Information for Architects, Consultants, Contractors & Bidders
Libraries for All
Capital Program Office:
capital.program@spl.org
1000 Fourth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
206-386-4624
SEATTLE CENTRAL LIBRARY
Public Work Group- Business Community
Meeting #2, January 13, 2000
Return to List
of Meetings
Return to Libraries for All Central Library
page.
KEY ISSUES FOR DESIGN TEAM:
- Emphasis on region (collections, etc.), Pacific Northwest.
- Much improved remote access.
- Programs that keep asking patrons to come back (space to accommodate exhibits, teleconferencing, etc).
- Meeting rooms/Conference facilities.
- Information to help patrons learn technology.
- Light, bright, quiet (somewhere in facility).
- Secure workstations for people with own computers.
- Focus areas: Business, entrepreneurship, international (current), mirror what community chooses and celebrates.
- Big, flexible.
- Public space that keeps location lively, building vitality.
Elements for new library:
- Still want subject specialty librarians- KEY. Want their expertise and their knowledge of the world of information available on that particular subject.
- Station these subject specialty librarians close to their collections.
- Need remote access to collection as much as access in library.
- Need to plug in our laptops. Need library to address copyright issues so information accessed can be copied.
- Need place to put stuff when in the library.
- Make the place more comfortable/convenient to use materials.
- Building should foster development of knowledge in librarian’s brain.
- “Consulting” function for librarians- KEY.
- Library website- seamless interface to different components on website.
- Form to follow function - look for analogs- research other libraries’ experiences.
- One function to support: Empower/facilitate patron to be self-sufficient.
- Listen to what the librarians think will work. Build that!
- FAQ’s for library users.
- Don’t think of library first for a resource.
- Can library website be the gateway to all libraries?
- State of the art website.
- Access key (physical & electronic): Get in/get out, information easily available.
- Library has lots of resources that help individual “compete” with larger companies/etc.
- Conference areas (meet clients).
- Bigger conference areas (10-12 people).
- Access/openness of staff.
- How do you access staff, books, technology efficiently?
- Use library to access “old stuff”.
- Make collections bigger, “The” Northwest collection (i.e. papers of W. Magnusson, etc.).
- Make the library big!
- Catalog upgraded (more like University of Washington).
- Locate journals (periodicals) with the main collection (not separate). Same for videos, etc.; list of relevant websites, etc.
- Recatalog books into Dewey classifications that locate all business resources in one place.
- Support telephone patrons.
- Want ability to browse- but within subject.
- Celebrate/focus on international presence.
- Teleconferencing.
- Plan programs around teleconferencing capabilities.
- Select Dewey number – but have catalog show what’s located around it. Web links in the catalog.
- Database making suggestions from original selection - “collaborative filter.”
- How do you “checkout” an e-book?
- Linking other libraries’ resources – access to best collections around the world.
- Place for special exhibits/displays.
- Entry area celebrates what’s special about this library/this community.
- Highlight how computers have developed (To celebrate what’s special in this community.)
- What makes this library special? Business history:
- Boeing.
- Microsoft.
- Collections.
- Building exterior?
- Labor history.
- Native American history.
- Washington Business Record – augment/highlight (Tie into Seattle history?).
- Why fiction on 5 th Avenue entry? Everyone can find fiction.
- How does library decide what it collects? How do materials actually get created?
- Business plan guide – add to collection.
- Training for computer usage.
- Spiral OK
- Librarians in center (i.e. Vancouver).
- Keep possibility of “holds” – extend to inter-library loans.
- Catalog the skill/experience of staff.
Content modified: 28 March 2000
12/31/2004
© 1999-2005 - The Seattle Public Library