The Library as a Physical Social Network
We are all familiar with social networks by now whether it be Twitter, Myspace, Flickr, Last.FM, Foursquare, and of course, Facebook. When you think about the characteristics that all of those networks have in common, it’s that they bring people together and feed information to them at the same time. The whole purpose and reason for using a social network is to see what a friend is up to, or view a link somebody posted. It’s a quick and easy way to gather information about somebody or something (stalking is accepted these days, right?) without going through the hassle of asking them yourself in person or giving them a quick call. So what does that have to do with the library?
Well, in re-conceptualizing the library, it is apparent that it wants to become one of these trendy social networks that brings people of various majors, backgrounds, needs, interests, etc into a building for a particular purpose – to gain information. That isn’t so very different from what the library has always been of course, but there is a new twist to it – the library is not just a place to quietly gain information alone – it is a place of social interaction whether it be studying in a group with friends or just in an area with traffic where a ‘chance meeting’ might occur. Of course, not everybody wants this, so there are privacy settings of course (corny Facebook reference) to allow for personalized profiles (and yet another) of study environments to suite everybody in the network.
I have already hinted at a few, but here are more characteristics that a library and social network share.
click to enlarge
A social network
Social networks aren’t going away. They will probably only grow in both population and quantity. If the library is to do the same, it must take on these traits so the social network as we know it becomes a physical architectural entity.
-Adam Roark
The Library is dead. Long live the Library.
We’ve whittled this project down to its core essentials – its nuclear material, if you will; information and the people who use it. Oh, and there’s this building that is supposed to contain those two things. But, the reality is that the library building is not as essential to housing the information as it once was. Digitized information and entire research databases can be accessed from living rooms, coffee shops, and anywhere there is wired or wireless Internet access, and in most cases that digital information in “the cloud” is hosted somewhere outside of the library’s physical walls. In light of that, how will the library survive if it is no longer a repository for information?
We know people want information. What form that information takes is less important and will undoubtedly change as time marches on. 7000 years ago, Sumerian libraries held clay tablets with cuneiform writing. 2000 years ago, Greek libraries held papyrus scrolls and Chinese libraries had silk scrolls. 1000 years ago European libraries held handwritten books. 25 years ago, libraries carried audio and videotapes. In all of those cases, the information was contained in a physical vessel and you had to go to the library to access it. Today if the information is not housed in a physical book, then it may be a .pdf, ebook, or audiobook you can download from your local library’s website without even walking into the building. Tomorrow it may be a virtual interactive haptic experience collaborating with others around the globe. As the delivery systems for information evolve, and each hot new technology becomes a snapshot in time (remember the Palm? How about Zip Drives?), it is important to not get stuck playing catch-up with the latest fad.
But what does that have to do with the library as a typology? How can a library provide information but contain no books? How do we design for the practicalities of the day-to-day operation of the library while allowing for future flexibility?
Information does not need a physical home. At its most basic level, information is simply an idea communicated to another person. It might be verbal, visual, or written. At one time, you had to be in contact with a person or a physical container like a book to obtain that information, but these days information floats through the air like leaves in the wind. You only need an electronic device and wireless connection to catch those leaves and reassemble them into something useful. In research libraries such as MUSC has, books and journals are being discarded as the information they contain slowly becomes outdated and new editions are delivered digitally. Why would people want to travel to a library with no books, especially when information can be obtained online?
So, back to the start of this post – we have three elements: People, information, and the library. See the chart below. People need information. But information does not really need people once the information has been created. Information does not need a single library building to contain or consolidate it. People also no longer need the building to get to information. The library, however needs both of the other elements – information makes a library a library (it would just be an office building otherwise), and a building basically exists to shelter people, provide comfort, and contain stuff.
The design phase we’re beginning now indicates that we have to position the library in-between the information and the people who need/want to access it. For the library to remain relevant 10, 20, 50 years from now, it will need to draw people in and become a destination, not just a utility. The challenge is to determine what will get people to choose to travel to the library for information again.
If we look at information as ideas conveyed from one person to another, then the library as a social gathering spot makes typological sense, since that function provides a source of free information as people interact. This is simply one possibility. Providing access to information in all of its forms, not just today, but in the next 100 years seems to be the right direction for this project. We can easily design for the information delivery systems we are familiar with today (books, computers, phones, tablet computers, etc.); the trick is to not pigeonhole ourselves into designing only for those modalities and specific technologies which are all dead ends in the evolutionary tree. If we use broad brushstrokes and paint using the three core elements – Information, People, and Building, then we should avoid painting ourselves into a corner and should be able to deliver a new archetype which may not even be called “library.”
The library is dead. Long live the library.
-Mike “Why So Serious?” McCarthy
Progression Update (09.27.10)
Studio U has been hard at work after presenting research to the client on September 17. The meeting proved very beneficial in receiving feedback and moving forward as well as providing great energy and optimism on both ends. The next task at hand in the re-inventing of the MUSC library is to take the research a step further as we analyze it in depth – a process that will consist of:
- Identifying key issues
- Identifying key principles from the above issues
- Come up with some basic concepts based on the principles
The next meeting with the client is October 8. We have a under two weeks to do what might be the most important part of this process in terms of ensuring that our designs of Library 2.0 (working name) will be both future-proof and future-friendly.
Our working process will be something like this:
(click to enlarge)
One of the key things we gathered from our last meeting was something that we kind of already knew and understood, but was great to hear out loud re-affirmed, was that the main concern and goal of the library is to provide for the students. The students are number one. That is something we are thinking about as we analyze the building they spend so much time in and how it could better suit them.
Proceed and Be Bold
Studio V is the sister-studio to Studio U with a different focus on architectural learning where design-build is the emphasis of the course. It makes sense that their design-build project is to build a public movie screen to play a documentary about the late Samuel Mockbee who is an architect hero in the realm of design-build and architects in general. Recently, Studio V blogged with the famous “Sambo” Mockbee quote in mind to proceed and be bold.
As somebody who has been to Mockbee’s Rural Studio at Auburn University, I have a great deal of respect for the program that he started which teaches students the necessities of architecture and design while helping less-fortunate people – which should be the main responsibility and intent of any architect. Mockbee’s famous motto (which he obviously lived his life by) is one that I am always trying to incorporate into my own life. The quote and outlook on architecture and life may seem to correlate much easier with Studio V’s project given the context, but it is still one that everybody can live by, including us, Studio U.
Our project, the MUSC Library, is one that has never been done before. Like Mockbee’s Rural Studio’s projects, this isn’t a representation of reality, it is reality! MUSC is the first medical university in the United States to take a leap of faith to “proceed and be bold” by tossing out 98 tons of books in order to kick-start the library of the future. They have done their part, they have taken action – bold action. Now it’s up to us to do the same.
We may not be the only ones to recognize the issues at hand with the library, but we are among the first to actually set out and solve it. Being bold. That is why it is imperative for us to understand as we proceed that we could very well dictate the future of the library for not only medical universities, but libraries in the public and academic senses as well. We can’t be afraid to try something new. We don’t know for certain where technology will go, but do know the library (as a structural shell) in it’s current condition isn’t going to fit it any better as it comes about. We know that change is essential, after all, we are students and we understand the current condition and needs of the library better than most. We don’t know where our concepts will go or what our end result will be, but one thing we do know is that “Sambo” Mockbee’s life-phrase to proceed and be bold is going to be essential if we want to do what has never been done not for the sake of being the first, but for providing a working and effective solution.
Proceed and be bold.
-Samuel Mockbee
The Impact of Apple in Future Technologies
It is hard to really know where technology is heading. It changes so fast and abruptly and is never a matter of if, but rather a matter of when. One thing is for certain though, Apple is a definite front-runner in many aspects regarding technological advances. Apple, who turned a complete 180 at the turn of the century and rebranded itself almost completely has done nothing but lead the pack in terms of technical gadgets.
Look at the iPod for example. It is the device to which Apple owes much of its resurrection with ordinary consumers. Released in 2001, it has sold millions of units over the years. Just last quarter, Apple sold 9 million iPods alone – the lowest number since 2006! [source]. Apple has no reason to worry though. With the recent refresh in the iTouch which now boasts 2 cameras (say hello to even more study sessions on the go) and the ever-popular iPhone4, Apple has a lot to look forward to in this coming quarter.
The main cause for the slump in iPod sales – something practically everybody has at least one or two of – is the latest Apple device – the iPad. The iPad is a tablet device very similar to a larger iTouch or iPhone. The main difference is obviously the size and the apps that are designed specifically for the device such as a version of AutoCad, Hulu, or even the Amazon Kindle App. There is even a medical app to assist in operations. The iPad has flown off shelves as fast as it was placed on them. Frankly, it’s been a hit with an estimated 28 million units to be sold in 2001 [source].
That said, it hasn’t been as much a hit with the same crowd that MacBooks or iPods have – the college student/young adult. At least not yet. It’s really been popular with middle-aged middle-upper class men. The kind of men who really love new technology that is easy to use thanks to their recent love and hobby supplier – Apple [source].
The iPad shouldn’t be underestimated though. It still has a very bright and successful future in terms of student markets. Some schools, such as Seton Hill, are actually purchasing them for their students as e-books are growing more popular. This trend will only become more common as the device is so affordable compared to textbooks or even personal computers. Just this semester at Clemson, Business Writing Professor, Bobby Rettew, began teaching from his iPad using an external projector and e-book version of the textbook the students had to buy in classical paperback form. He is helping the revolution begin.
Many are finally looking past the jokes that people made over the device upon announcement by finding useful ways to incorporate it into note-taking, studying, file-sharing, collaboration, multi-tasking, and even plain old fun. Others, such as myself, are just waiting for a slightly better iPad with cameras and more capabilities to do things that my iTouch or Android phone won’t. After all, this is the first generation of the device. The iPad has only been out for half a year, and if it goes the same route that MacBooks and iPads have – it is only going to be more useful for the consumer and in return, sell better.
There are definitely worthy competitors to the iPad such as the Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, and even the Android-powered Dell Streak. While they all have their pro’s and serve great purposes to students – they do lack one thing – they aren’t Apple. And like other devices that have attempted to compete with iPods and laptops over the recent years, they probably won’t manage to accumulate the popularity in the long run that the iPad will.
[Fortune]
Apple has shown us that it has the ability to constantly improve its products and lead the way in innovation, and while it may not have the leading market-share in computers (yet), the brand and it’s products – especially the iPad – should be considered when planning for the future mass-adopted technology – especially amongst college students and people interested in gathering information on the go. This post may have seemed like an advertisement, but it was actually just reality of what a very likely prediction of the future will be in terms of technology and mobility from what we have seen over the past few years. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.
Client Meeting #1
Today we had our first (of many to come) client meeting with library administrators Mary Mauldin, Nancy McKeehan and Thomas Basler. It was great to finally sit down in a professional setting and hear firsthand from the clients about what exactly they want us to do in the months ahead. The enthusiasm that they had for the project really motivated us even more as a studio to dig in and get the wheels in motion for this project.
We are very fortunate to have clients who are able to look at their building and be completely honest in criticizing what does and doesn’t work in the space. Before the meeting, I was worried we would be doing a large deal of persuading about things that we should change that perhaps the clients would be stubborn and hesitant in doing. That was not the case at all. The people who work in the library and see the positives and negatives every day are very realistic and open in moving forward and not looking back. Even Nancy McKeehan, who has worked in the library since it was built in the 1970’s, is able to say goodbye. You don’t see that often. That said, they would not have contacted us if they didn’t recognize a problem and actually want to do something about said problem. We are quite fortunate to have that support behind us.
After a professional meeting and discussion about the goals and ideas of the project in a very broad and basic sense, we proceeded to take a tour through the working floors of the library. This tour showed us how the library is currently being used which was overwhelmingly a place for students to study via laptops. We discovered several computer labs which were rather popular among students as well as tables and desks – many of which were poorly designed and in awkward spaces. Additionally, we encountered many enclosed rooms for a more private and personal atmosphere which were all inhabited by medical students.
One of the main things about the layout of the library that stood out to me was definitely the awkward positioning of stairs which seemed to lack organization completely. Whereas in the Clemson library, one set of stairs basically takes you through all floors, the MUSC library floors were connected by a set of stairs unrelated to the next set. A few other things that definitely stood out to me were the lighting situations and temperature jumps and just overall being confused about where I was at all times.
None of these things prevent the building from being used as a study and working space, but they do make for an uncomfortable experience and should be looked at and solved. The enthusiasm and excitement that our clients displayed in our meetings and tours of the space definitely rubbed off on us and sparked a fire in Studio U to get things done and make this dream a reality. That is something that makes being an architecture student more fun for sure!
What does ‘Library’ mean in the 21st century?
As a student who has spent many nights in the Clemson library, I can honestly say that I have never actually picked up a book that I hadn’t already brought with me. That seems to be the case with a majority of students at the MUSC campus as well. The staff at the library has witnessed and identified this evolution in a society that no longer relies on books as a main source of information and they have contacted us to come in figure out the direction they need to go.
There are many steps that need to be taken to figure out the future of the MUSC library. We can’t just start drawing floor plans of what needs to change. The first thing we must assess is what the word “library” even means in this day and age. Is the term restricted to the “little kid idea” of being a building you go to read quietly while a librarian constantly says “shhh” when a peep is made?
We don’t think so. At least not in this digital and technological world where I have access to more books and periodicals on my smart phone than I do in the entire school library. We live in an informational age where we are constantly being fed information. We don’t need to seek out a “library full of books” to access that information anymore. The information practically comes to us whether we want it to or not. That is just the reality of the modern times. In some sense, the modern library can be viewed as the internet itself and we are just trying to redesign the shell into a more accessible and comfortable space for learning.
Thinking about the modern library as more of a digital thing accessed by laptops, cellphones, iPads, etc instead of physical shelves of books beckons the question that everybody is dying to know: what happens to the books? MUSC has already answered that question for us to a large extent – throw them away. Over the 2010 summer, MUSC threw away multiple tons of books to make space for people with laptops. Such a bold action has received both negative and positive reactions from people young and old. Some people simply think it is sad to see the books thrown into the garbage can and that is definitely something we are aware of as we proceed in not only understanding the needs of students but also the desires and feelings Change rarely comes easy. Even myself, the guy who has never picked up a book in the library finds it somewhat sad to imagine a library without any books. Just earlier this year, a group of faculty and students at Syracuse expressed their disapproval of throwing books out [link].
As sad or hard as it may be however, the future remains clear that digital is here to stay. We have looked at the various technologies of accessing vital information such as the Barnes & Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, both PC and Macintosh laptops, Android phones, iPhones, Microsoft Surface, and of course the ever popular iPad. The technology is here and will no doubt not stop rolling out. The trick is figuring out which ones will fade, go viral, and of course using our best judgement about those that haven’t even made an appearance yet. One thing is for sure, never say it won’t happen.
Things are changing faster and faster in this ever-accelerating world and the trick to solving the issue of what the library is and isn’t anymore will rely on thinking into the future and keeping up with the technology and spacial requirements as best we can. For all we know, rethinking this idea of what a library is may be necessary as often as you get a new laptop or cell phone. Only time will tell.
The one thing we do know is that we want our end goal to be a comfortable, organized, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing place for medical students to study, learn, and complete their tasks in as lovely a place as possible. They deserve it.
CAC.C 
