I tired to get photos of the key points.
This is there shelving system
Placards / signs that operate like a bookend with the "second subject line" printed
This example is of "Gardening" as main subject
The smaller signs on the shelf show "landscaping" "Flowers"
What's up with the drain holes in the floor?...
ReplyDeleteGeothermal heating / cooling. Nice idea, but not attractive. It freaked me out because there was air blowing up my pant leg. That was when I found out about them.
ReplyDeleteThey also had some solar tube lighting.
This is an interesting library and I think they were aiming to provide a bookstore experience. The library had a warm feel with rich wood tones, deep red colors in the carpeting and walls and glass shelves. I think the décor provided a calming atmosphere however the layout of the library helped to control the noise level as well. The teen space was set in the rear of the building and the children’s room had a large wall that separated this space from the rest of the library.
ReplyDeleteThe books are not organized by DDC and I would think this would cause some hardships when trying to find a specific item. As the collection seemed small the notion of getting rid of Dewey might be plausible but with call #s like RELIGION in the adult non-fiction section I think it might be like searching the Easy books at Biane. Also, one of the guides told us the Wordthink classification system does take-up more floor space which is definitely not as efficient as the DDC system.
I really like the teen area. There are tall chairs and a high counter (much like those in a coffee shop or bar). There are also couches and coffee tables and overall it seemed comfortable. The library also has a vulnerable person rule which gave them the flexibility to address a person regardless of age who may seem like they need a caretaker or some adult supervision. Our group loves this idea and I am sure Barb is thinking about how this type of policy might work at Rancho.
The building has study rooms that are not monitored and there is currently no time limit. Our “Guide” Rachael (I think that was her name) said that there hasn’t been a need to monitor them yet. I should also note that the library was reopened in September of 2009 so this policy may change. Library planners also developed a space much like celebration hall which is a large room with a capacity of 275. This room can be split via a room divider and it is currently available for library use only. They do plan to open this to the public but I thought it was incredibly valuable to have for SRP (no need for reservations).
I also like the idea of having one person scheduled as phone reference however they have a few variables that Rancho does not. First, they do not make reservations for study rooms. Rancho could do phone reference but the reservation system would have to be online or on the I drive so at least two people can see reservations. Second, Anythink has both pages (wranglers) and librarians (guides) answering phones and reference questions. Do the lines seem blurred?”
The staff at Anythink were nice enough to take us into there staff lounge where they explained the new staff titles. Librarians are now Guides. There is a Teen Guide, Tech Guide, Children’s Guide etc. Clerks are called a Concierge and a page is called a Wrangler. The collection development is branch wide so guides need only to focus on reference and programming. Wranglers also field reference questions by answering the ones they know or passing more in-depth reference questions onto “guides” or reference librarians as we call them in the library world.
Overall a nice library with nice features but I think they will run into some trouble by not using the DDC system. The library is nice however I can see wranglers and guides dividing responsibilities in the near future. Who knows maybe the system works well for them but only time will tell. The library does not have late fees or a charge for holds and it seems like the library system is doing everything they can to give back to the community. The only charges at the library are for intentionally damaged items, photocopies and lost items. The library system is able to do accommodate no fees due to an approved mill levy increase that passed in November 2006.
Here are a few statistics our “guides” shared with us:
*There are 6 branches and one bookmobile
*The Anythink Brighton branch serves approx. 30-35,000 people
*There are 1,000 - 2,000 attendance per day
*there are on average 1,000 circs per day