In Progress: Enlightening Libraries Competition
Currently, a friend and I are working on a competition that involves using Kawneer products to help re-envision the idea of the Library for the future. While the need for money is a great motivator in these kinds of things, the idea is incredibly fascinating. At least it is to me. The future of the library, a building typology some might believe to be on its way out. In our world of instant downloads and a wireless world, what use is there in a book? And without the need of a book, what use is a library? I myself am a huge believer in technology and its ability to disperse information quicker and more accurate than ever before. But, much as my girlfriend and the good Doctor are right to remind, there is still something about a library, isn’t there? The smell of books, the feel of the weight in your hands, the paper. You can scroll and Ctrl+F through a PDF as much as you like, but it doesn’t feel the same as flipping pages. As hard as technology tries, it still can’t duplicate this event.
So what does this mean for the library of the future? Well, in our explorations of this building type, we allowed ourselves to travel backwards in time, to see the evolution of the purpose of the library. Surprisingly, no matter how far back you go, despite thousands of years of change and adaption, the library remained steady in its purpose. It has always been the center for information and inspiration. Through the ages, the library has been the place that has archived information for future generations and been the place from which others have become inspired by great works of authors of every craft.
So this became the point from which our ideas have developed. While technology continues to change, even in this modern day, the core purpose of the library, to inform and inspire, remains the same. It will simply grow and encompass these new technologies as it always has. What we envision is a library that is no longer confined to its dark stacks caught in a system that is outdated. What this will be is a library filled with natural light, centered around creation and information.
Stacks would still exist, but they would be opened up, no longer stuck in dark and dingy areas. They would be centered around nodes of small gathering spaces that utilize powerful, new collaboration tools and researching software. An example of these tools would be smart tables with multiple inputs. The tools would integrate with existing books and research material to allow for each individual’s preferred methodology. The areas would be open, lit by natural daylight. Circulation would move around these nodes and stack areas in order to create a cohesive progression through the library. The library would embrace both its constant, resolute identity as well as its new, future identity as a place where the creators of tomorrow get their inspiration and begin to create within the same space.
