BIBLIOTHECA:

An Ideas Design Competition for the UP Diliman Law Library

Project Title Rationale
With a library you are free, not confined by temporary political climates. It is the most democratic of institutions because no one - but no one at all - can tell you what to read and when and how. - Doris Lessing Etymology. Bibliotheca - [Bibli`o`theke (Greek), Bibliotheca (Latin)]. Noun referring to a library. Greece is generally accepted as the birthplace of the concepts of democracy and the constitution, concepts that are well-aligned with the principles espoused by the UP College of Law.

Above. Ancient scrolls as would have been archived in great ancient libraries such as Alexandria.

Above. Modern-day libraries with typical stacks of catalogued books on labeled shelves.

Public Libraries & Their Cultural Relevance: A Reflection of Democracy, Sustainability & an Enduring Culture of Learning
A public library has since been relevant to a nations culture and progress. Despite of cynical forecasts of the death of public libraries, due to the trend of continuous innovations and breakthroughs in information and communications technology (ICT); libraries have reinvented themselves to align with todays overwhelming information-hungry culture. Public libraries have been one the most enduring beacons of civic pride in any nation, as it reflects the following universal principles: LIFELONG LEARNING. Now more than ever, educational upgrading, as seen in the continuous process of adaptation, self-development and re-skilling, shall be a requisite in the course of human lives, even in our domestic and recreational lives. DEMOCRACY. A public library has been described as one of the most democratic spaces wherein one will be able to free their mind as it is supposed to be devoid of philosophical / academic bias. SUSTAINABILITY. A public library promotes shared use of resources rather than individual ownership. As men have always built enduring venues to embody their ideals, the library will continue to be one of the most noble undertakings of Architecture.

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Public Libraries Around the World

Above. The National Library of Australia in Canberra.

Above. The National Library of Singapore.

Above. The National Library of the China in Beijing.

Above. The National Library of the Greece in Athens, established 1832.

Above. The former Legislative Building of the Philippines originally housed the National Library from 1928 to 1944.

Above. The new National Library of the Philippines in Manila.

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The UP Law Library: Foundations and Current State

About. The UP College of Law Library is actually the Philippines National Law Library. It contains approximately 94,000 volumes of law and law-related materials, located in the four-storey air-conditioned building connecting the College of Law (Malcolm Hall) and Law Center (Bocobo Hall).

Above. Malcolm Hall or the UP College of Law Building.

Above. Bocobo Hall or the UP Law Center.

Above. Ground floor of the UP Law Library where the Filipiniana section is housed. People. 1. Staff. The UP Law Library is currently manned by 23 library personnel (librarians, and maintenance staff included). The current head librarian is Ms. Lilia Echiverri (MLS). 2. Users. The UP Law Library serves not only UPs law students, law faculty and the university community in general, but also the members of the bench and bar, officials of the different branches of government (prominent senators, congressmen etc.) and the general public including students from other law schools. Program & Spaces. Spaces. The Law Library houses an extensive and unique collection of law books and materials. It is also now fully automated and integrated. Its Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) address is http://ilib.upd.edu.ph/ which contains the collection of U.P. Diliman including the collections of the Law Library. It currently houses the following sections at different floors of the library: 1. Ground Floor: Security Checking, Filipiniana Collection, Reception/ Information, OPAC Terminals, Trophy Displays, a private Meeting Room and the Office of Librarians. Second Floor: Foreign Collection, notably an extensive collection on international law, a complete set of the United Nations collection, the United Nations Treaty Series, the League of Nations Treaty Series and the United States Treaties and other International Agreements. Other materials that can be found on this

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section are the complete set of the U.S. National Reporter System, statute laws of the United States (both federal and state) and other countries of the world ; useful legal reference materials (i.e. encyclopedias, dictionaries and directories). 3. Third Third Floor: Reserve Section which houses the new editions of Filipiniana law books and the assigned readings of the faculty. It also contains Philippine Reports, Supreme Court Reports Annotated, Philippine Digest. It also contains the Law Library Special Collection which includes the Indigenous and Spanish Collection, Thesis and the University of the Philippines Law Complex published materials. Specifically the following : Philippine laws from 1901 to present; Official Gazettes; House of Representatives, Senate and Constitutional Commission Journals and Records; Constitutional Convention Proceedings; SCRA, PR and unpublished decisions of the Supreme Court; and the legislative history of selected laws. Fourth Floor: The fourth floor is a huge reading area for students and bar reviewees. It contains the periodical holdings of the library namely the Philippine Law Journal (PLJ) and other local and foreign periodicals.

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Existing UP Law Library: Ground Floor

Above. Reading tables for students. The UP Law Lib is a Wi-fi Zone.

Above. At the right corner is the library entrance / foyer.

Above. An array of awards garnered by the College is displayed in the Library. The Head Librarians Office is also seen at the left side of the picture.

Above. The information desk with the OPAC terminals for searching the library database. Computer terminals at the room, at the back of the information desk can also be used by students for their research.

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Existing UP Law Library: Ground Floor Entrance

Above. Entry vestibule (view from side of library to main entrance door) where security check is performed.

Above. At one side of the entrance vestibule is a private reading room for the faculty.

Above. View towards the entrance of the law library from its entrance vestibule. At another side, is a private meeting room for group work etc.

After the glass entrance door of the library is the access stairs to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor. A similar stair is actually allocated as fire exit at the far right corner of the library.

Existing UP Law Library: Second Floor

Above. The 2nd floor holds the International / Foreign Law collections.

Above. Individual study desks are allocated at the second floor of the Law Library.

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Existing UP Law Library: Third Floor

Above. Table and seating are similar to the ones laid out at the ground floor.

Above. The 3rd floor houses the reserved collection of the Law Library.

Existing UP Law Library: Fourth Floor

Above. A private nook for quiet group study.

Above. The fourth floor contains local and foreign periodicals.

Above. The fourth floor actually has a mix of individual study tables and large reading tables for groups.

Above. Information desk, and the newly designed wall feature.

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Present Concerns. The following concerns have been expressed by the current library staff and users of the library. 1. Mobility and Access for the Elderly. Men and women of Law are an exceptional group of professionals in constant pursuit of learning. Even at their senior age, illustrious members of the Supreme Court, the Senate, the Congress and the Bar frequent the UP Law Library to research or even just visit. As the Law Library is only serviced by stairs, it becomes difficult for the elderly visitors to access important sections of the library. 2. Lighting. Users and library staff have noted the current ineptness of the librarys interior lighting. A balance between artificial and natural daylighting, as well as introduction of varying types of lighting systems to suit different activities should be aimed for.

Drivers of Change and Directions for the Future

An initial interview with the Prof. Danilo L. Concepcion (Dean of the UP College of Law), and Ms. Lila Echiverri (UP Law Head Librarian) reveals their vision to make the UP Law Library as internationally competitive as its prominent Asian counterparts such as the National University of Singapores CJ Koh Law Library. There is no doubt that the UP Law Library will remain relevant for the next couple of decades. However, its administrators recognize that there must be an overhaul of its perceived traditional, civic, out-of-touch image. A bold, progressive design that will ensure continuous support and future success of the library service is being envisioned by its administrators. Key directions and considerations that the newly redesigned UP Law Library should embody are the following: 1. The Library as Community Living Room. The library of today has shifted from just a place where one can do research, study and do their homework, to a place where one can also meet people, discuss ideas, do business, make audio-visual presentations and even exhibit their works. Aside from spaces for regular library service, there is a need to provide flexible if not dedicated spaces for the said activities. Multimedia Storage and Access. The library of today does not just accommodate hardbound books, but also house a multitude of other academic media such as CDs, DVDs, audio books, computer software and internet access. Arrangements should be made so that these media be stored and be wellpreserved, while also granting supervised access to their target users. User Mobility. The library is a space for lifelong-learning. Care must be given so that all users will be able to freely, and without difficulty, move around the library space. It must conform with the standards for universal design, i.e. provide ample access to children, the differentially-abled and the elderly. Signage and WayWay-finding. The UP Law Library offers a multitude of resources that always leaves firsttime visitors in awe. Design should therefore stress the importance of signage and way-finding implements to allow even first-time visitors to grasp and understand what the library offers in an instant. Lighting Balance. Continued patronage of users, and productivity of library staff is of main concern in terms of appropriate library lighting. Users should be able to feel good and comfortable in their surroundings, while staff should not be affected as to harm their ability to function. Traditionally, reading hard copies of books is the main task in libraries. However, as modern technology and changing social culture introduces more diverse activities and visual tasks, library lighting has become an increasingly tasking requirement, involving technical skill and creativity on the part of designers. Minimizing shadows and glares, as well as introduction of daylight aside from innovative systems of artificial lighting are some of the main features of modern library design.

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6.

Commercial Partnerships. Compatible partnerships such as, a caf that serves as a quiet social hangout, and provision of displays for featured books for sale is encouraged. Security. Introduction of other activities places the valuable holdings of the library at risk. Introduction of monitored security systems, detection gates, as well as proper zoning of spaces and layout of circulation areas, should deter theft and allow for constant surveillance. These should be integrated in the planning of spaces - segregating activities without disrupting or interfering from one another.

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Law Library Interiors Around The World

CJ Koh Library (National University of Singapore)

Diana M. Priestley Law Library (University of Victoria - Canada)

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Berkeley Law Library (University of CaliforniaCalifornia- U.S.A)

Stockholm Cultural House (Sweden)

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Berkeley Law Library (University of CaliforniaCalifornia- U.S.A)

Other Modern Library Interiors Around The World

Hjorring Library (Denmark)

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Strasbourg Public Library (France)

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