The Place of Libraries in Changing Times OLA Super Conference Toronto, Ontario 28 January 2009.

The Place of Libraries in Changing Times

The Place of Libraries in The Place of Libraries in Changing TimesChanging Times

OLA Super ConferenceToronto, Ontario 28 January 2009


Research & Outreach

Education& Training

Planning & Design

•Our websites receive more than 30,000 page views per day

•We have produced 18 publications & 6 videos

•We maintain a slide library of 500,000 images of public spaces

PPS has completed over 1000 place-based projects since 1975, consisting of:

• Community Visioning

• Conceptual Designs

• User/Needs Analysis

• Management Programs

• Master Planning &

Urban Design

PPS trains over 20,000 people annually. We offer:

•Place Game workshops

•Context Sensitive Solutions training

•Public Markets as Economic Development

•“How to Turn a Place Around” seminars

•Conferences


It’s hard to create a space that will not attract people, what is remarkable, is how often this has been accomplished. ─ William H. Whyte


What attracts people most it would appear, is other people ─William H. Whyte


We shape our public spaces, and thereafter our public spaces shape us. – adapted from

Winston Churchill

Contrasting 1


Orlando, FL Public Library

Blank walls are an end in themselves. They declare the supremacy of architecture over humanity, of a building over a person.

William H. Whyte

The Place of Libraries in Changing Times Paris National Library

It’s hard for people to realize that place is more important than design.

─ PPS


A Tale of Two Libraries


Why don’t we have better public spaces today?

Project-driven vs. Place-driven Planning

Discipline-based vs. Community-based Planning

The Place of Libraries in Changing Times © Will McWhinney, Paths of Change

Storied Cultures Clustered Cultures


Crisis driven, Politically initiated

Relies on professionals and “experts”

ExpensiveCommunity is resistant

Static designs

Results in limited experience of place

Narrow GoalsP

roje

ct /

Dis

cipl

ine

Driv

en A

ppro

ach

Clustered Cultures Approach


Theatres/Museums

Transit

HospitalCoffeeShop

Library

Schools

Parks

Civic Institutions Today

CommunityCenter

City Hall

Churches


Storied Cultures Approach

• Empowers Communities• Attracts partners, money

& creative solutions• Professionals become

resources• Design supports uses• Solutions are flexible• Engagement and

commitment grow

Pla

ce /

Com

mun

ity

Dri

ven

App

roac

h


ChurchesCity Hall

CommunityCenter

Theatres/Museums

TransitHospital

CoffeeShop

Library

Schools

Civic Centres “The Commons”

Civic Institutions of the Future


Logan Circle Evaluation Sites


Logan Square Vision


Crossroads Plaza, Bellevue, WA


Shifting Context of Libraries

WHY LIBRARIES? BUT TODAY…

Information is scarce Information is everywhere

Precious resource Taken for granted

Social mandate Social/economic mandate

Communities need Libraries Libraries need

Communities


The placemaking response

Internal External

Passive Active

Where people need to be Where people want to be

Enhancing the library’s role as a community anchor


• Community Service Center

• Communication and Language Skills Center

• Community Story-Teller/Civic Information Center

• Public Gathering Place

• Business Service & Development Center

• Marketplace

Libraries as Community Anchors


• Day Care• Unemployment offices/

job search programs • Service recruiters• Computer training programs• Job retraining programs/ night schools• Tax consultants and services • Extension services• Homeless/ social service referrals • Video rental

Library as Community Service Center


• Translation services• Literacy programs • Toastmasters--public speaking

training • Television station/ radio station • Video/ educational game arcades • Foreign language classes/ tutors• Immigration information and

guidance

Library as Communication & Language Skills Center


• Special collections• Artifact collections• Community tradition/myth/cultural programs• Maps• Science centers/ exploration centers• Genealogy Centres• Tourist information/ Chamber of Commerce • Community information service

(entertainment, best buys, weather, statistics0• Community city planning information--zoning, etc.

Library as Community Story-Teller/Civic Information Center


Library as Public Gathering Place

• Public proclamations and celebrations

• Concerts, fairs, and festivals

• Lunchtime / brown bag activities

• Exhibitions—science, history, art

• Public Art displays

• Public forums

• Games/chess tables/ etc

• Playground


• Think Tanks• Business Information Services • Research and Development Centers • Job Training • Better Business Bureau

Library as Business Service & Development Center


• Public markets—farmer’s markets, book markets, art markets

• Museum/ library gift shop• Restaurant/café• Commercial galleries • Bookstore- new, used books• Copy shop/ printer• Movie theaters• International newsstand

Library as Marketplace


New York Public Library


Rotterdam Central Library


• Accessible by Publics They Serve

• Active Edges

• Attractions and Destinations

• Flexible Design

• Amenities

• Seasonal Uses

• Management

Qualities of Great Libraries Qualities of Great Libraries


Accessible by the Publics They Serve

• Connected to adjacent areas• Range of transportation options


Active Edges • Active edge uses• Gateways and

entrances• Identifiable from a

distance


Attractions & Destinations

• Choices of things to do• Triangulation

opportunities• Clustered activity

around destinations• 10+ special places


Flexible Design• Overlapping and changing uses• Form that supports function• Experiment


Amenities

• Attracts variety of users

• Source of local/regional civic pride

• Comfortable places to sit


Seasonal Uses • Draw on & Highlight

Seasons• Rotating Plantings &

Programs• Cultural & civic

celebrations


Management: Central to the Solution

• Management presence through:– Security &

Maintenance– Ongoing

improvements– Programming


Mississauga, Ontario Public Library


Place Evaluation Form


Summer ProgramMississauga, Ontario Public Library


Mississauga Summer 2006Placemaking Initiative

12

3

4


What Makes a Library a Great Place?

sociability uses & activities

access & linkages comfort & image

Welcoming

evening usevolunteerism

street life

transit usage

parking usage patternspedestrian activity

Walkable Convenient Accessible

Charm Clean Attractive

Historic

Safe

building conditionsenvironmental data

sanitation ratingcrime stats

Cooperative Neighborly

property valuesland-use patterns

retail sales

business ownership

Special Real

FunActive Vital

Connected

Key Attributes

Intangibles

Measurements

PLACE


•Convenient•Walkable•Continuity•Proximity•Connected•Enticing

Access & Linkages


•Attractive•Inviting•Usable•Historic•“Green”•Friendly

Comfort & Image


•Fun/Vital•Active•Indigenous•Sustainable•Affordable•Challenging

Uses & Activities


•Welcoming•Interactive•Neighborliness•Pride•Diversity•Stewardship

Sociability


When you focus on creating a “place,”

you do everything differently.


• Good places breed healthy activity.

• People attract people attract people.

• When you focus on place, you do everything differently.

• It takes many disciplines and skills to create a place.

• It takes a community to create a place.

• Amenities that make a place comfortable are critical.

• You can’t know what you are going to end up with.

• Each place has its own identity.

• You can’t have anything less than excellence.

• You have to have zealous nuts.

• It has to be a campaign.

Some Key Principles…


www.pps.orgMaking Places

Newsletter

Training & Conferences

Publications & Resources

The Place of Libraries in Changing Times OLA Super Conference Toronto, Ontario 28 January 2009.

Documents

Transcript of The Place of Libraries in Changing Times OLA Super Conference Toronto, Ontario 28 January 2009.