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Thinking about possible improvements I know it is important to communicate our users highest needs that are not being met using the building in its present condition. To me, renovation meant a fantastic opportunity to remedy the problems.
Without knowing what is in store for the remodel or how extensive it will be, I can just offer suggestions regarding space planning and library organization for high school students.
I gained insight by talking with students and staff about what they would like to see in the library or what improvements are needed and reading articles that chronicled other libraries experiences.
An article on school library design I came across had me thinking about how we use the existing space and what can be done to make it the most effective in the future. Ideally we would have a separate, larger computer lab area away from individual and group study areas but close enough to the circulation desk so students can be monitored.
One of our biggest concerns is the lack of storage and I feel it will continue to be so, even with acquisitions of new technologies such as eBooks. The old wooden bookshelves in our existing textbook storage area can be discarded and compact shelving units that use a crank can be used.
Compact shelving works like this: the stacks move back and forth on tracks located on the floor. No aisles exist between the shelves until the user selects the aisle needed and uses a hand crank to "open" the aisle. This is a potential storage solution if we are not able to expand the space for textbook storage.