Library Space Planning Guide

1 -LibrarySpace Planning GuideConnecticut State LibraryHartford, Connecticut2002 -Contact PersonMary Louise Jensen, Building ConsultantDivision of Library DevelopmentConnecticut State LibraryTel: 860/566-2712; 1-800/253-7412 Fax: 860/525-7645E Mail: Library BOARDAnn M Clark, ChairEdmund B. Sullivan, Vice-ChairJudge Joseph P. FlynnJudge Francis X. HennessyJoy HostageMollie KellerLarry KibnerE. Frederick PetersenBetty SternbergEdwin E. WilliamsLIBRARY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFK endall Wiggin, State LibrarianSharon Brettschneider, Director, Division of Library DevelopmentEunice DiBella, Public Records AdministratorMark Jones, State ArchivistRichard Kingston, Director, Administrative ServicesDean Nelson, Museum AdministratorLynne Newell, Director, Information Services Division -2002 (1986 original published and revised in 1989, 1996, 1999, 2001)The following individuals served on the 1996 committee that revised this document.

2 NolanLushington, James Kusack, Richard Schoenhardt, Anne Walluk, Susan Cormier, and MaryLouise Jensen, Wisconsin State Library pamphlet served as the basis for some of the material. Excerpts werereprinted from Public Library Space Needs: A Planning Outline, by Anders Dahlgren, withpermission from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 125 South Webster Street,Madison, WI publication can be downloaded from the CSL Webpage at is available at no cost from:Mary Louise Jensen, Building ConsultantConnecticut State LibraryDivision of Library Development231 Capitol AvenueHartford, CT 06106-1537 - CONTENTSI ntroduction.

3 1 Step-by-Step PlanningStep 1: Service Population ..2 Step 2: Collection Space ..3 Step 3: Public Electronic Workstation Space and Information on Automation 5 Step 4: User Seating ..8 Step 5: Staff Work Area Space ..10 Step 6: Meeting Room Space ..11 Step 7: Special Use Space ..13 Step 8: Non-Assignable Space ..17 Step 9: Putting It All Together ..18 Step 10: Site and Parking .. 1 (The Library Improvement Planning Process) .. 22 Appendix 2 (Quantity Measures)..24 Appendix 3 (Bibliography ..25 Appendix 4 (Websites).. 27 Worksheet (separate excel sheet) .. 28 Library Area Form ..34 Library Space Planning Guide -1- Introduction This outline is intended to initiate a largerfacilities Planning process.)

4 By completing thisoutline, librarians and trustees can quicklyobtain a general estimate of their Library 's spaceneeds. With that estimate, planners can assessthe adequacy of the existing overall squarefootage and they can determine if a moredetailed study would be appropriate. This outline does not presume to offer a preciseestimate of Space needs. There are manydetailed factors affecting Space needs andservice projections that are not addressed in thisbooklet. Only seven broad types of Library spaceare defined here: collection Space public electronic workstation Space user seating Space staff work area Space meeting room Space special-use Space non-assignable/mechanical Space Calculation of the needs in these broad types ofspace, however, quantifies the largest share byfar of the overall projected Space needs.

5 A moredetailed study would serve to refine the overallspace needs assessment. (See Appendix 1). Library planners must also acknowledge thatavailability of Space (or lack of it) is not the solereason for examining physical facilities. Energyefficiency and condition of the heating,ventilating and air conditioning systems (idealtemperature and humidity for preservingmaterials are 65 to 70o with 35 to 50%humidity), adaptability to meet the electrical andtelecommunications requirements of tomorrow'slibrary technologies, assessment of the generaleffectiveness of work flow, accessibility topeople with disabilities, and compliance withfederal, state and local fire, safety, and buildingcodes are all suitable reasons to examine thestructure that houses your local Library .

6 The Connecticut State Building Code applies toall new buildings and alterations and additions toexisting buildings. All new construction areasmust comply, but existing non-altered areas mayremain non-conforming as long as total heightand area requirements are not exceeded, safety isnot reduced, and handicapped accessibility isprovided. The Fire Safety Code applies to allareas of existing and new buildings. Examples of regulations that might apply are: Any room or floor area which is occupied by50 or more persons must have two means ofegress to a fire exit. The two exits must beremote from one another. Occupancy loads are calculated at oneperson per 50 square feet of floor area inreading rooms, one per 100 square feet instack areas, and one per 7 square feet inassembly rooms without fixed seats.

7 Stairways and vertical shaft ways must beenclosed by two hour rated construction, orone hour if the building is totally sprinkledwhere adequate water is available. Buildings with elevators must have areas ofrefuge for person with a physical disability,unless the building is totally sprinkled. Live-load capacity required for structuraldesign is 100 pounds per square foot (PSF)for public and assembly uses, 60 PSF forreading areas, and 150 PSF for stack flexibility requires a consistent 150 PSF throughout the Library . The size of the building, its proximity toother buildings and uses, and the type ofconstruction will determine otherrequirements. This Planning Guide is intended to explain thespecial building requirements for public librariesthus includes additional Space requirements.

8 A major federal law that may also affect Space isthe Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990(ADA). This law gives citizens with disabilitiesthe right to participate fully in public libraryservices, and may require alterations to ensureLIBRARY Space Planning Guide -2-accessible services. The emphasis under theADA is on accessible services rather than fullyaccessible buildings. Please keep in mind thatyou will need an accessible route, a continuousunobstructed path connecting all accessibleelements and spaces of a building. Interioraccessible routes may include corridors, floors,ramps, elevators, lifts, and clear floor Space nextto furniture. Buildings officially designated as historicallysignificant are not exempt form the ADA, butlibraries do not have to damage the historicintegrity of the structure to make themaccessible; every effort should be made toprovide at least a minimal degree of access in ahistoric structure.

9 Basically, the Planning outline adheres to thetraditional Library Planning methodology inwhich past Library experience relating populationto Library building size determines the facilitiesthat are needed. However, a Planning processbased on Library service output measures by theAmerican Library Association should also beused in this process. The recommendations in some of the steps areminimums, and public libraries are encouragedto go beyond these recommendations. Libraryplanners should also remember that their plansought to reflect the community s informationneeds for at least the next 20 years. While theactual long-term impact of evolving technologycannot be predicted, its importance in the librarywill continue to grow, and plans should providefor that growth.

10 Library OUTPUT MEASURES are found inthe paperback entitled Output Measures forPublic Libraries; A Manual for StandardizedProcedures, 2nd ed. (Chicago, AmericanLibrary Association, 1987). Planning forExcellence: A Checklist for Connecticut PublicLibraries (Hartford, Connecticut State Library ,1986), Planning and Role Setting for PublicLibraries (Chicago: American LibraryAssociation, 1987), and Minimum Standards forConnecticut Principal Public Libraries(Hartford, Connecticut State Library , 1994) arealso helpful Planning tools. A worksheet is included in the Application forState Public Library Construction Grant to helpwith the calculation of a Library 's projectedoverall Space Planning Step 1: Service Population Effective Library facilities Planning begins with aprojection of the service population 20 yearshence.