The renovation of our outdated, underutilized library space:

 

Martin Luther King High needs a new vibrant, updated common space that fosters student learning, independent research and college readiness.  

The new design should include:

• collaborative work spaces

• individual study pods

• computer research lab

• symposium spaces for larger presentations

• creative writing lab

• a new public entrance for public entry

• ability to display artifacts, hang art work and decorative pieces throughout the space

• incorporate a small juice & coffee bar

 

 

The following committees are needed 

•  Planning & Design: function, purpose, layout; usage, patrons

•  Funding: seed money, long term funding, grants,

•  Marketing: Public Relations, Media, 

• Content and Materials: 

• Technology: 

• Advisory Committee

 

 Things to think of when designing a space;

• amount of traffic

• traffic flow

• emergency egress

• function

• Hours of operation

• Usage requirements per function

• adjacencies

• occupant interaction

• lighting and use of natural light

 

 

 

Departmental Breakdown

 

 

Administration

Library administration departments take care of day-to-day administrative operations that keep the library functioning smoothly. These responsibilities include documentation of library staff employment and time-keeping details, payment of invoices for services rendered to the library, creation and maintenance of library budget reports, ordering of supplies for the library and for its staff, and maintenance of the library's facilities.

 

Cataloging 

Cataloging departments create and maintain libraries’ online catalog of both physical and virtual collections. Cataloging librarians and staff describe, classify, and provide indexing of the libraries’ materials; do quality control of the catalog’s records; and do general database management so that the library’s materials are organized for retrieval by library users.

 

Circulation/access services

Circulation departments facilitate physical and virtual access to library materials, maintain the library collections, assist library users, (in academic library) coordinate the use and lending course of reserve materials, and perform other activities related to library use and access.

 

collection development/acquisitions

Collection development departments manage the purchase and processing of library resources. Their duties include purchasing items, coordinating licensing and access of electronic products, conducting collection assessments, and (in academic libraries) providing information for academic reporting needs such as accreditations, program reviews, and new degree proposals.

 

Digital Collections

Digital collections departments manage and provide online access to library resources, collections, and repositories. They identify, digitize, and preserve information resources of cultural, historical, scholarly, educational, community, and civic interest.

 

Government Documents

Government documents departments collecting, organize, and promote government information from the local to international level, providing free access, instruction, and reference assistance in the use of this information to library users and community members.

 

Interlibrary Loan/Resource Sharing

Interlibrary loan (also known as resource sharing) departments work with other libraries and institutions to acquire/receive, process, pay for, and provide library materials not available at the home library.

 

Reference

Reference departments provide information, research, and instructional services to all library users, including in person and online reference help, bibliographic instruction classes, tutorials, research guides, (in academic libraries) subject specialist support, and much more.

 

Special Collections/Archives

Special collections departments acquire, preserve, and provide access to unique primary source materials such as rare books, manuscripts, archives, artifacts, and media.

 

Sound & Image

Sound & Image departments maintain and provide access to audiovisual resources such as DVDs, streaming video, LPs and CDs, slides, and much more. They may also provide technology used to play these resources such as VCRs and record players.

 

systems

Systems departments provide technology service to library users, staff, and the community. They may create and maintain the library website and conduct other programming activities.

 

 

 

Special Interest

 

Special collections (Spec. Coll. or S.C.) are libraries or library units that house materials requiring specialized security and user services.

 

Materials housed in special collections can be in any format (including rare books, manuscripts, photographs, archives, ephemera, and digital records), and are generally characterized by their artifactual or monetary value, physical format, uniqueness or rarity, and/or an institutional commitment to long-term preservation and access.[1] They can also include association with important figures or institutions in history, culture, politics, sciences, or the arts.[2]

 

Individual libraries or archival institutions determine for themselves what constitute their own special collections, resulting in a somewhat mutable definition. For research libraries, a special collections area or division can be a fundamental part of their mission. Some special collections are standalone institutions that are privately funded, such as the Newberry Library or the American Antiquarian Society while others are part of a larger institution, such as the Beinecke Library at Yale University. Many American university special collections grew out of the merging of rare book rooms and manuscripts departments in a university's library system.

 

In contrast to general (or circulating) libraries, the uniqueness of special collections means that they are not easily replaced (if at all) and therefore require a higher level of security and handling.

 

Function

The primary function of a special collections division is to foster research by providing researchers access to items while ensuring their longevity. Many staff members involved with special collections have either advanced degrees or specialized training related to the collections for which they are responsible

 

Storage

Items in a special collection are usually stored in closed stacks (not directly accessible to library patrons) which contain noncirculating items, meaning that items cannot be loaned or otherwise removed from the premises. Access to materials is usually under supervision. Depending on the policies of an institution holding special collections, researchers may be asked to present identification cards, letters of reference, or other credentials to gain access

 

Most special collections are stored in areas in which the temperature, humidity, illumination, and other environmental conditions are carefully monitored to ensure the integrity of materials, and adequate security is provided to protect the materials from unauthorized access, theft, and vandalism.

 

Offsite storage facilities have become increasingly popular among institutions holding special collections. Most libraries consider it their mandate to maintain acquisition of new collections, although the limitations of their physical plants may not be able to handle all that is acquired. Storing materials offsite allows flexibility in how libraries design and apportion their space and provides security for materials. The 2010 "Taking Our Pulse" report cites a survey in which 67% of responding institutions use offsite facilities, with another 5% in planning stages

 

Reading room characteristics

Special reading rooms are often provided to minimize the risk to holdings while being consulted by patrons, which are sometimes monitored by library personnel who also provide reference assistance and relay requests for materials. Rules often apply to use of materials in order to protect against inadvertent damage; Writing implements which use ink are very commonly prohibited, as well as flash photography, use of mobile phones, and the presence of food and beverages. Protective gloves are sometimes required when consulting particularly delicate materials, photographs, and metal objects, and many libraries may require that books be read only while resting in special cradles.