How to Design Your Dream Library - Part 3

This is the last week of the design series on designing your dream Library you've been reading.  Now I want to get more in depth with the tools you need for organizing your thoughts and needs better.  This week we'll talk about diagrams, reviewing existing inventory and scheduling.  I even have images!!  So grab a cup of hot chocolate, coffee or whatever your warm winter beverage of choice is and keep reading for more lessons in designing your dream Library.

KEEP CALM AND DIAGRAM ON

This first diagram is called an adjacency diagram.  When you're working on your list of spaces to include in your design, make sure you do the work and break down exactly how everything should relate and function in tandem. 

Adjacency Diagram Breakdown:

1.   Make your list of all the spaces you plan to focus on in your new space.   
2. Create a simple legend to show those relationships.  Don't over complicate this.  Keep it simple and clean. 
3. Now walk through each space and locate the box that connects the two spaces you're working with and mark how they relate to each other according to your legend.

Make sure you really think about these spaces and spend time investigating all the tasks completed in each area and how they might tie into other areas.  This will help you to move quickly and easily into the next diagram style. 

The second diagram is the bubble diagram.  It's purpose is to take the adjacency diagram to the next step and begin working it into space allocations.  We won't cover the third diagram in depth because it jumps ahead into the next phase of design and that's further than we want to go for this specific series.  But what you may not realize is that this bubble diagram is slowly evolving into an actual floor plan.  The next step would be a box diagram and that begins to appear as more of a recognizable floor plan.

Here's how the bubble diagram works:

You want to create a circle for each space on your adjacency diagram and again create a very simple legend indicating spatial relationships and then mark up your diagram accordingly.  The work is done because of your adjacency diagram, now you just need to lay it all out in bubble format.  

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Believe it or not, your opinion is SO important to me.  I'm putting together a free Library design course in the coming months and would love your input on which of the two is more interesting.  Please take a minute and complete the poll in the link below:

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REVIEWING EXISTING INVENTORY

The next task you should know about is reviewing existing inventory.  This one is HUGE if you're on a tight budget.  Often in a design project, the budget is minimal and we have to decide what existing furniture pieces can stay and what just will not make it to the new space.  That typically means examining office furniture as well as public furnishings to see what is too damaged and what could certainly last another few years.  This will of course buy you some time to possibly come up with the funds to slowly replace pieces as you go.

Also make sure that the pieces you're keeping will work with the new design concept.  If you have something that totally clashes with your new color scheme or the function of the piece is significantly outdated, then it either needs to find a new home behind the scenes or magically disappear all together.

When working on inventory, make a detailed list of what you have an organize each piece into categories of what to keep, what to toss, and then the maybes.  Take photos and add those to the inventory worksheet.  You may work best in an Excel spreadsheet.  This is a great way to add detailed notes too.  Another good tip is to write down what's wrong with the piece for quicker decision making later.

SCHEDULING

This part of your project is a necessary evil.  I call it that because it is an ever-changing beast that you must have and you must update frequently to keep the project on task.  Keep in mind that it will never remain the same so it will probably drive you to distraction.

If you hire a contractor, which you will if you're doing any project that requires more than a fresh coat of paint and a few furniture pieces, they will most likely put together a good (but ever-changing) schedule for you to work from.  But in the meantime, it never hurts to put together one of your own that reflects what's going on within your own Library.  That means noting when you would like to start and when you hope to finish.  Make notes of special events that will be going on like Summer reading and any other programs you run that are big patron-pleasers.  This will open up a lot of healthy dialogue between you and your construction team.  

A QUICK NOTE ON GRAND OPENING DATES FROM SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN THERE

Don't set that date for your ribbon cutting ceremony in stone until you KNOW that it will work without any scheduling hiccups.  That means any last minute material delays, furniture install mishaps or anything else you can imagine.  While this has always been an issue with every project ever done, it is so much more critical these days.  Between Covid cancellations, material shortages and doubled lead times for furniture and materials, it is quite the Vegas-sized gamble on when you will actually be up and running to the satisfaction of your staff and patrons again.  

But don't let this discourage you.  Just know that it's a very real issue, plan the best you can for it and then don't lose your mind when a hiccup does arise.  Stay in constant communication with your contractors and take it a week at a time.  Organization and a good attitude are the keys to success here.