Library Renovations
According to a recent article "most librarians
gain knowledge about buildings and construction only by going through a
renovation project -- meaning that the "lessons learned" come only
after the fact" (Antell & McCoy, 2011).
Unfortunately, since renovations are expensive and
timely the library or building has to live with the decision of the change or
renovation that was made. It is extremely important to make a correct idea or assessment
of what is being renovated because the decision is final once it is made.
Sources such as the "The Library Renovation, Maintenance, and Construction Handbook" provides a nice in depth look of all the intricacies
that go into renovating a library. It gives the reader "the knowledge of the elements of a successful building project: design, construction, and commissioning" (Antell & McCoy,
2011). It also gives the reader an idea of what to expect in terms of the cost
and the extra work that goes into a major renovating project.
For example, the Roseville Library in Roseville,
Minnesota recently renovated their library in order to have a more sustainable
design and exhibit environmentally
friendly features. The renovation proved to be costly
at $10 million and it opened its doors in 2010. The environmentally friendly decisions
ripple through the building in the form of "furnishings, finishes, and
fixtures because the building was built from the top down as opposed to
the usual building from the bottom down philosophy" (Wenzel, 2011). The
result is a new environmentally friendly library that the citizens of Minnesota
can use on a day to day basis.
The environmentally friendly library applies to the
science aspect because the Roseville library should be used as an example to
"go green" because pollution and other hazards are destroying the
world that we inhabit. It is important that we as citizens protect our
resources because this is the only planet we have to live in.
References:
Antell, K., & McCoy, S. (2011). The Library
Renovation, Maintenance, and Construction Handbook. Reference & User
Services Quarterly, 51(2), 205-206. Retrieved April 14, 2012, from
the EBSCO Host- Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with
Full Text database.
Wenzel, H. (2011). Pop Goes the Library!. Library
Journal, 1, 14. Retrieved April 16, 2012, from the UNT-Electronic
Resources database.
The idea of linking sustainability at a STEM library is a great idea. You can link sustainability to all aspects of the STEM fields, and the library can use this to talk about the STEM fields. Also having more environmentally friendly buildings is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI agree that most libraries are going green. At my local library they are very green and have won awards for their enviromental friendly aspects. One of the things I like is the rainwater collection devices that is made to look like art along the building and there is a plaque describing what it is and how important it is to save water.
ReplyDeleteI am a bit of a troll when it comes to "green" libraries. Don't get me wrong - using environmentally-friendly materials, and collecting rainwater as Jennifer mentioned, are admirable things to do. But all those e-resources draw a tremendous amount of electric power. Server farms require fresh water and open space for cooling, and the environment does not have an unlimited amount of either; their availability will decrease as server farms continue to heat up the environment. Here's a recent article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/9209505/Apple-battles-Greenpeace-over-dirty-iPhone-server-farms.html
ReplyDeleteTroll, eh. Me too! With all the best will in the world, I understand why people feel good about a Green Library, but trust me: When the budgets start being cut, the first thing that will go will be the expensive rain-water collecting electrical server that requires a billion dollar tune up when it breaks. And if necessary the librarians will be hammering dodo pelts to the walls to keep the drafts out. Money is the ultimate King, even (and especially) in the library world. Sustainability may be a passing fashion, particularly if the economy keeps declining as it is. A particular irritation: My library uses a "green" bug spray that...doesn't seem to kill anything. I think it works by being so sugary and delicious that the bugs eat it up and get too fat to mate. Or something like that.
DeleteI'm unfamiliar with the phrase, "building from the bottom down." What does that mean?
ReplyDeleteI like the idea that the Roseville library incorporated green ideas whenever possible. It may be more expensive in the beginning, but it has rewards for long-term use.
I think the library was not build like a typical building because building from the bottom down means you start building the base which takes many unnecessary resources.
Delete"Going green" seems overdone in our society. Of course we should do everything we can to prolong the reign of humans over the planet, but that may cost the library greater than it would have otherwise. And with library budgets being cut with economic downfall, there are more important things for the library to worry about than how recycled the window glass is.
ReplyDelete