Objectives and priorities

Library Reconfiguration: Programmatic
Objectives and Priorities

Libraries Space Planning Committee

1) Collections housing and access
Underlying philosophy: The housing of a projected print-collection growth in a
manner that maintains those materials and provides appropriate access and
is a prime priority for the library.;

* Projected general collections of 2.9 million volumes in 2015;

Regular shelving for 2,200,000 volumes

* Special Collections

* Special reading rooms to facilitate teaching and use of collections (criteria for
inclusion is; the need for adjacency between specific collections and reading
rooms);

2) Learning, teaching and research spaces;
Underlying philosophy: We should use patron work spaces and seating patterns to
enhance learning, teaching and research; we should not be basing plans on the
concept of providing sufficient study space during finals study week and exams, nor
on providing office space for graduate students.

* Provide 2,000 public seats (current number is 2,500)

* Support individual and collaborative study in variety of environments and types
of seating

* Provide mid-sized collaborative study rooms with appropriate wiring and
networking support: able to be used as classrooms in times of peak class times for
classes needing access to library materials, but for student-initiated group study and
instruction at other times

* Provide library laboratories for training users in information seeking and use
of information resources, with appropriate computer workstations and wiring (for
laptops) support

* Support OIT student cluster and the graduate student-funded computer cluster
as learning spaces (for which a vision is under development by campus Teaching
Learning Technology Roundtable (TLTR))

* Additional wiring for laptop access throughout library public areas

3) Clear arrangement of and access to services in the library.
Underlying philosophy: The Library should maximize service to patrons by
restructuring the number and locations of service points.

* Reconfigure services desks on the first and second floors, including Circulation,
Monitors' desk, Reference, Inter- Library Loan, Periodicals/Microtext, Reserves,
Audio/Video, Music Reference, and International Studies Resource Center (ISRC)
by uniting similar functions and taking advantage of physical characteristics of the spaces,
building on the fact that questions vary in stated precision and intent, identifying
characteristics of Transactions, and defining how service areas fit together to make
a "whole circle."

* Recognize that materials from specific areas (e.g., Reserve, Periodicals) can be used
throughout the library

* Design easy to use paths for patrons and staff so that the Libraries can respond to
all sorts of questions in a timely and effective manner

* Service points and required seating will change as some collections are digitized,
including reserves, analog records, ISRC newspaper files

* Location of library subject experts should be appropriate to provide for collection
access and subject reference

4. Effective and coherent work areas for library staff.
Underlying philosophy: To a large extent the success of the library service
and of library patrons will depend on appropriate and adequate staff spaces,
well-designed with regard to necessary adjacencies.

* Reconfigure space to provide appropriate coherence and adjacencies of
department groupings and functions

* Provide expansion space for modest growth (18-20) of staff and with expansion
of library functions new to the building, including preservation activities
(reformatting, digitizing and mass deacidification) and digital text creation

5) Welcoming and functional, yet impressive lobby and entrance to the
Library.
Underlying philosophy: The first impression of the building and of the
library sets a tone for the complete library experience.

* Use the concourse and courtyard (year-round) areas in support of this
objective Snack shop,

* Maintain easy access to Campus Ministries, Auditorium, and Faculty Lounge

* Maintain opportunity for donor recognition

By: University Libraries Space Planning Committee, with participation and
contributions by faculty and students (15 April 1999; revised 22 April 1999)

NOTE: The objectives and priorities regarding building infrastructure (e.g.,
mechanical and wiring changes, window replacement, security needs, and issues
relating to building codes, etc.) are not included here. These are the responsibility
of the University of Notre Dame Facilities Engineering Department and the
architects.