Introduction

Today's academic library building planners include more than the library staff and the university's architect. Representatives are drawn from campus constituency groups and campus information partners, including telecommunications staff and computing representatives. This demonstrates a major change for libraries. No longer viewed solely for the resources they house, libraries are considered key players in the world wide information network. Now, academic librarians collaborate routinely with other campus information specialists to offer a multitude of resources. As library collections outgrow their facilities, many librarians are turning to their "partner" to join them in developing "digital" libraries. This article describes the building planning process undertaken by an academic library in preparation for a library renovation and addition.

The Project

The "Library of the Future" at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) is a collaborative project of library faculty and staff, information technology personnel and other campus colleagues. The plan reflects the university's goal to provide a physical location and a digital library where all forms of information and knowledge can be accessed electronically. The continuing advancements in information retrieval necessitate a joint venture between academic libraries and their information partners. SIUC's planning documenting describes an effort that reflects the library's needs by documenting the current and future space needed for collection, study and service in addition to a facility that will include instructional technology laboratories, multimedia areas and distance learning centers.

Preliminary Planning

SIUC's planning for the Library of the Future began when the university's president appointed the Library of the Future Committee in 1992. This committee, chaired by the dean of Library Affairs, included representatives from the university's administration, faculty, students and members of the library and Information Technology staffs (including telecommunications experts). Their charge was to develop a building program planning statement for an addition to and renovation of the university's library, a facility that would house Library Affairs and Information Technology, two groups that share the goal of providing access to information while supporting the instructional and research missions of the university.

Initially, the committee discussed the current and future information needs of the university and the role that the library and Information Technology, working cooperatively, would assume. Once consensus was reached on these roles, the planning process began. The committee agreed upon three concepts central to the mission of the Library of the Future:

• The library must do more than house books and provide study and staff space. It must also provide the navigational tools to access the expanding world wide information network.

• Develop flexible facilities for training and instruction.

• Provide areas where librarians, information technology staff, faculty and students could work together.

The Process

Two librarians were appointed to coordinate the project. Their first task was to complete a literature review on joint ventures between computing centers and libraries. This represents a change from previous library building program planning statements that were developed for the architect. Typically, these plans

*Thyra K. Russell is Personnel Librarian at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Barbara G. Preece is Assistant Access Services Librarian at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

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described facilities devoted solely to library activities. Today's planning statement must include information for telecommunication specialist's, campus computing professionals, college and university administrators, library staff and the architect. These documents describe buildings that hold both print and digitized materials, offer flexible space used for instruction and training and serve as the campus information center. Two publications that provided guidance were: Libraries for the Future: Planning Buildings That Work, papers from the LAMA Library Buildings Preconference, June 27-28, 1991, edited by Ron G. Martin¹; and Planning Academic and Research Library Buildings, by Philip D. Leighton and David C. Weber.²

The librarians then held a series of meetings with the library's strategic planning group, which includes library administrators, library faculty, civil service staff and Information Technology representatives. One of these meetings included a half-day retreat devoted to a discussion of the Library of the Future. Other venues included departmental meetings and monthly "open" meetings in which library faculty and staff offered suggestions and comments on the proposed facility. Information Technology employees also met during this time to present their ideas on the plan for the building. Library staff members were continually updated on the progress of the project and encouraged to give their ideas on what the facility should include. Other resources that proved helpful to the librarians in developing the plan included attendance at national meetings where college and university library buildings were discussed; e-mail correspondence, including notes to several listservs; site visits to libraries involved in similar projects; interviews; photographs of new facilities and copies of other library building program planning statements.

The next step was to review and compare the library's blueprints and space inventory to the existing facility. The space inventory details each room within the library by number, room-type code, function and area. It was discovered that changes had occurred throughout the years that were not reflected in the inventory. For example, space that currently held collections was previously described as patron space. This review reaffirmed the library's need for additional space. It was also used to determine the library's future space needs. The needs assessment is a critical part of the planning statement since it documents space needs in the areas of study, collection and service.

SIUC's Library Affairs then employed a facilities planner who assisted in the analysis and evaluation of the library's current and future space needs. Collection size, student enrollment and staff size were three elements used to determine the amount of space currently needed; projections for future space were based on these figures. While a large amount of space will continue to be dedicated to the print collection, there will be a need for additional areas that require "flexible" space to accommodate instructional, multimedia and distance learning units.

Once the facilities planner completed her analysis, the next step was to integrate all the components into a single document. The Library of the Future committee met and discussed the data compiled. Most importantly, it was decided that this document should emphasize the collaborative efforts among the library, Information Technology and others.

Collaboration

Partnerships between SIUC's Library Affairs and Information Technology began when six Information Technology staff members moved to the library in 1992 to develop, along with the library staff, the Campus Wide Information System. The first module, the information system LINKS (Library Information Networks), provides access to more than two dozen research libraries, the Library of Congress and more than 800 Illinois libraries in addition to abstracts, indices and table of contents services. Today, the library staff and its campus information partners are collaborating on projects that provide networked access to full-text images and distance learning initiatives that provide state-of-the art distance learning areas, which allow for two-way communication between distant points, interactive classes and teleconferencing.

Additional joint facilities described in the building program planning statement include:

• Teleconferencing and distance learning laboratories.

• Advanced facilities for instruction, research and training.

• Training facilities for faculty and staff.

• Space and continually updated equipment that provide general access to local, national and international networked information.

• Individual research laboratory space, similar to today's library carrels and faculty students, for independent work.

• Focused laboratories to support initiatives such as Geographical Information Systems and multimedia.

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• Creative research and development laboratories in which teams of experts can aid the university in information technology developments.

• Fully equipped and flexible office areas for the staffs of the library. Information Technology and other information partners.

• Reference and help desks that support both technology-based and traditional activities of students and faculty.

• Space for servers and other behind-the-scenes equipment

The Plan

While the building program plan emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts it also included a number of sections devoted to the design of the facility. These included organizational charts of Library Affairs and Information Technology, the functional relationships among departments, standard office features, general building considerations, definitions of general building areas, and individual room descriptions. The latter include room-type code, square footage, intended use, special room and equipment requirements and location. Finally, the document contains several appendices, including mission statements, technology plans, space-need projections, and spreadsheets documenting the space requests.

Conclusion

Planning for the Library of the Future is made possible through the collaboration of many units on campus. The digital library will become a reality because campus information partners (library staff, information technology staff and others) are working together to provide a place where the full range of library and information services, instructional technology, multimedia and distance learning facilities will be available. The goal of this collaborative project is to provide students and faculty with new opportunities for instruction, research and improved productivity. Continued collaborative efforts will mean this goal will become a reality.

References and Notes

1. Ron G. Martin, ed. Libraries for the Future: Planning Buildings That Work. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1992).

2. Keyes D. Metcalf. Planning Academic and Research Library Buildings. 2d ed. Edited by Philip D. Leighton and David C. Weber. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1986).

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