The Library as Place: The changing nature and enduring appeal of library buildings and spaces

A two-part, September 2006 collection of summaries related to library space and building planning at UI Current LIS Clips: A Current Awareness Service for the Library and Information Community. The summaries of the articles and links to additional resources would be a quite helpful addition to my Chapter 15 on "Ergonomics, Infrastructure, and Space: Building the Library Technology Environment." Not every detail is technology-related, but a good number of them are.

Of security systems and RFID

I recently toured a newly renovated academic library (very impressive: over 130 workstations plus wireless laptops to checkout, plus a Starbucks). The materials had never been stripped for a typical electromagnetic security system, and the staff had considered adding that or an RFID system. In the end, they opted to budget to replace any items that disappeared, and see just what the lack of a system would cost them.

It's an intriguing idea and question: just how much does the average library lose (without a system), and does the system pay off? I know what the industry will tell you, but the truth of the matter could be quite different. And again, situations differ, but I wonder if anyone has really established such a record of loss to absolutely justify adding a system.