What are the design considerations for an Academic Library?
When planning an academic library the needs of students and staff must be taken into account. The size of the institution being serviced will determine the size of the library. The types of courses offered by the host institute will also influence aspects of the design of the library. Access to computers is rapidly becoming the most important function of academic libraries in Australia and in other countries.
The most important design consideration for any academic library is flexibility. A library building is a long term investment and it is important for it to be able to meet future requirements, even though these cannot be precisely anticipated. For this reason, academic library buildings tend to be large open plan spaces. This allows furniture, shelving and other temporary dividers to create human sized spaces within the floor plan.
Take a look at the latest floor plan for the Hawthorn branch of the Swinburne University Library. Notice how few actual walls there are. Without furniture the library is nothing but four giant empty floors. However once you add in the furniture and shelving the empty space is broken up into a series of useful study spaces. The open plan design of this library allows it to be used in ways that could not have been predicted when it was built in the early 1970’s.
How do Academic Libraries meet the study requirements of students?
As highlighted in the Whole Building Design Guide many students use libraries as a quiet place to study. At the most basic level academic libraries meet this need by providing desks and chairs. There are different requirements for different types of study though, and separate areas of the library can be used to meet different user needs. A silent area with corralled desks may be provided for solo study. Separate rooms may be set aside for group study with appropriate seating and other aids such as whiteboards. For more informal collaboration and recreational use, lounge areas are often provided for students.
Increasingly computers are becoming a defining feature of academic libraries. With most academic institutions providing course content and research materials online, computer access is vital for students. Specialist software is required to complete coursework in many areas and libraries can provide access to this as well. Many academic libraries are finding it a challenge to install enough computer terminals and power points for laptops to keep up with student demand.
Specialist assistance with research is another service provided by all academic libraries and it helps if the design of the library makes this easy to find. The loans desk is usually given prominence in placement over the reference desk to filter less technical inquiries. Most academic libraries choose to place their reference desk near the main entrance of the library to encourage use.
In large busy academic libraries traffic flow can become an issue. From a design point of view this can be tackled by placing service points that are frequently used together near each other. For instance printers should be located near computer terminals not up the other end of the library. Consideration needs to be made for how people will move through a building when making any change to the library layout.
How have the libraries of Swinburne changed over the lifetime of the University and how are they meeting the needs of students now?
As you can see from some of the historic photos below, the libraries of Swinburne started out in simpler accommodation than they enjoy today. Over the 102 year lifetime of Swinburne various buildings have been adapted to serve as libraries with varying success. Today there are 6 purpose built libraries, one at each campus including one at the Sarawak campus in Malaysia. Together they form a network supplying the information needs of over 30,000 staff and students.
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| Swinburne Library 19-? |
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| Swinburne Library 194? |
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| Boy's library class 195? |
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| Library at night 2008 |
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| 'Perfume' by Colin Duncan at Swinburne Library, Prahran Branch |
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| Swinburne Library, Sarawak Branch |
Over the years the technology required for study has changed, and the libraries of Swinburne have always been early adopters of technology. In 1977 Swinburne was considered to have one of the most outstanding audiovisual departments of any Australian library. In 1989 3M security was installed in the libraries to prevent loss of library materials. In 1991 computers were introduced to the library with 5 terminals installed for students and staff to practice their computer skills. Today there are 440 fixed computer terminals in the Swinburne libraries, including those available for use 24 hours 7 days a week in the Late Lab at Hawthorn.
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| The Late Lab at Swinburne Library, Hawthorn Branch |
The Hawthorn branch is the largest and busiest Swinburne library. It was opened in 1972 and has undergone extensive renovations since. A recent addition to the building is the glass atrium at the front entrance. This covers a formerly open courtyard and provides shelter for café facilities at the front of the library. This is a great place to sip coffee and read a book and provides a friendly entrance to the library with it's multilingual signage. One down side to the addition of the atrium is that the steep entrance steps which formerly led up to an open space, now lead to a narrow walkway next to an unyielding glass wall. Adapting architecture to create more space often leads to unintended consequences.
Inside the library the emphasis of the current layout is on providing study space and computer access for the many international students who use the library. The decision to focus on the needs of international students was made based on use statistics gathered by the library. The computer workstations (as shown above in the photograph of the Late Lab) are a great example of library design meeting the needs of students. The shape and arrangement of the desks provide privacy and plenty of space for study materials.
References:
Bazillion, Richard J & Braun, Connie 1995, Academic libraries as high-tech gateways: a guide to design and space decisions, American Library Association, Chicago, Ill.
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Reflection
What a fascinating topic! I got a real kick out of visiting the Hawthorn branch of Swinburne Library as part of my research. I’ve never been further than the holds room on the first floor so I hadn’t realised how big it was. That place is like a termite mound. Everyone was so busy I felt guilty for just sitting around even though I was doing research by observing the space.
One problem I hit during my research was that I couldn’t find a history of Swinburne Libraries. I ended up having to piece things together myself from pictures in the Swinburne Image Bank, which took a really long time. I found a lot of recent information about recent events in the library newsletter.
My biggest problem with my research in general so far is that it is somehow expanding to take up all available time. I don’t feel like I’m getting more done with the extra hours I’m putting in because most of what I’m finding out is of limited relevance to my blog and I have trouble putting together a coherent entry for my blog. I'm badly behind and I need to limit myself to more focused bursts of research.
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