Lounge Seating: Pluto Bench

I believe it is important to provide a number of seating options in the library. And since a library probably has more chairs than any item other than books, it is important to choose wisely, as the chairs will make a strong statement and influence one's overall impression of the library interior.
The Pluto bench was introduced by Leland International at the 2010 NeoCon World's Trade Fair in Chicago. These benches can be arranged in a scattered composition to provide personal space, or grouped together to encourage interaction. Constructed using 100 percent post-industrial MDF board (medium-density fibreboard), which is wrapped in CFC (chlorofluorocarbon)-free foam and fitted with a 40 percent recycled steel plinth, Pluto can be upholstered in almost any stretch fabric or leather. An additional layer of interest can be achieved by applying contrasting upholstery to the circular seat pad.
Having a few of these benches in the library I'm certain would appeal to teens. And since students like to sit on the floor, benches, stools and ottomans can double as a work/laptop surface.

Is There a Skylight in Your Future?

Many architects are fond of skylights. Admittedly, skylights can effectively bring more natural light into the library. However, some cautionary advice I got a while back at a Public Library Association conference on the good and evil in library architecture was: skylights cause impossible glare, but they make up for it by leaking.

I just came across a manufacture that has created a guaranteed “No-Leak” skylight that takes the fear out of installing skylights. These skylights also provide better energy efficiency, light transmittance and solar heat gain. The manufacture is Velux USA.

Let It Go!

As a follow up to my previous blog about weeding, I highly recommend the very humorous blog Awful Library Books. Weeding is a time-consuming, tedious, and at times painful process, at least for those of us who find throwing books away sacrilegious. So a bit of humor is an effective antidote.

What To Do with All Those Discarded Books

If a new or renovated school library is in your future, it is time to weed. And weed some more. Keep in mind that moving books is expensive. And storing books is even more expensive. A quick rule of thumb is that 1 square foot is needed for every ten books you will have in your library. Since construction costs are well over $150 per square foot... You do the math. This is why it's so important to have a "lean and mean" print collection. I'm not yet at the point of advocating for all digital libraries, but it is important to determine which format is best for the information you need to make available.
So what do you do with all those discarded books. A week ago I saw a very creative solution from the architecture library of the Delft University of Technology: a remarkable reference desk made out of books.

It's Not Impossible!

After twenty-five plus years of designing more than eighty school library facilities and after authoring two books on the subject (together with my colleague Dr. Carolyn Markuson), I have at long last decided to blog on the topic. My hope is that others—school librarians, architects, and school administrators—will benefit from my experience, expertise, and research.
Why the crazy title? In the early 1980s I was the Director of Libraries at the Frankfurt International School in Oberursel, Germany. The school library was a small space that had once been the school cafeteria (sauerkraut, anyone?), and was now the place at the school to find Shakespeare and other literary treasures. It was an old-fashioned and badly furnished library, so part of my job involved planning a renovation. A few years later the school had grown significantly, and a new school addition was planned. Part of this addition included two new libraries: an elementary library and a middle/high school library. I spent many hours planning these facilities, a task for which I had virtually no training. But I was up to the challenge, and in the end, I found it exciting and rewarding. And so, I began helping other schools plan and design school library facilities. There was no turning back.
In the course of my work I do a lot of research, and I discover information that I am eager to share with others. I hope blogging will enable me to effectively disseminate what I discover on my journey.
And remember: when you have a chance to design a library, it's your time to dream.

From Alice in Wonderland
Alice: One can't believe impossible things.
White Queen: I daresay you haven't had much practice. When I was your age I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

What seems impossible may well be possible.