Haven't had my coffee yet, Lori, but here's my free-form notion for an academic media center
1. Locate it somewhere else besides the basement: no fooling, a large number of media centers have been historically shoe-horned into available space, very often the dark, the out of the way, and the marginal. Put it somewhere near the heart of the library's public service life 2. Build it from scratch rather than cludging onto existing facilities or built spaces (see 1 above). 3. Involve an architect who has had specific experience with media production/access facilities (rather than some generic AIA shop). 4. Separate, well-defined areas for a. public service (incl circulation, public access catalogs, and generally standing around b. staff c. production (if that's included in the media center's functions) d. individual viewing/listening e. group/collaborative viewing 5. Each individual workstation to accommodate at least two output devices (DVD/VHS) and a 20" monitor. Each station with network access (or, preferably, Wi-Fi) 6. Individual workstations to accommodate two viewers comfortably. Stations sufficiently isolated from each other to allow comfortable movement and sound isolation. 7. Group rooms: ideally both small (20-30) rooms and at least one larger (50+) room. Flexible seating. HD projection and large screen. Group rooms to include white boards (either stand-alone or interactive). 8. All stations and rooms with code-free DVD players and multi-region vhs (the latter depending on the nature and mission of the collection). All rooms with network access/Wi-Fi 9. Flexible/controllable lighting in each of 4 above and possible in zones within regions 10. Efficient acoustic design in all areas to allow effective sound separation 11. Furniture designed specifically for media equipment and media use. Sufficient space at each workstation to allow users to stow backpacks or other personal effects while using the facility. 12. Sufficient public access terminals to accommodate catalog use, email, other access to library resources 13. Materials return drop (appropriate for media) 14. Facilities design to maximize collection security. Mechanisms for automated patron counts. 15. Compact storage to accommodate current collection and at least 5-10 years growth. Collections proximate to circulation. 16. Environmental controls to allow appropriate temp and humidity control for separate areas (i.e. public service/media viewing and collections) 17. Staff areas with effective sight-lines to public service areas. Staff space to accommodate both desk-top computing and media access; sufficient space for patron consultation 18. Flex space for miscellaneous staff activities including technical operations such as materials cleaning or repair, miscellaneous materials/equipment staging, storage, and organization. 19. Space in public service areas for publicity, announcement, etc. Mounted flat-screen with regularly changing slide show re the collection and services or other library info would be cool. Now, if the center is involved in production/development of media materials...that's a whole other can o' worms... gary > So, let's have a little work-fun on this summer Friday. If you were able > to design your ideal academic library media center, without any monetary > or space constraints, without any political entanglements, what would you > include? What would you exclude? Collection, services, circulation, > staffing...it's all on the table. I'd be happy to compile a list if this > gets interesting. > > Thanks, > Lori Widzinski > > Head, Multimedia Services > University Libraries > SUNY Buffalo > Abbott Hall Rm 102 > 3435 Main St Bldg 28 > Buffalo, NY 14214-3002 > VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of > issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic > control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in > libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve > as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of > communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video > producers and distributors. > Gary Handman Director Media Resources Center Moffitt Library UC Berkeley 510-643-8566 [email protected] http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC "I have always preferred the reflection of life to life itself." --Francois Truffaut VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
