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First Floor Reconfiguration - Public Area

Minutes of Meeting of February 6, 2002

Present: Susan Bellingham, Benny Colussi, Marian Davies, Sharon Lamont, Alex McCulloch, Carl Nagel

  1. Additions to Agenda
    • Information to be taken to Feb 12 department heads meeting – Susan will update department heads on our progress to date.

    • Information about the committee to be placed on staff web – Alex will arrange to have a website created for the group, to be linked from http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/staff/
      committees.html

  2. Update on Action Items from January 30
    • Sharon has confirmed with Lorraine that it’s desirable to buy furniture in this fiscal year, and that space will be found as needed

    • Alex has confirmed with Ann Naese that the newspapers can comfortably be made to fit into 8 bays of shelving using higher shelving.  The desired shelving is somewhat customized, and this customization still needs to be confirmed, but –probably- won’t be a problem

    • Sharon has confirmed that a New Book area will need one bay of shelving, and that this area is not a problem from the User Services and Cataloguing workflow point of view.  If we recommend that this area be placed on the 1st floor then Marian will take the matter to IRMC for discussion.

    • Marianne Peereboom will be our design person from Plant Operations.

  3. Vision for the Floor

    As a result of a consensus-creating process, the following was agreed:

    The most important consideration is to make the floor a comfortable area for students.  Considerations for establishing “comfort” are:

    • Type of lighting
    • Type of tables and chairs
    • Type of carpet
    • Colour of walls
    • Not too crowded

    These considerations follow from the fact that most students will not be using the floor because of the collections there; rather the main features of the floor for students will be the proximity of Browsers and washrooms.  As well, informal feedback, and an earlier study, suggests that the library has a sufficient amount of quiet study space, and that additional student space should have more of a “Chapters” approach.

    This consideration, as well as other discussions, led the group to rule out the following items from the floor:

    • Workstations
    • Lockers
    • Coat rack
    • Bank machine
    • Special Collections display cabinets

  4. Consensus on a New Book area on the floor was not reached.  Plant Operations will be asked if two scenarios can be drawn up, one that incorporates a New Book area and one that doesn’t.  Further discussion is required.

  5. Proximity to the reserves collection and the need for a photocopier was also discussed.  It was decided that if demand warranted a photocopier, then room 107 would be considered (the new film/fiche cabinet room), as some space will be available there.

    In addition to the overall consideration noted above, the following criteria will be presented to Marianne to guide her thinking in creating some drafts for the group to consider.  Our next meeting will be called once Marianne has some plans ready.

    1. There needs to be clear sight lines to Special Collections and the Micro Room from all entrances to the floor.
    2. The newspapers will be along the wall opposite the washrooms.  Space needs to be left to access newspapers.
    3. We believe somewhere between 60 – 80% of all furniture should be of a lounge type.
    4. Study tables should be 36” x 30”.
    5. All furniture should be easily movable in order that the space can be used for receptions.
    6. Furniture should be arranged to encourage only individual or small group study of no more than 3 or 4 students.
    7. Furniture should be arranged so that traffic across the floor is not impeded.
    8. As much of the floor as possible should be wired for Ethernet and power without using any power poles, though we expect one or two poles will be needed.  Electricity panels should be installed to allow more power poles to be added as needed. 
    9. There needs to be privacy panels or walls around the washrooms(see map).  We’re also wondering if the washrooms can have double-doors.
    10. The safety phone should be retained somewhere.
    11. There should be a drinking fountain.
    12. Space should be found for some plants, either hanging or floor.
    13. Convenient space is needed for disposal of food waste.
    14. Lighting should be task lighting as much as possible, so that there isn’t an institutional brightness to the lighting, to contribute to the feeling that one is in a Chapters environment.  The walls should be painted to contribute to this effect.
First Floor Reconfiguration Committee

October 4, 2006