ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 7

COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN

DESIGN
PBSARC 036

RESEARCH
(LIBRARY)

Submitted by:
Ramos, Kevin Jake V.
BS ARC 4

Submitted to:
Ar. Antonette C. Cruz
Instructor
 INTRODUCTION

A library is a collection of sources, resources, and services, as well as the

structure that houses them; it is organized and managed by a governmental
body, an institution, or a private individual. A library, in the more conventional
meaning, is a collection of books. It can refer to the collection itself, the structure
or chamber that holds it, or both. The term "library" has a secondary meaning: "a
collection of helpful resources for general use," which is used in computer
science, mathematics, statistics, electronics, and biology. Publishers can also
use it to name a series of connected books. Libraries frequently give a haven of
silence for studying.
As a result, modern libraries are rapidly being re-imagined as locations where
people may receive unfettered access to knowledge in a variety of formats and
from a variety of sources. They are expanding services outside the physical
boundaries of a library by making content available electronically and by
assisting librarians in accessing and analyzing massive volumes of information
using a range of digital technologies.
Human achievements in intellectual and cultural spheres are documented in
many scripts and languages on diverse writing materials across the world. These
documents have been well kept in libraries, which literally imply "storehouses of
such reading material." They are truly part of humanity's intellectual and cultural
history since they pass on the immense trove of knowledge they hold to every
seeker of learning. They are knowledge fountains that the reader can utilize for
teaching, inspiration, information, or amusement.The current image of a library is
fully developed, with a collection of papers and modern technology for the
reader, such as computers, microfilm, CD-Rom, and so on. The notion of a
paperless library is evolving nowadays. Libraries are living things. Books are the
foundation of libraries. Readers and staff both grow over time in a library that
lives up to its goals. As the collection expands, it must be arranged in a
methodical manner. As the number of customers increases, the library system
should aid them in discovering the necessary papers, and the staff should
develop innovative and efficient services.

BACKGROUND

Ancient Greece and Rome are often considered to be the foundational

culture of Western civilization thanks to their language, developed politics,
infrastructure, and educational systems. Moreover, architecture, philosophy and
art also bloomed like never before in these societies.With all these circumstances
and advancements, libraries also began to play a bigger role during the classical
antiquity era, but there is obviously something that triggered the formulation of
these institutions. The first libraries are believed to appeared five thousand years
ago on the Fertile Crescent, which is also the birthplace of writing. Similarly,
archives were found in temple rooms in Sumer, consisting of clay tablets with the
earliest form of writing dating back to 2600 BC. Several ancient Egyptian temple
records on papyrus were discovered, and furthermore, there is also evidence of
libraries at the ancient Sumerian city Nippur from about 1900 BC.

The role of ancient libraries

The documents in these early libraries contained key knowledge about
building and growing societies rather than philosophical or artistic items. These
ancient records however played another important role – they created the
position of librarians. The duty of ancient librarians consisted of giving the people
access to the preserved information.
It was around the beginning of the classical period when libraries began
collecting items other than precious resources. Moreover, libraries slowly
became a feature of large cities, including Constantinople or Nineveh. These
institutions were primarily designed to protect the documents from damage
caused by natural disasters or wars. They were rarely open to the public with no
possibility to rent papyrus or leather scrolls. In the unlikely situations when they
were accessible, visiting scholars could come study and copy various topics from
the stored documents. The librarians’ role continued to be binding people and the
recorded information.

Advancements – Ancient Greece and Rome

It was only in the 5th century BC in Ancient Greece that books started
circulating to the public, causing private and personal libraries to appear. These
libraries were made up of written books instead of the previously common
archives of documents, often containing the best-known works of philosophers
and poets. Private collections were gaining massive popularity over time, as this
way the books were easily accessible. The book collectors of the Hellenistic
antiquity were even listed in the 2nd century in Deipnosophistae.
Philosopher Aristotle obtained one of the biggest book collections, which he
made available to his students at Lyceum. With this, his library was serving the
same purpose as a university or public library would today. The first true public
libraries however were only opened by Hellenistic kings after Alexander the
Great (356 BC – 323 BC), who established the Great Library of Alexandria, the
largest great library of the ancient world. It was open to people with proper
scholarly and literary educations. The librarians, who were leading scholars and
who ran this library developed many bibliographical tools and techniques that we
use today, including alphabetical order, punctuation, glossary, and grammar.
The books during this period were still mostly scrolls, made out of papyrus or
leather. Apart from a few big institutions specifically designed to house books,
the majority of libraries were not planned exclusively for this purpose in Ancient
Greece. As an effect, the books were stored in the buildings on shelves, but the
reading was done outside. Although the libraries were more inclusive than
before, they remained the privilege of the educated scientists, teachers and
scholars.
In the Roman Empire private libraries also became widespread thanks to the
effects of Hellenism. Although in the 2nd century BC Latin works were already
circulated, in the beginning Roman libraries mainly consisted of Greek books. In
fact, the possession of a private library with precious works was viewed as a
status symbol for affluent Romans.
It was Roman statesmen Ceasar who planned the first public Roman library,
which was built and opened by Asinius Pollio in 39 BC. By the time of Augustus’s
death (14 AD), Rome had 3 public libraries already. In the next 300 years several
public institutions were established as the emperors had the aim to open libraries
that outshine their predecessors’. In the 300s the city of Rome alone was home
to 28 libraries, with one head librarian to oversee the whole system. This sudden
growth is also an effect of the invention of paper (around 100 BC in China) and
other technological developments of the period.
Opposite to the Greek libraries, the readers of the Roman Empire had direct
access to scrolls, and the reading was normally done inside the building. In most
cases, the libraries were beautifully constructed, consisting of a storage room
and a reading area. In certain libraries lending was possible too, but that was not
common. Roman libraries became the place where authors released their works
to the public, reading them out loud to the audience. Some of these readings
occurred at public places typically visited by aristocrats, such as baths, theatres
or even in the Forum Romanum.
The Romans put a lot more emphasis on the libraries’ outlook thanks to the
hedonist frame of mind of many emperors and aristocrats. They looked at
libraries as a sign of their own wealth, intelligence, glory, culture, and
sophistication. One of the most well-known Roman libraries, which also
represents these values is the Library of Celsus in Ephesus, built in the early 2nd
century AD. It clearly celebrates the wealth and career of its donor, Roman
Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus.

Impact
Although most of them were destroyed in later historical periods, the Ancient
Greek and Roman libraries clearly laid the foundation of today’s western library
systems. The establishment of private and public libraries had a significant
impact on the future. In addition, a lot of the bibliographical tools and techniques
that were developed in the classical antiquity are still used in our modern world.
TYPES OF LIBRARY

1. Academic Library,

2. Special Library,

3. Public Library, and

4. National Library.

Academic Library:
Academic library is the library which is attached to academic institutions like
schools, colleges and universities. An academic library serves more specifically
the students, research scholars, teachers and staff of the academic institution.
Main objective of an academic library is to give maximum learning materials to its
clientele so that they may be fully educated in their respective level. Academic
libraries are categorized into school libraries, college libraries and university
libraries.

A. School Library: A school library is a learning laboratory, providing a

variety of instructional media, essential for optimum support of the education
programme. The purpose of the school library is to attain the objectives of the
educational programme. It concerns with the development of effective methods
of thinking, inculcation of social attitudes, acquisition of important information and
promoting growth and development among the children. The function of the
school library is to help the students in the process of their self-discovery, to
adopt high ideals in life, improve scholastic efficiency through self-study and to
develop the capacity for critical thinking.

B. College Library: College performs an important function in educational

process. A college without a library is like a tree with no roots. The status of
every college is measured through the position of the library that it maintains.
Hence every college library should become a teaching instrument in itself. A
college library is expected to support the objectives of the college. Thus, the
basic function of a college library is to assist its parent body to carry out its
programmes.

C. University Library: A library is more important in a University, because a

library can do without a University where as a university cannot function without a
library. A university library is an integral part of the institution. It is primarily
maintained for the benefit of students, officers, faculty members and for those
who are engaged in research work. It plays a very important role in the national
life of the community by acquiring material for educational use for the benefit of
students and teaching departments.

Special Library:
Special library became popular since the beginning of 20th century. A special
library is one which serves a particular group of people, such as the employees
of a firm of government department, or the staff and members of a professional
or research organization. Such a library deals essentially in information (Krishan
Kumar; 1987; 72)

Public Library:
A public library (also called circulating library) is a library which is accessible
by the public and is generally funded from public sources (such as tax money)
and may be operated by the civil servants. Taxing bodies for public libraries may
be at any level from local to national central government level. The public library
is an excellent model of government at its best. A locally controlled public good, it
serves every individual freely, in as much or as little depth as he or she wants.
(Wikipedia)

National Library:
A national library is a library specifically established by the government of a
country to serve as the preeminent repository of information for that country.
Unlike public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they
include numerous rare, valuable, or significant works. A National Library is that
library which has the duty of collecting and preserving the literature of the nation
within and outside the country, Thus, National Library are those libraries whose
community is the nation at large.

SPACE REQUIREMENTS

Collection space (including public electronic workstation space)

Are areas where bound paper documents, film, or magnetic media are
stored. A collection space type may include both open and closed storage
systems and moveable shelving systems, and be applicable to file rooms and
other dense storage of material in conditioned office environments.

User seating space

Typically this will include seating at tables, carrels, lounge chairs, and the
like. It can also include other types of settings, such as a diner booth that may be
provided in a young adult area, or a rocker in a preschool collection. The library
will probably provide additional spaces where a patron may sit—at some of the
public access computer stations discussed in the previous step or in small group
study rooms.

Staff work space

The staff work areas include sections such as reference desks and
circulation desks. Also important are areas such as staff break rooms and
administrative offices.

Meeting space
A meeting room is a space usually set aside for people to get together, often
informally to hold meetings, for issues to be discussed, priorities set and
decisions made. Many public libraries provide meeting rooms to accommodate
library-sponsored programs and other community meetings. The number and
size of meeting rooms should be determined by the library's anticipated
programming activities and by the availability of similar rooms elsewhere in the
community for use by other local groups. There are four broad types of meeting
room space commonly found in public libraries. General program space (with
lecture hall or theatre seating), conference room space, and children’s story-time
space are found in many libraries, and increasingly libraries are choosing to
provide dedicated space for a computer training lab. Depending on the demands
of its community, a library may have one or more general meeting or
programming rooms. If the library provides no other space for meetings and
programs, a general multi-purpose space will typically be the choice. In a smaller
library, this kind of room can support general library programs, board and
committee meetings, and children’s story-times.

Special use space

Special use space must be allotted for elements of an individual library’s
program of service or for special types of furnishings that have not been
accounted for in earlier sections of this outline. For example, none of the four
types of library floor space described thus far includes an allocation for index
tables, newspaper racks, pamphlet files, microfilm readers, or photocopiers.
Small group study rooms represent another kind of special use space, as does a
staff lounge or break room. More and more libraries are seeking to accommodate
some kind of refreshment or beverage service, another use that falls under the
heading of special use space. A server room, which is an increasingly important
part of a library’s day-to-day operational needs, can also be considered as part of
special use space. Dedicated stations for self-check-out activities could also be
considered as special use space.
Non-assignable space (including mechanical space)
Nonassignable space is that portion of a building’s floor space that cannot be
applied or assigned directly to library service. Some representative types of
nonassignable space are furnace rooms, janitor’s closets, telecommunications
closets, storage rooms, vestibules, corridors, stairwells, elevator shafts, and rest
rooms. Such space is necessary to support the operation of the building, but it
cannot be used directly for library service.

SAMPLE DESIGNS AND FLOOR PLANS

Sample Designs

La Trobe University Library, Australia

Kosloff Architecture

Melbourne based studio Kosloff Architecture elaborated on its take on what

the new library should be for this commission for La Trobe University in Bendigo.
Challenging the perception of the ‘traditional library’ and adding a strong layer of
community engagement and openness to their design, the team reimagined an
existing shell into a space featuring playful transparencies, spatial articulation
and colour. The interior spans three levels and includes consultation rooms, ASK
La Trobe information pods, postgraduate lounge, and a board room.
Photography: Derek Swalwell
Dorset Library, UK
Aidan Crawshaw

Crawshaw Architects has given a new twist to traditional library architecture

with this re-invented out-building in Dorset, UK. Adjoining a Grade II-listed
Georgian farmhouse and water mill, the new library is housed within a
transformed former cowshed and farm equipment store. Architect Aidan
Crawshaw, the London-based studio’s founder, was commissioned to transform
a substantial portion of this long brick building into a library and office space, with
the intention on creating a home for a substantial collection of historic books on
Palladian architecture. Crawshaw, working with his colleague Pandora Dourmisi,
chose to preserve the proportions and form of the original farm building. The
library is based around a long central arched nave flanked by a pair of aisles
containing the book stacks, a modern interpretation of classical proportions.
These not only reference the Palladian book collection but were constructed
using carpentry and metal-working methods that hark back to the building’s days
as part of a working farm. Photography: Ingrid Rasmussen
Matsubara Library, Japan
MARU Architecture

This project, which replaced an existing library on the same site, stands out
for its sculptural qualities and striking location, next to a reservoir. MARU
Architecture drew on this setting as well as the city’s character for their design.
‘When we visited Matsubara, we were struck by the reservoir ponds and ancient
tombs dotted throughout the city,’ explain the architects. ‘These man-made
structures were on a much larger scale than the residential neighborhoods
surrounding them, and over the course of many years had come to resemble
natural landforms. They brought to mind civil engineering projects on a grander
scale than architecture, reflecting our own project’s unique conditions—that is, a
library built in a pond.’ Photography: Shinkenchiku Sha
Sample Floor Plans
REFERENCES
http://shodh.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/
123456789/1678/2/02_introduction.pdf
https://princh.com/blog-the-history-of-libraries-classical-antiquity/#.YyVJ0XZBy3A
https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/plspace.pdf
https://www.wbdg.org/space-types/library
https://www.wallpaper.com/gallery/architecture/worlds-most-beautiful-libraries
https://chinapreservationtutorial.library.cornell.edu/content/sample-floor-plan
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/414260865720950259/?nic_v3=1a4XoxpxK
https://ramahassabelnabi.weebly.com/keystone-library.html
https://www.lisedunetwork.com/types-libraries-academic-public-national-special-
library/