1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
2.3 ASPECTS OF UNIVERSITY LIBRARY MANAGEMENT
2.3.3 Library Buildings
It has been observed that operational facilities and physical setting of information and library services have a significant effect on the quality of services and therefore represent an important part of the resource management responsibilities of all information professionals.51 At the bottom line, a library should be housed in a building adequate to its role in the university and should reflect coherent planning effort. This means that the space should be adequate to house collections, staff, space for study and research and space for associated processing and public service functions. It is important to bear in mind that the successful library building is one which clearly and directly expresses and provides for the functions that are performed in it. Therefore the university library is a complex and specialised structure and its construction and equipping require thorough understanding of library functions and requirements. Basic issues in library operations are purchasing, cataloguing, reading, accessing, retrieving and preservation and in designing a successful library building full attention has to be paid to these functions. In other words it is important to investigate every department of the library, understand every step of the work and create good conditions of lighting, ventilation, floor, painting and easy use by readers and librarians.52
A number of factors have been cited as affecting library buildings. This include:
i. New roles towards a changing society: improving services to meet needs caused by a changing environment such as an information oriented society and lifelong learning society,
51Corral S. L, and Brewerton, A.: The New Professionals Handbook : Your Guide to Services Management.
– London: Library Association Publishing, 1999. - p.211
52 Cheng, X., Ying, C., and Lin, Z: To Create an Atmosphere of Books for Readers and Readers Among Books on the New Building of Zhegieng Prunkard Library. – In: Bisbrouk, M. : Library Buildings in a Changing Environment: Proceedings of the 11th. Seminar of the IFLA on Library Building and Equipment.
– München: K.G Saur, 2001. - p. 177
ii. Increasing digitalisation of media and use of electronic information systems which require consideration for space and equipment layout,
iii. Increase in additional services and various needs that create more advanced needs such as information literacy, and
iv. Progress in automation apart from creation of digital libraries and online systems e.g. automated admission control systems and office automation.53
The library building has also been viewed as one of the most enduring, most used and socially inclusive institutions in modern society where people not only learn but also interact and therefore the need for its design to emphasize people-centred orientation and their use of collections, information technology, services and also the dynamic and evolving relationship between these elements.54
One of the approaches to fulfilling the expectations of library buildings is what Plassmann has referred to as “flexibility as a building principle and the intermingling of readers and book space as normative structural principle” which entails creating an atmosphere of warmth, hospitality and privacy, open access to all the library holdings and cutting down fixed structural boundaries between books, readers, and circulation and administration.55 Flexibility emphasizes the notion of adaptability which implies issues such as a layout, structure and services which are easy to adapt for example floor loading sufficient for book stacks and reader services through out the building, and distribution of space to facilitate present or future installation of telecommunications infrastructure to support the variety of services that depend on electronic delivery of information throughout the building. The idea of intermingling of books, readers, circulation and administration emphasises the principle of openness, which provides readers with the
53 Tomie, S. : The Process of Development and the Transition of Methods for Facility Planning in Japanese Public Libraries. – In: Bisbrouk, M. : Library Buildings in a Changing Environment: Proceedings of the 11th. Seminar of the IFLA on Library Building and Equipment. – München: K.G Saur, 2001. - p. 64
54Macdonald, A: Closing Remarks. – In: Bisbrouk, M.: Library Buildings in a Changing Environment:
Proceedings of the 11th. Seminar of the IFLA on Library Building and Equipment. - München: K.G Saur, 2001. - p. 80
most freedom, convenience and ease in obtaining knowledge.56 This can be achieved through placing all reading areas in positions that can be seen and reached, reading areas with open stacks which creates a convenient access to reading materials, consideration for the disabled people
The second approach is whereby the choice of the physical set-up of the library is made in terms of its anticipated use tampered by efficiency and environmental friendliness.
This entails a number of issues which include consideration of advances in electronic age, transmission and retrieval of information catering for present activities yet being adaptable enough to future changes in the requirements of the library service, saving on space including centralisation in one building as opposed to dispersal among several faculties, departments and colleges. The emphasis is an effort to minimise running and maintenance costs, delivering value for money and conforming to environmental policies and standards.57
A third principle is that of multi-functionalism in which the orientation of the library building is carefully balanced to accommodate the range of library and related functions as well as methods of service delivery. For example the library has lately been involved in teaching of information literacy and therefore apart from staff working and service provision, administration and reading areas, it requires lecture halls or exhibition halls for meetings, lectures, special seminars and information workshops. Another example is that besides traditional books in print form, the library also provides audio-visual materials, electronic products and Internet services. There could be multimedia rooms with the appropriate equipment to provide the services related to these techniques.
55 Plassmann (see Das Bibliothekswesens in Bundesrepublik Deutschland, p. 313) illustrates the principle of flexibility by the tendency towards ‘subject departmentalisation’ instead of large general reading room, modern reading rooms with less formal arrangement and open access areas with reading tables.
56 Ma, Y. : The Development of Buildings in Shanghai. – In: Bisbrouk, M. (ed.): Library Buildings in a Changing Environment: Proceedings of the 11th. Seminar of the IFLA on Library Building and Equipment.
- München: K.G Saur, 2001. - p. 32
57 Macdonald, A. : Space Planning and Management. – In: Baker, O., (ed): Resource Management in Academic Libraries. – London: Library Association Publishing, 1997. - p. 190