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A practical and valuable resource for librarians and architects
THIS book is a compre- hensive guide to designing a new library building and refurbishing, modi fying or updating an existing one. Few librarians are skilled in architecture and few architects have in-depth insight into librarianship. This book shows how the knowledge and skillset of the two professions can be combined to deliver excellent, user-focused libraries. It addresses fundamental aspects of library design includ- ing project management cycle, processes involved in designing a library, cost-eff ectiveness, team working, design language, quality of building structure, space planning, the importance of community engagement and many other subjects. Diff erent types of libraries are referenced in the book but the underlying principles apply to any library. The fi rst edition of this book was published in 2009 and this edition has been compre- hensively updated to include observations on the increasing drive to sustainability in build- ing design, environmental and ecological considerations, the need for including fl exibility and adaptability in design, the requirement for multi-purpose libraries, accelerated devel- opment of digital services as well as the eff ect of Covid-19 pandemic on library layout and design.
This scope of this work is international and the authors make use of their experience of library projects in Eastern Europe, Africa and South Asia. Appendices contain a fascinating list of newly built or
April-May 2023
Build confi dence and become a better teacher with learning strategies
Khan, Ayub and Thebridge, Stella. Better by Design: an introduction to planning, designing and developing library build- ings. London: Facet Publishing, 2022. 152 pp. ISBN 9781783305704. £60.
refurbished libraries around the world listing their location, type, year opened, architect involved and key features – a rich source of inspiration for anyone looking for examples of good library design.
This guide is highly readable and practical, full of examples, bullet points, case studies, tables and diagrams. Each chapter ends with a summary of main learning points making it suitable as a reference guide to be consulted as and when needed. It is a crucial resource for librarians and architects and a valuable handbook for students of librarianship and architecture.
Margaret Iwona Katny London SW19
A PRACTICAL and thought-provoking read, this book aims to show how to make the best use of a short amount of time when teaching informa- tion literacy skills. It focuses on librarians in American universities but the authors state early on that, while the ideas given won’t nec- essarily work in every library, they can be easily adapted to fi t other situations. They emphasise that a program of information skills taught throughout the academic year is the ideal but that with the right planning, eff ective skills can be taught in one session. To facilitate this, we are reminded that collaboration with teaching departments is absolutely essential. An eff ec- tive information skills session can only be created with input from the relevant member of teaching staff who can then reinforce your message in class. Chapter two concentrates on this and is full of useful advice on how to build and foster rela- tionships with curriculum staff . Buchanan and McDonough make it clear that it won’t be possible to cover everything in one session. They suggest we identify core concepts and focus on those, which is what makes curriculum collaboration so important. We are encour- aged to see things from the students’ perspective: what is ingrained to us isn’t necessarily so obvious to a student. The authors are aware that teaching and presentation skills might not come easily and off er
Buchanan, Hiedi E. and McDonough, Beth A. The One-Shot Library Instruction Survival Guide. Chicago: ALA 2021. 164 pp. ISBN 9780838912157. £23
practical tips for dealing with this. They suggest that the best teaching encourages student conversation or refl ection and provide plenty of ideas to ensure active participation in sessions.
Other chapters focus on
eff ective learning assessment and online sessions. At the end of each chapter, we are asked to refl ect on our own experiences and given scenarios to solve. In this way, the book not only reassures us but also helps us to improve and build on our own teaching sessions.
Beth Cutler Dudley College
INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 47
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