stack policy eliminating the need for partitionsand closed areas; and a predetermined weedingpolicy which limited the size of the collection andmade usual estimates of growth rate meaningless.However, since this policy could be subject tochange, some expansion space needed to be pro-vided.

Private office space for the librarian and hersecretary was needed, con_ist3nt with the usualgovernment space policies in this respect. Sincethe secretary is also responsible for supervision ofmail distribution, these offices were to be close tothe mail entrance without being in the main flow oftraffic. Conference space for groups as large as 20was planned sin._ foreign visitor groups, students,and various training groups meet in the library. Amail and distribution unit was required for handlinga great variety of duties. While the unit was acces-sible to the reference staff, a separate entrance wasdesirable, close to the technical processes area.Adequate work space for 6 was needed in the tech-

nical processes area, with shelf space for sortingnew acquisitions and with consideration for func-tional relationships.

The library plan

Early in the planning, the library had been al-located centrally located space on the fifth floor ofthe Commission's building the floor which alsohoused prime users, such as the executive, admin-istrative, and legal offices. After two decades in afirst-floor location with its heavy volume of walk-intraffic unrelated to the library's main function, top-floor space seemed very desirable. The libraryfaces north, with one windowed wall and more thanadequate recessed lighting. Floor weight has beenincreased to 150 pounds per square foot in this andin an adjacent area for further expansion. The gen-eral plan is in the shape of an L, with administrativeand technical functions in the shorter portion. Theentire building is designed on 5-foot modules withlighting similarly arranged. The flooring, selectedfor appearance and sound control, is cork tile. Thelaw and general reference areas each have their ownentrance, and the general mail area, history-conference room, and librarian's office open offanother corridor, the L-shape making this arrange-ment feasible.

The space outlay is as follows: public area in-cluding stacks, reading areas, reference desks,lobby, catalog, and so on, 8,000 square feet; tech-nical processes, mail, and so on, 1,400 square feet;offices, 400 square feet; history-conference room(including space for stack expansion or exhibitspace), 700 square feet; a total of 10,500 squarefeet.

The major color scheme is a modern vivid blueand green in the rugs and reading chairs, but toneddown by the more traditional walnut in all otherequipment. Accent touches of black and white carryout the modern effect. Stacks are unit-type metalin a bayberry shade.

The motif and principal decorative scheme willbe carried out in a semitransparent screen ar-rangement separating the entrance area from thereference area. The Commission's seal or othersignificant detail will be incorporated into this ar-rangement with modern exhibit cases holding otherhistorical objects of interest. Glass doors and apartial glass wall make the lobby area open in ap-pearance. Tables are 42 inches by 60 inches, with2 readers planned per table. Total seating space,including 10 carrels in the stacks, is 35. Coatracks are built into the stacks for outside users.

The circulation desk has been removed to themailshipping room, where most material comesin and goes out again. It is connected with the ref-erence section by an intercom. Books returned inperson will be received on a truck at the referencedesks and moved back at intervals for discharging

Hospital and Institution Libraries 191

and shelving. A small area enclosed by document-type stacks for bills and other documents opens offthe law section for purposes of document distribu-tion. It is equally accessible for immediate usewhen needed.

The arrangement of stacks is such that the lawand legislative reference area occupies the sectionof the library to one side of the lobby, the personnelmanagement clearinghouse is situated in one quarterof the remaining area near the windows, and thegeneral and periodicals collection adjoins it. Areading area runs through the center of the libraryadjacent to all stacks, while the main pattern oftraffic is on the outskirts of the stacks.

The combination history-conference-studyroom is off the separate corridor so that groupscan be seated and conferences held here withoutdisturbing readers in the library. It includes 7closed stacks of document-type shelving and 12open stacks for historical materials, controlled bythe librarian's and secretary's offices. Plans callfor eventual display of historical materials and ex-hibits in this room as well.

The technical processes area adjoins the mail-shipping area for convenience in receiving incomingmaterials and sending out completed items. A longcounter-top file section at one end provides workspace in addition to unit-type desks and shelf spacebeside each desk.

In conclusion, the problems involved in planninga library in a government building are no differentthan those in any other office building. If the librar-ian is given an opportunity to express special needsearly in the planning, if these needs are reasonablymet, if provision is made for changes and modifica-tions as conditions change then the end resultshould meet the goals set.


The Pursuit of Flexibility

HELEN CRAWFORDLibrarianUniversity of Wisconsin Medical LibraryMadison, Wisconsin

When it comes to building planning, most of usare theoriststheorists of more or less sophistica-tion, depending on the number of building instituteswe have attended, the number of buildings we haveinspected, and the amount of reading we have doneand not deserving the degree in practical planninguntil our buildings have been erected and exposed tothe criticism of our colleagues. Since our buildingis still in the planning state, I shall be concernedmore with the initial stages of planning th.tn with de-tailed layouts and mechanical features.

To begin with, my advice is to measure every-thing measurable and count everything countable, asa preliminary to a program. The books and chairsare easy to count; the space is not. The book collec-tion, seating, and work, service, and other spacemay be categorized quite broadly or broken down.In the special library, bound journals, atlases, andpamphlets or materials such as music or documentshave different space requirements. The currency ofthe collection, policies of discarding and storage,and the function of the library as a resource collec-tion or a current working tool must be establishedwith consideration given to policy changes.

The most difficult but the most important spaceto measure, to project, and to equip is the workarea. Books can be removed to storage in distantcorners; readers can be dispersed throughout thelibrary wherever the books are; but much of the use-fulness of the staff is lost if it is too scattered foreasy communication and supervisio: The initialwork space needs to be adequate for almost the lifeof the building.

The program

With all the talk about library programs, all thebuilding institutes, the visits to new libraries, andthe gleeful appropriation of other people's best ideas,it is a source of continual amazement how many ad-ditions and buildings are planned with little in theway of a written program. The basic principle is:If you want a sink in your workroom, if you don'twant traffic to trickle through your back door, if youare tired of a fragmented library and a scatteredwork force, put it in writing. Oral directions can beforgotten or ignored.

There is no one best program; programs arewritten to meet needs, to clarify the library staff'sobjectives, to inform the hesitant administration, toinstruct the inexperienced committee, to persuade

the reluctant donor. The first program may well fo-cus chiefly on the need, with emphasis on the hor-rendous conditions under which one works. Attentionshould also be given to how much the service couldbe improved with better accommodations.

The second program is likely to be expanded toanswer criticisms and misunderstanding of the first.The amount of detail on library organization, libraryactivity, and library philosophy will depend on thesophistication of the library committee and the ar-chitect. Space relationships are an important ele-ment: entrances, elevators, traffic patterns, con-tiguity of related functions. Growth statistics ofbook collections, clientele, and staff are essential.One or more tables projecting growth of the collec-tions on the basis of rate of increase in the past areinstructive. If there is any question of discarding orstoring part of the collection pn the basis of age, itis helpful to calculate what Percentage of the collec-tion will be less than twenty-five or thirty years oldat ten years from occupancy of the building. Such isthe exponential curve of publication in science that70 percent of a technical collection may fall withinthe thirty-year span.

No one has developed a convincing formula forthe percentage of one's clientele for which seatsmust be planned. For example, no library can reallypredict how a new, and probably air-conditioned,building is going to affect its occupancy. The bestthat can be done is .,z) assemble from all the depart-ments concerned their best estima.es of studentsand staff to be accommodated, not and in the future.In our case, the projected student body of the Schoolof Nursing was raised nearly 70 percent in the twoyears between the original and the revised program.

The usual formula for seating space is 25 squarefeet per person in a reading room. Thirty feet is agood average to accommodate carrels, studies, andother individual reading spaces. The large studytable probably has little advantage over the smallertable when one applies a modification of Parkinson'slaw: "The reader and his books expand to occupythe space available."

Some basic formulas have worked quite well forlibraries all over the country. However, formulascan strangle as well as support. Your best defenseis your yardstick. If your measuring tells you thatyour journal collection takes half again as muchspace as the accustomed formulas, do not be bela-bored into setting your capacity at the lower figure.

Planning for flexibility

The flexibility of a library is determined by itsmost rigid components: entrance and exits, elevatorshaft, plumbing, and stair wells. There is also some-thing monolithic about a great collection of books,particularly when they averageas bound medicaljournals donearly four pounds per volume. Al-though some adjustment can be made in opening or

closing stack areas, only urgent necessity is likelyto dictate relocation of the basic book collection.

Interspersing books and readers is of dubiousvalue in a scientific collection with open shelves.Seating reasonably near a journal collection does,however, serve a physiological functionthe volumesare too heavy to carry far. There is very littlebrowsing in a collection of bound journals.

Flexibility is marked by openness, includingopenness of mind. Ask of every function, "Does thisreally require a separate room?" There is the re-verse considerationprivacy can promote efficiency.The answer would seem to be generous use of read-ily shifted work units, shelving, and movable parti-tions. The movable partition has come a long wayin the past few years in sound control, attractiveness,ar.d ease of manipulation.

Privacy should also be provided at the circula-tion and reference desks. The publicity we some-times give to our patrons' private affairs is irritat-ing to other reade- 0. An office where the circulationlibrarian can telephone in quiet is essential; it mightalso include the cases for bocks that even a medicallibrary must lock up.

The initial administrative structure should bekept as simple as possible; growth in complexitywith increase in size is a law of nature. The secre-tary who cannot run the duplicator on another floorbecause she has to stay by the telephone, or the ac-quisitions librarian who has to go any great distanceto use either the Cumulative Book Index or the cardcatalog, cannot make efficient use of time. If hori-zontal continuity is not possible because the site issmall, placement of stair wells and elevators sh. 'ildspeed vertical access. Also, an efficient communi-cations system can reduce traffic between depart-ments.

Dividers

Built-in furniture may serve as a perpetual monu-ment to one's errors in judgment. The card catalogitself is a good divider, and a built-in catalog notonly constricts its growth but creates a permanentwall against change. The circulation desk, built inat great cost, is often as elegantly contrived as amedieval tomb, and just about as flexible. The sec-tional desk is an improvement, but what about ashell with a counter of varying widths, movable files,shelving, desks, and truck space underneath?

The memorial room, whether it be a browsingarea, a rare books room, or a board room, beauti-fully paneled and expensively furnished, can freezevaluable space that may be used infrequently unlessit is assigned a double function. The cost of decoris often in inverse relationship to the amount of usean area receives, though the prestige value cannotbe entirely ignored. Multipurpose rooms can con-tribute to flexibility. The library classroom can beused as a seminar for other classes and for staff

I


meetings. The audio-visual room can have typingcubicles as well as listening booths.

The necessity for openness of mind has beenmentioned. However, there is a time for compro-mise and a time for stubbornness when real issuesof efficiency and service are involved. The librar-ian should not be driven into the position of accept-ing an inadequate building. It is easy, by the use ofa suitable formula, to make a 100,000-volume build-ing hold 200,000, until one tries to get the 100,001stbook on the shelf.

Flexibility is a concept possible only to a librarywith excess space beyond its current needs. When abuilding is full, only the moving of everything closertogether will release the tension. Usually the func-tion with the greatest outward pressure to the squareinch wins over the "soft" functions, and the book col-lection flows into any area not barricaded against it.Many times we accede too easily to the current fadfor the flexible library, discarding the compact andspacious multitier stack. It still remains an excel-lent way to keep the most books closest to the reader.

Quantitative flexibility implies as much room inthe initial building for growth of all components ofthe program as the total usable space allows. Thisshould assure expansion space for future growth andmake provision for some unassigned space. Quali-tative flexibility is concerned with changes whichare, basically, beyond the power of the librarian topredict or control: changes in direction of the sub-ject field, development of interdisciplinary areas,depth of coverage, size and character of the clientele,expenditures for books and for staffin fact, mostinstitutional decisions.

The librarian must also be prepared for somechanges in function. If book losses are high, closecontrol of the exit by a turnstile may be necessary.If the new building attracts too many readers fromother parts of the campus, monitoring may be neces-sary. Tighter or easier rules on circulation canchange the load at the circulation desk. For thesereasons, the entrance area should not be tightlyplanned and the circulation desk, as suggested, bekept as adaptable as possible.

Technical changes

The librarian must keep in mind the certaintythat changes in technology will affect the kind of li-brary plant he should have in the next few decades.The development of the Medlars (Medical LiteratureAnalysis and Retrieval System) indexing projectalone assures that the major bibliographical efiortwill be centralized, with some type of regional dis-tribution of the computer tapes to reduce the pres-sure on the National Library of Medicine for refer-ence service. Providing the book and journalresources will be the responsibility of the local li-brary, and the responsibility will increase with theexpanded coverage of the index. But we clearly shall


have to expect a rise in the growth curve of our col-lections. We can also be sure that the astronomicalcost problem of retrospentive indexing will leave tous the responsibility for maintaining the collectionsof pre-Medlars materials. Photocopying reduces,but does not eliminate, the need for duplication toserve an ever increasing number of research work-ers. All this means that our estimates of space forbooks and journals are likely to be low; that our col-lections are likely to double in less than the twelveto fifteen years that our present curves predict.

If one plans on storage of part of the collection,one must be sure that the storage space will be ade-quate, accessible, and efficient. If one hopes thatmachines will take over some of the processing, onemust still allow space for the machines and requiredpersonnel and acquire the funds to support them.

Every plan should allow some scope for experi-mentation. There is a surprising pressure to con-formity when the organizational structure does notfollow the usual pattern. And this pressure is notconfined to nonprofessionals; it is sometimes strong-est from librarians who apparently equate noncon-formity with inefficiency. Interdepartmental experi-mentation should be encouraged by not insulatingdepartments from one another by too many perma-nent walls.

In conclusion, I would like to make a few con-densed observations on the basis of numerous visitsto libraries, new and old:

The planner's best friend is the yardstick.Libraries, in general, can be planned from for-

mulas; a particular library must be custom-made.

The low bookcase may be easy to see over, butit is hard to see into.

Some chairs must be sat in to be believed.People, like books, come in different sizes.The weaknesses of the old library can be guessed

from the care with which certain areas of thenew are planned.

Book and seating space are easy to justify; workspace must be fought for.

Privacy can be productive.Traffic aisles can be encroached on; corridors

cannot.Corridors and closed doors repel. If you want a

friendly library, keep it open.Will the reathr know he is entering a library the

minute he enters the door?Build in furniture and you build in obsolescence.Concede unimportant points graciously in order

to be firm when it matters.It helps to have the authorities on your side, but

they do not know your library.

Mobilizing for a Reasonable Future

EDNA VOIGTRemington Rand Library BureauNew York City, New York

Preliminary planning for a library to be locatedin a building for primarily other uses presents asomewhat unique problem. Unlike public and uni-versity libraries which plan new buqdings for abouttwenty years, many special libraries have no con-sistent rate of growth. Some special libraries havebeen known to outgrow new quarters within threeyears. Unlike public and university libraries, manyoccupy extremely high rental space. Preparing forthe future has an extralarge dollar sign hanging overit. This combination of difficulties, inestimablegrowth plus the high value of floor space, often leadsto future uneconomical solutions.

Suddenly the library may reap a harvest of booksthat overflows your accommodations and you needmore space. Often another department nearby ismoved to another location to provide this room, butthis additional space was more than likely designedfor other uses.

For library stackrooms, the New York City codeinsists upon floors designed for a load of 120 poandsper square foot. By comparison, floors used for of-fice purposes may be designed for 50 pounds persquare foot, and private and ward rooms in hospitalsfor only 40 pounds per square foot.

Suppose there are five 9-foot ranges of double-faced stack in your original library, and that anequal amount needs to be added in the extra space.The present stacks may possibly be spaced 41 feetapart on centers. But to avoid exceeding the floorload of 50 pounds per square foot in the new quar-ters, the stacks will now have to be spaced muchwider apart-10.8 feet on centers. The old stack oc-cupies a space 9 feet x 221 feet or 2022 square feet,while the new stack will occupy a space 9 feet x 54feet or 486 square feet.

Thus, 2832 more square feet of floor space wouldbe used for the same book capacity. Translating thatinto dollars may mean that the organization is losing$1,559.25 per year, which represents the rental forequivalent office space. Multiply that by the numberof y,ars the space is used, and there is an impres-sive sum.

Is there a solution? There is the possibility ofdesigning some adjacent floor areas for heavierloads, but this will depend upon the type of construc-tion used in the building and the sizes of the spacein question. Also, this would have to be weighedagainst the risk A future expansion.


Some Random Thoughts WhileThinking about Library Planning

ALDERSON FRYLibrarian, Medical Center LibraryWest Virginia UniversityMorgantown, West Virginia

If this were a book and the time were the seven-teenth century, the title page might read: "Randomthoughts while thinking about planning a library, ordiscourses on such diverse matters as how to re-model a library in an existing building devoted pri-marily to other uses, and the problems appertainingthereunto, with many suund and serious suggestionsfor the organization of human knowledge and the con-sequent betterment of society at large, with furtherdisquisitions on librarians' follies, fanciful andotherwise, and further illustrating how not to impedea presentation with pedestrian and pedagogical pon-tifications of precursive scriveners, the whole dedi-cated ad quem et a quo, to the high and mighty schol-ars and the low and neglected undergrad, Esq."

Many of you are members of the Association ofHospital and Institution Libraries, so first I shallthink about adapting other space to library use. Iassume you have done some reading before you startto remodel. Recommended are Ralph Ellsworth'sPlanning the College and University Library Build-ings and Keith Dom's Guidelines for Library Plan-ners,2 among others. The best article in this par-ticular field is by Catherine Kennedy, "Mayo ClinicLibrary: An Experience in Remodeling and Expan-sion," in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Asso-ciation.3

Early steps

The beginning steps when you are faced with thisproblem are fairly orderly. First, resign. Youshould have been given a new library. If the resig-nation is not accepted, the second step is to investi-gate the floor load capacity. Although Ellsworthgives the live-bearing load of floors in a modularbuilding as 150 pounds, noting that it will be suffi-cient for compact storage, it would seem that about100 pounds to the square foot would be adequate.

1. Ralph Ellsworth, Planning the College and University Li-brary Building (Boulder, Colo.: Pruett Pr., 1960).2. Keith Doms and Howard Rovelstad, eds., Guideline-5 forLibrary Planners (Chicago: American Library Association,1960).3. Catherine Kennedy and T. Keys, "Mayo Clinic Library:An Experience in Remodeling and Expansion," Bulletin of theMedical Library Association, 46:249-69 (Apr. 1958).

196 Problems in Panning Library Facilities

If the floor test is passed, the next step is to in-vestigate if the walls are bearing walls or if they aremovable. U they can be torn down, they might sim-plify the problem; if not, they might complicate it.

The last chance to avoid the job is presented by thefire laws and building codes of your community.They are usually complex, and an expert should findthe answers. He will have to answer such questionsas how many peoplz may occupy the room or rooms,can a fire exit be provided, will the doors open out-ward, are any zoning laws relevant, or will internalstairs support an added load. If you have come thisfar, there is nothing to do but go to work. It is as-sumed that the problem of a new library vs obispace has been answered, and the problems of satis-factory location have been settled.

The planning program should now be written,just as for a new library, but it need be nothing soelaborate. Assuming that the library to occupy thespace you are planning for it is already in existenceand functioning, you should be able to have fairlyexact figures for your functions. Of course, every-thing will be bigger than it was, but there will be abase for your calculations for the various areas de-sired.

Since it is almost impossible to put an elevatorin an old building where there is none, you may haveto compromise with a booklift. Do not forget con-duits for phones or special communication. Whenthe stacks are located, be careful how the alphabetruns.

Plan for as many electrical outlets as possible,but be careful where the light switches are relocated.Try to place two or three automatic switches at theentrance which will turn off all electricity except theclocks, the exit lights, and the staff refrigerator.Also, investigate the janitor's power needs and thosefor your microfilming or other equipment.

Mathematical curves

Dear to the hearts of librarians, planners, andarchitects are mathematical curves. Many timesthe librarian will claim to have extrapolated fromcurrent demands to future needs when what he hasdone is to take someone else's figures, from prob-ably quite diffe:ent circumstances, and make a'guesstimate."

The ogival curve is similar to the populationcurve. In biology, any population grows until it runsout of space or food. Application: a library growsuntil it runs out of space or money.

The asymptotic curve, if plotted on a time anduse graph, approaches the base line, or use line, butdoes not touch it at infinity. Our volumes decreasein use as time passes, until they are near that baseline, at which time they should be discarded. Thiscan be done in two ways. In library planning placethe older books farther and farther from the usefulpart of the library, as has been done at the new liar-

yard Medical Library. Or, discard most books whenthey reach a certain age.

A beautiful example of this curve is given in theSurvey of Ili Interlibrary Loan Operation of the Ra-tional Library of Medicaze, by William Kurth.4 It isimportant to note that this curve comes from themost demanded 250 serial titles. With the base yearof 1959 and an index of 100, by 1900or sixty yearsbackthe index had declined to 1.78 percent. Ob-viously there is a decay rate for books, and most ofthem are completely inert, or inactive, in a veryshort time.

Let us get back to planning again. Maybe weshould rewrite the dictum; "Form follows functinn."The least formidable part of library planning istaking care of the known factors, the experiencedfunctions of the library, such as its space require-ments, its flow patterns, its present interactions.The difficult part is planning for the unknown, theunapprehended, the future, even the immediate future.It is difficult to find a new plan with prophecy andpurpose. Perhaps we should substitute for "Formfollows function,' "Form follows imagination." And,rather paradoxically, let it be said, 'Form followsthe future."

The statement does have meaning. Any art (cap-italized or not) is usually considered bad if it re-peats the past. Great art is the creation of some-thing new, bringing into existeace something that,before the act, did not exist. It is giving form tothat which was formless. It is creation, and we hopeto be creative with our new libraries. We are,whether creating art or not, trying to make "formfollow the future."

The working together of the librarian, the con-sultant, and the architect is for the purpose of creat-ing a new library. Possibly the librarian knows bestthe present; the consultant, the possible future builton that present; the architect must give this fact ailddream a creative form.

The consultant

When advice is given to hire a consultant, he isusually mentioned in the singular, as "one' consul-tant. What is wrong with two or three? Ellsworthmentions this fact in his book, Flaming the Collegeand University Library Building It is difficult toimagine two or three consultants on a million-dollar-plus building not earning their cost, and there is ahigh percentage chance that they will do a great dealmore.

But it is difficult to agree with Ellsworth's sug-gestion, "Under no circumstances should one choose

4. William Kurth, Survey of the Interlibrary Loan Operationof the National Library of Medicine (Washington, D.C.: Pub-lic Health Service, 1962).5. Ralph Ellsworth, op. p.24

a consultant who has done fewer than three success-ful buildings, eithe' alone or as part of a team." Alibrarian entrusted with a new building, and beingsuccessful with L., will probably already have fifteeuyears in the library field, and it would take at leastseven years for each of the three By thenhe is at. old man. Maybe the reason so many librar-ies have failed to last into even the ery pear fu.ureis because they have been planned by the more ,:on-servative, elder men.

The same holds true for the architect. By thevery fact of costing more than a million dollars, alarge library falls into the hands of an older, es-tablished, more reliable firm, and, again on a per-centage basis, you get a conservative architect. Asto specific planning, there is an unfortunate tendencyto neglect the work that has been done in our field,that of the health sciences or medical center library.Within the last ten years there have Leen severalpertinent articles in the Bulletin of the Medical Li-brary Association.'

The rest of this talk is devoted to an attack onthe idea that we must keep building bigger and big-ger libraries or, at least, keep putting more andmore books in them.

Knapp study

Aren't we, as librarians, mummified in a printeddesert of paper trash in which only a few oases breakthe useless landscape? Listen to this: PatriciaKnapp's monograph, College Teaching and the Col-lege Library,8 is the latest study of the use of li-brary books. She studied Knox College. The libraryheld 79,144 volumes and was a good library. Morethan 90 percent of the loans were for course pur-poses. Two thirds of the loans were from the re-serve collection. Andmost importanteverythingwas taken care of by 5,000 titles. Only about onesixteenth of the collection was oasis. Of the rest,"boundless and bare / The lone and level sandsstretch far away."

6. Ibid.7. Alfred Brandon, "Space Management and Layout," BMLA,49:523-30 (Oct. 1961).

Carl W. Condit, "The Building Arts in the Service of theLibrarianship,' BMLA, 50:167-76 (Apr. 1962).

Lora F. Davis, "Instructions for a Medicz.l School LibraryPlanning Survey," BMLA, 41:273-76 (Silly 1953).

Alderson Fry, "Medical Library Architecture in the PastFifty Years," BMLA, 45:471-79 (Oct. 1957).

"Plan and Equipment of the Health Sciences Library,University of Washington," 32111A, 49:21-31 (Jan. 1953).

*Planning the Medium-Size Library for the Computer,"BMLA, 51:211-13 (Apr. 1963).

and others, 'Planning a Better Medical School Li-brary: A Panel Discussion," BMLA, 49:187-206 (Apr. 19C1).8. Patricia B. Knapp, Collcgc Tcachuzg and IhG Collcsc Li-brary (Chicago: American Library Association, 1959).


We are aware enough thal storage is one of thelibrary planner's bi6gosi problems. We spea. k ofthe need for flexibility, wild we seek to avoid thecentral "ore stack, or a le_rt,.. Ass ofstacks. But we have missed the point. It is not thestack.: that are indigestible, but the book; that go onthem. In other words, there is nothing 1..1-ong withour stacks except the way we treat them.

It seems that all plans presented, year afteryear, call for bigger stack areas. Such plans areinvariably accompanied by the self-contradictory H-im:Lon that while the libraries get bigger and bigger,the book and the reader are getting closer and closertogether. When you blow up a balloon, you arcatthe uninflated startin contact with a relativelylarge Dart of its surface. But as the balloon getsbigger and bigger, you are less and less in contact.

Now one answer to successful planning would beto have all the money you could possibly use. Thiswon't bring the reader and the useful book togetherwhen the needed book is one among hundreds ofthousands of relatively worthless, if not completelyworthless, books. Space might seem to be the an-swer, but in this context space is a function ofmoney, so space just defers the problem.

This writer once wrote that 90 percent of theproblems of successful library planning clan be sum-med up in one word: "Space." Well, 90 percent ofthese problems may be solved by the application ofone word: "Discard!" Of course, all this has beensaid before. The introduction to a medical book inmy library starts off: 'There is nothing in this bookthat has not been said at least 500 times beforetutnobody seems to listen."

The architect cannot solve the problem. It is nothis business. The college president cannot solve it,because he is caught in a competitive situation and aneed for grants. The students cannot solve ittheyare in the position of "vexation without representa-tion." In short, though the librarian may be caughtin a status-symbol bind and a Parkinsonian web, heis the only man who can solve the problen-i.

Perhaps the answer lies in the already existingregional library plan. Perhaps it lies in greateruse of microfilmsomething quite feasible since theintroduction of the reader-printer. Perhaps the an-swer is to be found in such libraries as the LamontLibrary at Harvard. Certainly the Princeton plan,with a central library and about. a dozen libraries atother places, has a great deal to be said for it.Maybe the teaching machines will help. Program-ming them calls for a very careful assessment ofuseful knowledge, and minds trained on that ttind ofdiet could very well learn to reject the trash.

Discard program

But the one answer we have available right now,at no added expense to speak of, is a workable andworking discard program. Let us try to devise some


working rules. One would be that the circulation,exclusive of reserve, must at least equal the hold-ings, or vice versa. Set up a traveling fund, out ofthe money saved by discarding, by not building newlibraries, and by not buying in the first place, to beused to send the sometime scholar to a large stor-age library to continue his work.

Since the retiring librarian is a knowledgeableperson, hire him to do your discarding. Select threeor four thousand books in a given subject field forpossible discard. Invite the faculty and graduatestudents in that field to come help themselves. Then,as they leave the library, take the books they haveselected away from them. Now you have the booksjudged best by competent persons. Retzrn these tothe shelves for keeping and remove those that wereleft behind, that no one wanted.

The administration could make the library pay$5 back into the general fund for every book morethan fifty years old that it keeps. Discards madebefore a book was twenty-five years old would begood for a $5 credit. Or (and this isn't a bad ideaat all) if the main library operates with departmentfunds, after a book is, say, twenty-five years old,give those in charge of the departmental fund theprit:ilege of either discarding the book or paying themain library out of departmental funds $5 for everybook kept beyond that period. That will force a judg-ment on lots of worthless books. If the librarianwill only get concerned enough or worried enough,he might get mad enough 'to blow his stack.'

A Pharmaceutical LibraryThe Planning Stagesand Six Years of Use

ALBERTA W. BROWNFormer LibiarianUpjohn CompanyKalamazoo, Michigan

The problems of planning a new industrial libraryare not unique; rather, they have many points of sim-ilarity with plans for a public, college, or unNrsitylibrary. Details may differ, particularly in mattersrelating to size and to the facilities needed for spe-cialized services, but there remain fundamentalprinciples to be followed in any case.

Basically any new library should meet tile follow-ing specifications: (1) there must be adequate roomto house the collection and to allow for growth; (2)suitable areas for readers need to be provided; and(3) adequate space for the staff to work needs to besupplied.

Though the basic requirements apply to all li-braries, the industrial library may have to cope withsome special problems. Generally speaking, suchlibraries are not housed in separate library build-ings, so that the problems of both adequate and suit-able space may assume serious proportions. And inthe average special library there are apt to be spe-cialized services, such as patent abstracting ormedical indexing, in addition to the usual routine li-brary procedures which make the problem of staffwork space more difficult.

Serving a specialized clientele can easily createplanning pzoblems because of the variety of ideas asto the best methods to pursue, but the juxtapositionof opposing ideas, if honestly met, offers a goodbasis for creative effort. With this backgroundstatement, what were the problems of the UpjohnCompany Library, how did we meet them in planningthe new library, and how well has our planning metthe test of use during the past six years?

History

The Upjohn Company Library had been formallyin existence under the direction of a professional li-brarian since 1941. It was first organized as a ser-vice to research personnel, but rapidly developedinto a company-wide library. During these yearsthere was one exception to this general statement;that is, there was a separate law library in the LegalDivision. Also, in 1961, a new administration build-ing was erected. At that time a separate businesslibrary was organized, and a member of the profes-


sional staff of P.e researcn library was transferredto this new location. However, in both cases all ac-quisitions and technical processing were, and stillare, handled by the personnel in the research library.

After World War II, the company, having out-grown its original quarters, decided to move its pro-duction operations to new and expanded facilities,and to this end a series of new buildings were con-structed about five miles from the former location.The Research Division then expanded into the build-ing which had formerly housed the entire company.By 1950, when plans were underway for the new pro-duction plant, this library had been outgrown. Thecollection had grown from 6,000 to 25,')00 and thestaff from 1 to 13.

Location and space

Thus, our first problem was location. In 1936,when the building was erected, all of the researchdivisions were located in what was known as the Re-search TowerFloors 7-13 of the building. The li-brary was housed on the seventh floor, or the firstfloor of ti 3 tower, where the floor space was con-siderably less than it was on Floors 1-6. The Re-search Divisions or Scientific Administration as itis now called, would expand into all thirteen floors,and the problem was whether to move the library toanother floor where more space was available, or tolit it remain on the seventh floor which would locateit in the center of all research activity. Researchpersonnel were polled, and after considerable dis-cussion it was decided to leave the library in itsformer location. Being assigned to the seventh floordid not solve the library's space problems sincethere was very little room for expansion on thisfirst floor of the tower.

After consultation with the company engineerswe found that it would be possible to build up two ad-ditional floors above the sixth floor. This would re-duce the tower to five floors but would increase thesize of the seventh and eighth floors considerably,giving the library a stack room of 40 feet x 68 feetand a search or study area of 24 feet x 48 feet.

The industrial librarian is usually not concernedwith a new building, but is involved in utilizing thespace assigned to him in an older structure. Blankfloor plans we:7e supplied to us, and we began to layout a library to scale. We gave the following areaspriority consideration:

1. Sufficient and convenient space to serve our cli-entele and for the researcher to work

2. Adequate working space for the staff; we felt thisshould include private offices for each profes-sional member of the staff with an arrangementwhich would facilitate efficiency in work flowamong staff members


3. Space, in addition to the card catalog to housethe Medical Literature Index, the Patent Index,the Internal Research Reports Index, and otherindexes prepared by our staff

4. Convenient and adequate housing for the collec-tion with room for at least ten years" growth

At this point management appointed a librarycommittee made up of a representative of each ma-jor department to work with us in making plans.This committee met weekly and was invaluable inhelping us see the point of view of the user.

The reading room, which includes all referenceand circulation services plus the offices, is locateden the site of the old libraryan area of approxi-mately 6,000 square feet. The stackroom adjacentto the reading room and the search room comprisesthe new sections built on the roof of the sixth floorof the building, adding approximately 4,000 squarefeet. In the older area, one side was blocked off intooffices for the library staff by the use of Hausermanpartitions. Librarians need suitable working quar-ters in order to accomplish the professional workrequired of them. Small but adequate offices foreach member of the professi alai staff and a conven-ient workroom for the cleritre staff were planned.Several of these offices opened directly into thereading room to ensure quick a.--tessibility to refer-ence tools and patrons.

Then began the layout of the library proper. Ourspace allotment included a stacn area, search orstudy room, and reading room. The reading roomwas planned to facilitate study: with easy access tothe bookstacks, the circulation desk, and the refer-ence collection. At one side of the reading roomthree small rooms, created by Hauserman parti-tions, housed a duplicating machine for the use ofresearch personnel, a conference room with tele-phone, and microfilm and microfilm readers.

The need to locate the current and bound jour-nals in the proximity of their indexing tools wasgiven serious attention. The current and unboundjournals are shelved in the reading room near studytables, while all bound journals are shelved in thestackroom just adjacent to the reading room.

Equipment and Arnishings

Shelving for the stack area was the largest singleitem purchased. For quick reference each range wasequipped with a standing-height sliding shelf, anddrop shelves with chairs were placed at the ends ofseveral of the ranges. Carrels were installed ateach end of the stackroom for more extensive study.The periodicals shelving displays the current issueon a sloping movable shelf that allows for storagebehind; it is expensive and a space consumer, but itis extremely useful.

The study tables and carrels are all built to aspecial size-4 feet x 3 feet. They are large enoughto allot a reader to spread out his work conveniently,but not large enough to be used by more than oneperson. For ease in use, the tables are withoutaprons and the chairs without arms. The standing-height charging desk has some special features.For example, its telephone is recessed but standson a sliding shelf for easy use-

Furnishing the search room depended upon anumber of factors. It was necessary to decide whichindexing tools were to be housed there and whichwere to be left in the reading room. Since literaturesearches were predominantly chemical in nature,the search room was planned for just chemical in-dexes. For Chemical Abstracts we purchased whathas since become known as a Chemical Abstractsbar, and for the remainder, standing-height, double-faced shelving witii sloping tops. Eight large carrelsfor study complete the furnishings for the searchroom.

All of the furniture for the library is birch. Thefloor is covered in a terra-cotta rubber tile, and thechairs are upholstered in green, red, and biueleather. The woodwork was refinished to match thebirch furniture, and the walls of the Hauserman par-titions were completed in a contrasting green.

Moving

The desire to give continuous service whiletransferring the collection from one location to an-other created a series of problems all its own. Oursituation was complicated by the fact that more thanhalf of the space allotted to the new library was al-ready in use as the old library.

During this period the entire book and periodi-cals collection was measured. On the basis of thepast ten years the amount of space needed for thenext ten years was estimated. This information wasentered on cards, arranged in shelf list order, andlater put in list form. When M-day came, we wereable to move the collection to its present locationwith very little interruption in service.

During the period when the old library was beingremodeled, six members of the staff who couldcarry on their work outside the library were movedelsewhere. The reference desk was installed in onecorner of the stackroom, and the remainder of thestnff worked in what is now the search room. Whenthe remodeling was finished, we moved back into thereading room without any interruption in service.

Recapitulation

How well has the Upjohn Company Library beenable to function in the library as planned and occu-pied since late 1957? The first item to consider isthe matter of space. We allowed for a normal ten-


Upjohn CompanyPharmaceutical LibraryReading area

1 reading room2 miscellaneous indexing tools;

trade catalogsi-:nd drug information3 reference alcove4 Medical Abstract index5 card index6 reference and circulation desk

year growth, which is about average for an indus-trial library. In moving the collection we left twoshelves in each section vacant to allow for new ad-ditions.

In planning for growth we took into considerationthat the period of the library's greatest expansionwas already in the pastat the time the new librarywas being planned. In 1941, when the professionalorganization began, there were about 6,000 volumesin the collection. In late 1957 there were approxi-

7 current periodical shelves8 library offices9 patent files and index

10 research report files and index11 conference room12 dark room for reading machines13 Cormac room

mately 29,000 volumes in the library. Luring thisperiod the periodic 11s collection had been systemat-ically built up so that the library had complete runsof important journals.

Since January, 1958, approximately 15,000 vol-umes have been added to the library. However, atleast one third of these items are housed either inthe business or law libraries or in departmentalcollections in the production area. On the basis ofthese figures it is apparent that the space require-


Upjohn CompanyPharmaceutical LibraryStack area

ments as originally planned for the collection havebeen adequate.

In 1957, the speciCzed indexing project, includ-ing the Medical Literature Index and the Patent Ab-stract Index, required 540 catalog drawers. Sixty-drawer sections have been added to the 540 drawersof 1957, making a total of 980 as of today. An ad-ditional 60 drawers will probably be needed forPatent Abstract Index and Research Reports Indexduring the next five years, or a total of 120 drawers.The present facilities will adequately take care ofthese needed catalogs, but some type of documenta-tion system may be necessary in the future.

Some minor changes have been made in the ar-rangement of the library. The three smaA roomshave been made into two larger rooms. This wasdue to the fact that the small duplicating machinehad been replaced by a Xerox 914, requiring more

1 book stacks2 reprint and information files3 study carrel4 search room5 Chemical Abstracts bar

G shelving for:Chemische ZentralblattBei ',steinFriedlander

space. The microfilm and readers were relocatedin the stackroom in order to get this additionalspace. Some indexes have been moved from thesearch room to the reading room for added con-venience.

There generally comes a time in the special li-brary when the service seems to reach a plateau.The general routines common to all libraries areset up and put in running order; the special servicesgeared to the industry are developed, and growthmay be spectacular for a number of years; then thisgrowth levels of: until new developments in researchmake new services necessary. Space requirementshad been met not only adequately but generously inplanning the Upjohn Company Library for a ten-yearperiod. The arrival at such a plateau period wouldseem to indicate that the facilities will be able tofunction for a longer growth period.

Space Planning Criteriafor Hospital Libraries

CLAYTON S. CHILDSHead, Hospital DivisionBureau of the BudgetWashington, D.C.

For purposes of planning criteria, space is con-sidered to be that net area required to accommodatepeople and/or equipment related to a specific func-tion or activity. The defined limitations of the space,both horizontal and vertical, are influenced by thenature of the activity for efficient performance.

Planning criteria for space requirements is amethod or formula for translating work loads intosquare-foot areas. Work loads are the demands fordefined space occupancies in terms of the type ofactivity, peak occupancy requirements, utilization,equipment, and personnel capabilities. These workloads have to be determined with full knowledge ofthe hospital program, mission, or objectives.

Since hospital objectives and missions do vary,we must not apply stifling stereotypes and standardsto the programming and design of hospitals. Weneed planning criteria which are flexible and serveas a tool to translate specific functional work loadsto constructed space. Maly hospitals have beenouilt to accommodate requirements that were de-termined by a shopping-list-reminder method with-out thorough reference to an analysis of the basicprogram and related work loads in terms of utiliza-tion, peak occupancy demands, and the like. Of themany fine hospitals which have been built, thosewhich were planned most carefully had the benefit ofa service that analyzed the program requirementsand related the anticipated and/or projected workloads to space requirements in a more exactingmanner.

How have space requireme.ts for functional de-partments and services been determined? One cri-terion has been to relate the number and extent ofvarious functional elements to the number of beds inthe hospital. If the relationship of outpatient and in-patient activity were similar for all hospitals and ifpatient composition, by age and ailment, were simi-lar and constant, a reference to the number of bedswould be reasonable, but such is not the case inmost instances. Another method has been the use ofstandard plans or prototypes. This application of aplan developed from one set of requirements to adifferent program is wrought with false expediencyand will at best compromise the real needs. Theperpetuation of any program for application to dis-similar space requirements and relationships islike a doctor resorting to a patient treatment with-out thorough diagnostic procedures. It is importantthat the construction concept and the finished build-


ing _ hould not be realized until all major functionalarekv have been analyzed and the space allocated onthe basis of actual work loads.

The departments and agencies which operate fed-eral hospitals, in cooperation with staff of the Hospi-tal Branch of the Bureau of the Bu,:get, are develop-ing space planning criteria for the major functionalareas of hospitals. It is hoped that these criteriawill assist in planning physical facilities that willbest meet the needs of a particular hospital programin an economical manner. They should also expediteprogram and budget reviews.

Basic elements

How does all this apply to hospital libraries?We are developing a criterion for the welfare andrecreational facilities of federal hospitals of whichthe library is one element. Insofar as libraries arerelated to hospitals and to the extent required, themajor basic elements are considered to be book-shelving, seating facilities, librarian's office or ad-ministrative area, workroom, and storage for bothpatients and medical library accommodations.

What are the work-load data required for hospi-tal libraries? How are they obtained and whose re-sponsibility are they?

1. One must predict the ultimate number of volumesfor the patients and the number of volumes andbound journals for the staff. This should be theresponsibility of the librarian. How is this de-termined? Is it done on the basis of patienttypes, length of stay, degree of illness, or ex-tent of other activities? This must be stipulatedeither in terms of the total ultimate accumula-tion or 'n terms of an initial collection with anadded percentage accumulation to the accumu-lated ultimate.

2. The number of readers, both patients and staff,must be determined. Will this be done by ob-serving the peak occupancy of a similar facilitywith comparable categories of readers? Willnew methods or objectives, such as group-therapyreading techniques, influence the number of read-ers requiring space at one time? Will the sched-uling of other activities affect the peak demand?Will the location of the library, within the hospi-tal, influence its utilization? Whatever the in-fluencing factors may be, the number of readersto be accommodated must be predicted as work-load data.

3. An inventory of library furnishings and equip-ment must be determined. The charging desk,card catalogs, dictionary stands, magazine ornewspaper racks, book carts, and so on may bedetermined on the basis of certain minimum re-quirements with incremental increases accordingto increases in circulation and reading roomoccupancy.

4. The workroom and storage area for servicing


both the patients and the meoical library mustbe determined. This space will be used for proc-essing books, magazines, and journals; binderypreparation; and storage. It may require bookshelves, cabinets, work counters or tables, bookcart storage, and the like.Areas for group occupancy, whether as an alter-nate use of reading space or as a separate room,must be known.

6. The number of full-time librarians, trainees, orothers requiring office-type space for activitiesrelated to both patients and medical library mustbe determined.

Translating data

After the above work-load data and other deter-minations have been made, the problem is to trans-late the data into net square-foot areas by applyingcriteria or factors. The work by the Hospital Branchof the Bureau of the Budget is still in a preliminarystage. Before any official publication or use is madeof the various criteria elements, more research andtesting will be undertaken, which may result in sig-nificant citcvges and refinements. In the work doneto date, the following factors and calculations areunder consideration as appropriate for determininglibrary requirements:

First, the criteria for shelving and access aisles,in their present stage of development, indicate thatthe number of volumes per linear foot of shelf maybe 7 for patients' books and 5 for medical or staffbooks. Therefore, the total number of patient vol-umes is divided by seven to determine the total lin-ear feet of shelving required.

Divide the total linear feet of shelving requiredby the number of shelves in height to determine thetotal linear feet of shelving stack. Next, select theaisle width and shelf depth factor (9-inch shelf depthfor patients' books and 10-inch shelf depth for pro-fessional books). Multiply the linear feet of shelv-ing stack by the square foot of floor space factor,and the answer gives you the total space for patients'bookshelves and access aisles. For professionalvolumes, the total volumes should be divided by fiveinstead of seven. Further calculations are made thesame as for patient volumes.

Example:

3,250 volumes (planned patient capacity)

7 (volumes per linear foot of shelving)464 linear feet of shelving

464 linear feet of shelving

6 (number of shelves in height)77 linear feet of shelving stack

77 linear feet of shelving stack x 2.7 (squarefeet of floor space factor) = 208 net squarefeet for shelves and access aisles

Second, the reading area, whether individualchairs or tables and chairs, may be computed on thebasis of 25 square feet per reader or seat.

Third, the space for equipment and furnishings,including a common charging desk for both patientsand medical library, separate dictionary stands,magazine or journal racks, separate card catalogsand book carts, plus a newspaper rack for patients,will generally be provided. The space allocation forthese items may be as follows:

Charging deskCard catalog 2 @ 20 sq. ft.Book cart or truck 2 @ 6 sq. ft.Newspaper rackMagazine or journal rack

2 @ 20 sq. ft.Dictionary stand 2 @10 sq. ft.Display unit

50 square feet40 square feet12 square feet25 square feet

40 square feet20 square feet25 square feet

Total 212 square feet

Fourth, the workroom and storage area may beprovided on the basis of a minimum of 120 squarefeet, or at a rate of 1 square foot for each 35 vol-umes (medical and patient) up to a maximum of 400square feet.

Fifth, if the reading space of either the patients'library or the medical library is to be used for sched-uled group occupancy for therapy or training in addi-tion to normal voluntary use, then the amount ofspace may be dictated by the activity requiring thegreatest number of occupants at one time. If, how-ever, a separation is desired for group reading ther-apy, the space requirements may be based on 15-20square feet per occupant in lieu of the 25 square feetlisted under the reading area.

Sixth, the office or administrative spate may beprovided on the basis of 120 square feet per personfor those who perform office-type duties as opposedto workroom-type activities.

Planning a Libraryin a Correctional Institution

CARL HERTENSTEINERPrincipalState Training SchoolRed Wing, Minnesota

Any boy committing a delinquent act in the stateof Minnesota and apprehended before his eighteenthbirthday may, through Suvenile Court, be committedto the Youth Conservation Commission's ReceptionCenter at the State Training School. All boys thuscommitted are received at the Reception Center lo-cated on the Training School campus.

The Reception Center supervisor compiles theinformation from the orientation personnel, academicschool and/or shop instructors, probation officer,cottage personnel, psychologist, and psychiatrist andpresents this information, along with his recommen-dation, to the Youth Conservation Commission Board,or "Commission" as it is commonly called, for dis-position. The Commission makes the final decisionas to whether a boy should be placed on probation ortransferred to either of the two Forestry Camps, theYouth Conservation Commission, Vocational Institu-tion, an institution for further diagnosis or treatment,or to the Training School proper.

At the time a boy is transferred to the TrainingSchool he is seen by a placement committee, placedin one of the six cottages, and assigned to an aca-demic school, shop, or ,:ombination academic schooland shop program. The Training School offers a fullaccredited school from the fourth through the twelfthgrades and includes some remedial work, industrialarts, art, commercial subjects, and advanced mathand science. The shop placements include the kitch-en, bakeshop, paintshop, barbershop, printshop, shoe-shop, carpenter shop, metalshop, laundry, tailorshop,autoshop, farming, engine room, gardening, janitor,truck squad, and errand boy for various offices.

Background of the boys

Two years ago we took a survey of 350 consecu-tive cases admitted to the Training School for I.Q.and school retardation. Of these 350 boys, 152 wereenrolled in the academic school program: and thefollowing is the over-all outcome of the survey. Theaverage I.Q. of this group of boys was 97.4, but theaverage grade retardation was 2.8 years retarded inschool. Of the 152 boys, only 22 were working at orabove grade level, while the remaining 130 were 1-6 years retarded in school. This finding has a bear-ing on our entire Training School program, and allareas must be geared and set up with this in mind.The average age is 15.7, and the average stay isabout 7i months.

Hospital and Itzstitution Libra' es 205

In planning space and location of the library in acorrectional institution, it is imperative that a qual-ified architect and experienced librarian work co-operatively from the beginning with the institutionadministrator, to achieve "the level of functional ef-ficiency and beauty found in the best s,hools andhomes." The total library program should be clearlystated, including objectives, activities, services, andknown requirements. The relationship cf the libraryprogram to the total institution program should bestudied. Only after this thorough study has beenmade should the architect begin to draw plans tomeet the specifications.

Space factors and standards

Standards for number of books as set by theCommittee on Institutional Libraries of the Ameri-can Correctional Association are not less than 6,000volumes, with at least 10 books pel inmate. Institu-tions which have large groups of long-term prison-ers should provide a minimum of 15-20 1,olum,-;s perinmate. The collection will normally be reduced byat least 10 percelit each year from obsolescence,wear, and loss.

The Red Wing Training School has about 3,300fiction books and 1,700 nonfiction books currently onits shelves and in circulation on the campus. At 10books per inmate we are well over the minimum re-quireinents, but do not reach the 6,000 as recom-mended for any library.

The standards set for book shelving are: width,3 feet; depth, 8-10 inches and 12 inches; heights,wall type, 6 feet 10 inches (6 shelves) or 5 feet 6inches (4 shelves), aisle type (double-faced), 5 feet6 inches (4 shelves), 3 feet 6 inches (2 shelves). Theshelves should be adjustable, and the base shelfshould be sloping for easier reading of titles. TheTraining School library has a total of 110 feet ofshelving, 6 feet 10 inches high, along the three wallsnot covered by windows. All the shelving is 8 inchesdeep except for 8 feet, which is 12 inches deep andused for reference books. Along the 63-foot windowwall are cabinets 3 feet high that are used for mag-azines, filmstrip library, and the vocational pamphletlibrary.

Information which should be stated for the archi-tect includes: type of institution, type of inmate, in-stitution philosophy and program, type of school,type of curriculum, relation of the library to thetotal institution, number of institutional personnel,number of inmates, library staff, and number ofbooks and other library materials.

The location of the library within the institutionis very important. First, it should be adjacent tothe school program to serve, as any good school li-brary serves, the needs of the teaching staff andstudents. It should not, however, be limited in itsusefulness and accessibility to those formally en-rolled in the education program, but should be con-

206 Problems in Planning Librau Facilities

veniently located for use by all inmates and institu-tion personnel. Every effort should be made tocounteract the austere, cold atmosphere of the typi-cal correctional institution.

The library in the Training School is located inthe academic school building with a floor space of1,450 square feet, being a room 63.5 feet x 22.5 feet.Figures for reader space range from 35 to 70 squarefeet per reader according to size of institution andtotal population. It is also recommended that the li-brary should provide reading space for 5 percent ofthe institution's population. The library at the Train-ing School can take care of 40 readers at a giventime. If the daily population remains at 400 boys, itis above the standards set for library facilities incorrection institutions.

Another part of the library that is important is aworkroom, office, and staff library. The workroomshould be adjacent to the library control center andto the librarian's office, with a minimum of 100square feet per worker. The office should be acces-sible to the workroom, with provision for supervi-sion of both library and workroom but with regardfor quietness, concentrated work, and privacy forconferences with readers and stiff. A minimum of120 square feet for the office is desirable.

Staff library

The staff library should be accessible to the li-brarian's office but also made ^_vailable to the restof the staff. Shelf space should be available forabout 900 books and 6 readers, with extra space forjournals and storage. The Training School facilitiesfall a little short in these aspects, as our office,workroom, and staff library are combined in oneroom, 14 feet x 16 feet, or 224 square feet. Ourstnti library is very small, as our Central Officedoes not want staff libraries in each institution butwould rather have one central library that can holdmore volumes without duplication.

With the facilities we have and our objective tocreate an atmosphere of desire and interest in booksand to support, brcaden, and strengthen the institu-tion's total rehabilitation program by providing theappropriate library setting, we decided after severalconsultations with the state correctional librarianthat we must do something to encourage a better in-terest and turnover in our library books. Of the6,500 books, only about 100 were being checked outweekly; since the thorough weeding was finished,about 300 are always out. Because the boys are re-luctant to take a book from the easy reading sectionin the library, the volumes from this section havebeen infiltrated into the regular library shelves.

Another growing and popular section of the li-brary is the file and section on vocations. We havestrengthened this section of our library because rec-ords have shown us that many of our boys do not re-turn to public school when they leave us but are ad-

ditions to the overcrowded unemployment groups.The library is also used, at times, to display art-work, handmade projects, and models raade by theboys in order to induce other boys into leisure-timeactivities and also to spend some time reading aboutthese various objects on display.

The librarian is an important part of the programand can either increase or decrease the use of thelibrary. The person should be an individual who iseducated in library work, has a thorough understand-ing of youth and youth's problems, and must have awarm, pleasing personality. On the other hand hemust be firm and able to set standards for the li-brary and use of books. The library staff should bepart of the education and treatment programs, re-sponsible to tile superintendent or associate wardenin charge of treatment. In institutions where suchtitles do not exist, the library should be under thedirector or supervisor of education. In our programthe librarian is classified as a special teacher,serves under the principal of the academic school,and is paid the same as any teacher in the schoolsystem.

All these facilities call for an expenditure ofmoney. The minimum suggested to maintain a collection is set at around $500 annually. A check of thethree larger institutions in Minnesota shows thateach has a budget of $600 for books. This does notinclude periodicals, magazines, and newspapers, asthese subscriptions come out of the general fund orsome other expense.

At the present time our cottages do not have anadequate reading room nor do the inmates use thelibrary for reading during leisure hours. Each cot-tage group comes to the library one hour per weekto check out books to be read in the cottage. In thenew cottages we plan to have a small collection ofbooks in each study or reading room. This will givethe boys more selection as well as the opportunityof being able to read in a quiet reading room.

Architectural Barriers and theHandicapped. the Infirm, the Elderly,and the Physically Limited

DONALD E. FEARNSurvey Director, Architectural Barriers ProjectNational Society for Crippled Children and Adults

Picture, if you will, an island which is extremelysmall and which contains only one houseyours!Let us now assume that for some reason you haveno access to the mainland, which can easily be seenacross the water. The island itself constitutes yourtotal life space or environment. Let us also assumethat you wish for a chance to go to the mainland.However, as it is, everything you do in terms oflearning, working, socializing, and playing is con-fined to this islandthis very limited life space.

Suppose some group on the mainland learns aboutyou and decides to build a footbridge over to your is-land. You now have the opportunity to expand yourlife space to include the mainland and all the cul-tural, social, vocational, educational, and recrea-tional opportunities that are available there but arenot present on your island. Whether you do or notis your choice. But now you have a choice!

In effect, we have placed many of the handicappedand older persons in our communities on just suchan island. We do not see them on the mainlandorin the communitybecause we have unconsciouslyfailed to provide them with an opportmKty, a foot-bridge, to function as first-class citizens in thecommunity. The few that do venture out are oftenforced, not so much by their disability as by con-crete, steel, and wood, to be dependent on others.Seeing very few such persons among us, therefore,we falsely assume that this minority is so smallthat it really is no community-wide problem.

To give some concept of how large this group is,it has been estimated that there are over 250,000persons confined to wheel chairs; 200,000 with heavyleg braces; 139,000 with artificial limbs, 5,000,000with heart impairments; and 17,500,000 men andwomen over sixty-five years of age who would bene-fit by e-sier access and function within buildingsused by the public, not just public buildings.

Not too long ago the severely disabled and agedwere given very little assistance and were often rel-egated to a rear room or an institution. Yet, in thelast few decades, America has come a long way inthe care ,md treatment of disabilities through a va-riety of programs aimed at total rehabilitation. How-ever, professional people in the rehabilitation fieldsare becoming increasingly frustrated on finding thatrehabilitated clients are returning to community lifeonly to find that they are blocked from putting train-


ing into practice. The purpose of our ArchitecturalBarriers Project is simply the correction and pre-vention of this problem. It is intended to give thesepeople an opportunity to participate as full-fledgedmembers of the community.

Combating the problem

How are we proceeding to combat this problem?First, a major step was taken in October of 1961,when the American Standards Association adoptedspecifications for making buildings and facilities ac-cessible to and usable by the Physically handicapped.This was an excellent example of interagency co-operation, since over fifty groups and organizationsjoined with the President's Committee on Employ-ment of the Handicapped and the National Society forCrippled Children and Adults in the research anddevelopment of these standards. However, as pointedout by President Kennedy in a letter of com-mendation to the Honorable Toseph Foss, then presi-dent of the National Society, this effort is valuableonly if the specifications are transformed into themodification of present buildings and incorporatedinto new coLstruction.

Briefly, the recommended specifications include:1. Site development. Grading of the ground for one or

more-ground-level entrances should he planned.Walks should be at least 48 inches wide with agrade no greater than 5 percent.

2. Parking lots. Some parking spaces 12 feet wideshould be reserved and identified for use by thehandicapped. Care should be exercised in plan-ning so that individuals are not compelled towheel or walk behind parked cars.

3. Ramps. A ramp, interior or exterior, should nothave a slope greater than 8.33 percent. Rampsshould have nonslip surfaces, at least one hand-rail, a level space at the top, and at least 6 feetof clearance at the bottts.m.

4. Entrances. One primary entrance should be us-able by persons in wheel chairs, and, if there isan elevator, it should be accessible from thisentrance.

5. Doors. A clear opening width of no less than 32inches for all interior and exterior doorways isneeded. All doors should be operable by a singleeffort. Revolving doors cannot be used by thosein wheel chairs or on crutches. Thresholdsshould be as nearly level with the floor as pos-sible.

6. Stairs. These are, of course, the number oneenemy of the wheel-chair user, the crutch-walker,and the cardiac. Wnere they must be used, it isrecommended that the height of the riser be notmore than 7 inches and that the commonly usednosing be discarded for a type of riser and treadwithout any abrupt change of surface. At leastone handrail should be extended 18 inches beyondboth the top and the bottom steps.

208 Problems in Plannizu Libra 73) Facilities

1. Rest rooms. There should be adequate space forindividuals in wheel chairs to enter. At leastone toilet stall, with the door opening out, shouldbe wide and deep enough to accommodate a wheelchair. This stall should be equipped with hand-rails on each side.

8. Other features. Water fountains should havespouts and controls usable by persons handi-capped or in wheel chairs. The new designs ofwall-mounted drinking fountains, when placed atthe proper height, meet the requirements for useby the handicapped. A telephone equipped withvolume controls for the hard-of-hearing andwithin reach of those in wheel chairs should beavailable.

In their entirety, the American Standards Asso-ciation specifications are much more inclusive andspecific with respect to dimensions, use of materials,and methods of construction for the physically handi-capped and the aged.

Many of the newer libraries of all kinds havebeen designed and built with many of these featuresincluded. In some buildings, a few minor adaptationswould make the difference between barring the handi-capped and the aged and welcoming them with opendoors. Other older buildings may require ramps orother changes to make them accessil-le. The plan-ning or modification of any library to make it acces-sible and usable by the hawiirmr...peci and aged will ac-.true benefits to all who visit and use it.

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