Walton Library

Erika Gwynnett

Medical Librarian

Drivers for change - physical

Clusters outside the library/inadequate IT facilities

Compact shelving breaking the floor(!) Desk distant from entrance Only 2 tiny study rooms Staff accommodation split up

Drivers for change - institutional

Increased number of medical students Small increase in dental students with more

to come Changes in teaching and learning styles

“The library is very drab”

MBBS student

“Why is everything painted sludge green?”

Yr2 Biomedical Sciences student

The options

Relocate to ground floor

New build

Re-develop existing location

Planning

1st meeting – Sept 1996

Feasibility study – Sept 2002

Agreement to proceed – January 2003

Funding

HEFCE funding for additional student numbers

Capital project allocations “Headroom” (strategic development) funding £450K from Marjorie Robinson bequest

= £1.5m

What did we want?

Flexible proportion of space/study places Good noise management Increase study spaces Reduce periodical shelving More group rooms Disabled accessibility Better enquiry desk

What else did we want?

Informal areas – reading/café/toilets/sofas(!) Better IT – clusters, wireless, laptop stations NHS IT provision Better staff facilities

Making it happen

NO LIBRARY CLOSURE - AT ALL!!

- 5 phases

- spaced over 18 months

- starts June 2003, finish Sept 2004

- spaced to avoid assessment periods Pre-work

- lots of meetings with stakeholders

- lots of items into storage

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by

drawbacks and discomfort”

Arnold Bennett

Problems

Noise Dirt and dust Diminishing services Loss of power/light/water ‘slippage’ Lack of control

Communicating with our users

Noticeboard with information and contact details

Good signage Newsletters

Problems

Overspend Overrun Snagging

What evolved…

Changes in practice Design no longer appropriate

Advice….

Don’t believe them!

Keep people informed

Allow for much longer for snagging

Advice…

Buy your staff lots of chocolate

Wear kevlar to work

Give up trying to do library work.

Congratulate yourselves!

Have a party!

The future

Finish the snagging list

Look more creatively at spaces

Experiment and recognise the need to change

Look after the virtual library

Thank you!