Ideas (Good and Bad) from a Public Library: Almere Library, the Netherlands

The planners of this library took a look at how retail stores appeal to customers. They came up with new ideas for displaying books to make them more browsing friendly. Duplicate copies of titles are stacked vertically. Customers can grab a copy from the top without other titles falling over, which happens in traditional shelving.

It's useful to glean ideas from retail stores, to look for things that might work well in a school library. We do, after all, need to challenge old ways of doing things. However, we need to be careful that we don’t take it too far. We are, after all, libraries not bookstores.

In this library I like the overall ambiance. It’s fresh, new, and exciting. Lots of visual appeal. I also like the way functions such as seating, workplaces, and info terminals are integrated into the bookcases.

This is an interesting rug. It must indicate a cell phone zone.

They might work in a public library, but I’m pretty certain the light fixtures built into the bench seating would never hold up in a school library. They are begging for abuse. I’m also puzzled by the sheer number of cube stools in the children's area. It looks strange, a bit like a demolition zone, and what child could resist a real romp here.

When you look at other libraries and public spaces, make a note of what you like and dislike, what you think could work in a school library and what you are pretty certain would not.

Looking at Non-library Public Spaces for Inspiration

It’s good to look beyond libraries when getting ideas for library interiors. I’ve been looking at pictures of the recently remodeled Groninger Museum in the Netherlands. I’m especially intrigued by the museum’s new info center, one of the coolest areas in the new building. In the middle of the room, desks with hoods covering computers create private booth-like spaces for browsing. Visitors here will feel they have entered a special place.

Here are some comments from the Spanish designer Jaime Hayón:

“The idea behind the info center was to come up with a new approach for this sort of space that is traditionally cold and impersonal. Our aim was to integrate the latest technology into it without making this visible. The center would retain a homey feel to it and would be functional as well as flexible. The table with niches allows for privacy and concentration and it also provides plenty of traditional table surface for any other use”.

What can we learn from looking at this space? Perhaps the most important lesson is that it does not have an institutional look or feel. How many new school libraries can claim this? This info center is cool, and don’t we want our students to feel that their school library is cool? While it is not likely that a school library would ever receive the kind of funding that this museum info center received (most of the furniture is custom designed), this is not a reason to dismiss the concepts as out of reach. With some creativity, ingenuity, and a willingness to look beyond what has been done in the past, I maintain that a school library space can be created that is the coolest space in the school.

A Christmas Tree Made of Books

Yet another way to put discarded books to good use.

For a recent holiday party, the folks at Juniper Books used 800 green books to make an 8-foot Christmas tree. They lit the tree from the inside, so it was glowing nicely through the spaces in the books.

In most schools fire regulations prohibit live trees. Isn't this a great alternative? I'm sure your students would love to help.

It's too late for this holiday season, but start planning for next year.

Happy Holidays!

Toro Lounge Chair

I very much like this lounge chair from Blu Dot. It would be great in a high school library. It's offered in natural leather with white-stained, solid beech frame or black-tanned leather with black-stained, solid beech frame. It's currently on sale for $799, marked down from $999. As good lounge chairs go, this is a reaonable price.

Just for Fun

This is pretty much off the topic, but it's too interesting to ignore. I've often read stories about libraries looking at bookstores and cafes for ideas. But here is something else--a small Espresso Café located on Madison Avenue, in New York City, that  took ideas from a library! I'll definitely be checking this out the next time I'm in New York City. Looks like a great place for coffee-loving bibliophiles. I'm rather sorry it isn't actually in a library somewhere. Oh well, there's a library nearby.

Five Finger Reading Advice Sign

I'm always on the lookout for interest-
ing, creative library signage, and here's one I especially like in the library at the Papanui Primary School in Christchurch, New Zealand. And what a great looking reading area!

Eames® Elephant Stool

In 1945 Charles and Ray Eames designed a toy elephant made of plywood. It never made it into mass production, but it is now available in a plastic version.

This stool could be a great addition to an elementary school library, as a stool or as a decorative item (with your Jean De Brunhoff Babar books?).

Dimensions: 30" trunk to tail, 14" wide and 16 5/16"tall

Price: $290

Available in five colors from Modernseed.