Information Scotland The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland ISSN 1743-5471 Issue contents | Journal contents | About the online edition of the journal December 2007 Volume 5(6)

Buildings and design

A little restraint, please, this is a library.

Tony Ross and Richard Fallis are going to write a regular column for Information Scotland. First, they have something to say about buildings.

Earlier this year, the design was announced for the new National Library of the Czech Republic in Prague. The design of this building certainly provides a contentious talking-point, which would seem to be its main aim. Therefore, in the spirit of contention, let us state that, in our view, it is ugly, misguided, and indicative of a key preoccupation of contemporary architecture: courting controversy through extreme innovation, thus producing carbuncular landmarks which act as vulgar advertisements for place, purpose and architect. How has it come to pass that that most venerable, stately, and elbow-patched of buildings, the library, has become swept up in this rush for such upstart architecture?

Designers of libraries have always tried to make statements, but in the past they seemed less concerned with creating a sensation than with embodying ideals of wisdom and knowledge. An influential report from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and Resource (now MLA), entitled Better Public Libraries (2003) describes how the public library has traditionally been considered a “Temple of Knowledge”, an inspirational place warranting respect, even a measure of reverence. This notion was reflected in the
Neo-Classical design of the libraries which resulted from Carnegie’s bequest, and we should be thankful that these libraries were commissioned in the Edwardian period, when Neo-Classicism was still valued both aesthetically and as a means of signposting, even celebrating, wisdom and knowledge.

So why is the situation so different today? Why is the design of modern libraries being entrusted more and more to talented, but self-aggrandising, individuals who seem oblivious, if not disdainful, of the noble precedent that may best be represented by the Carnegie libraries? In the UK at least, the answer appears to lie in the perceived need to rethink libraries in the face of such diverse factors as: falling user figures; rapid changes in demography and population spread; ever-accelerating revolutions in ICT; the fervour for lifelong learning; and the fusion of leisure and personal development in an increasingly individualistic culture. It seems that libraries, particularly public libraries, must rebrand themselves in order to project a confident and vibrant identity that will attract new users. Rebranding, however, is fundamentally a business strategy for ‘making over’ a failing product or organisation, one that is not commercially viable in its current form, so as to make it more popular in the eyes of consumers. Which raises the question: are libraries failing?

If success is measured by libraries’ traditional aim of providing users with access to dedicated staff and a range of quality resources, then no, it is patently not true that they are failing. Given that statistics show user numbers to be in decline, however, there is an undeniable need to re-engage people with their public libraries. To state the obvious: libraries operating in the public sector are paid for by the public, and therefore have a responsibility to provide users with services they want to use. Hence, convergence with other community and educational services is seen as the path to increasing the overall relevance of libraries. This has coincided with the development of Idea Stores, Discovery Centres, Love Libraries initiatives, all of which have seen libraries remodel themselves along commercial lines, with specific emphasis placed on replicating aspects of the retail sector, such as bookshops. Indeed, Better Public Libraries points out that non-library users are in the habit of “...comparing libraries with their experiences of bookshops – and bookshops are coming out better. People say they want libraries to be modern and welcoming.” (p14).

Design needs to encompass vitally important issues such as accessibility for the disabled and the provision of security and access to out-of-hours services. However, the need to be “modern and welcoming” also requires more superficial changes, resulting in a move to give libraries a less formal and more inclusive image. In fact, Better Public Libraries reimagines the modern library, not as the “Temple of Knowledge”, but as the “living room in the city”. It is our view that, while a rethink of libraries is necessary, it is essential to show restraint so that, in making libraries more welcoming, they are not reduced to serving as cosy drop-ins, mainly used to check emails and borrow airport fiction.

To state things more bluntly, libraries are public spaces whose purpose is the storage and dissemination of knowledge; library design must, first and foremost, reflect this purpose. It is therefore wholly inadequate for libraries to operate on a purely superficial level, serving as a kind of bland hybrid of the local Internet café and the high-street bookshop. Libraries must deliver user-focused services, while still venerating and valuing knowledge. Libraries should be inspirational places, and unabashed about being so.

Knowledge and education are held to be crucial to democratic participation, to economic prosperity, and to living a healthy and happy life. Libraries really are, in a literal sense, temples of knowledge; this fundamental role must not be forgotten. Libraries are in a difficult position; acting as the embodiment of ancient ideals while pragmatically delivering public services. This is what makes them so truly important. It is unfortunate that modern library design contrives to be excessively modern, at the expense of all that is most trusted, and valuable, about the library as an institution.

Change is necessary, but, at the risk of sounding Luddite, a little restraint, please. We are librarians, after all.

Information Scotland Vol. 5(6) December 2007

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