I was particular concerned about potential issues with telephone and internet services. At the time, my fear was losing the various numbers hat identified our library, like our telephone and fax numbers. If any of them were changed, it would cause havoc.

I know that some people thought I was crazy taking the time to make notes of my conversations. They looked at my stack of “moving folders” with skepticism and smirked as I checked dates and times and recorded I said/they said logs. There were times in the frenzy when I, myself, wondered if I were just being paranoid and wasting time. Certainly, this tedious course was time-consuming, led to longer hours, and added to the paper trail.

When we returned home and all setups seemed to return to normal, I sighed with relief and put all my notes and logs in a large box. At that point I was thinking they would soon be headed to the shredder. Then I received a bill from our former telephone company. The bill, normally less than one hundred dollars, was for over a thousand dollars. The company informed me that they were charging an early contract-termination fee. No, no, no, I told them. I had asked multiple times and been assured there would be no such fees.

This dispute became a three-month-long battle as one department referred me to another, phone calls were not returned, and each person I spoke with started the review anew. Luckily, my records were comprehensive and well-organized. Because of my notes, I was able to fax a three-page log of my interactions to customer service in which I could identify names, times, and dates of the people I spoke with and what they had said.

Ultimately, the account balance shifted from the over-thousand-dollar fee to an apology and a refund of $180. If I had not been diligent in my note keeping, we would have been stuck paying a wrongful and costly bill.

Definitely take the time to get all the information you need, take detailed notes, and keep them until you are sure you do not need them. Some things you will not need until an account is closed, some will become unnecessary after the next bill or a problem is resolved. The hard and fast rule here is to keep reliable notes—you never know if you will need them, but you will be thankful to have them when you do.

The post How Keeping Records Paid Off first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The library of the al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez will reopen for public use after the completion of major renovations led by Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni. After receiving a grant for the project from Kuwait’s Arab Bank, the Moroccan Ministry of Culture asked Chaouni to rehabilitate the library in order to safeguard its contents and make it suitable for public use. Chaouni was approached in 2012 to begin work on the renovations. In a field mainly dominated by men, she was surprised and pleased to receive the call; after all, the al-Qarawiyyin is the oldest library in the world, and this would be a huge and indescribably important undertaking. Four years later, the renovations are almost complete, and King Mohammed VI is hoping to cut the ribbon on the reopening in May 2016.

The al-Qarawiyyin complex, which includes a mosque, library, and university, was founded in AD 859 by Fatima El-Fihriya, the daughter of a wealthy businessman who moved to Fez from modern day Tunisia. El-Fihriya was very well educated and devout and invested her robust inheritance on a mosque and center for knowledge in her new home of Fez.

“The University of al-Qarawiyyin is the oldest existing, continually operating, and the first degree awarding educational institution in the world according to UNESCO and Guinness World Records.”[1] The al-Quaraouiyine mosque and college became one of the most influential spiritual and educational centers in the Muslim world. By 1963, it was incorporated into Morocco’s modern state university system. Education at the al-Qarawiyyin university concentrates on the Islamic religious and legal sciences. With ages ranging from thirteen to thirty, most students at the Qarawiyyin study towards high school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees, although unaffiliated Muslim males with a high proficiency in Arabic are also able to attend lecture circles.

Chaouni said her team made sure to respect and give reverence to the building’s original features, such as the fountains and the intricate zaleej tile work. This mosaic tile work is historically emblematic of Moroccan design and artistry. Chaouni gave deference to the past while embracing the twenty-first century. “There has to be a fine balance between keeping the original spaces, addressing the needs of current users, including students, researchers, and visitors, and integrating new technologies—solar panels, water collection for garden irrigation, and so on.”[2] Among some of the features included in this conversion are a reading room, book stacks, a conference room, a manuscript restoration laboratory, a rare books collection, and a café.

Another feature of the library’s updates is digitization. This process is an ongoing effort to improve access to the fragile and irreplaceable manuscripts. Currently, about 20 percent are available electronically.

Resource

TED Speakers: Aziza Chaouni

References

[1] “The Karaouine Mosque,” Fez Guide Advisor, 2014, accessed May 15, 2016.

[2] Karen Eng, “Restoring the world’s oldest library,” TED, March 1, 2016.

The post al-Qarawiyyin Library Set to Reopen Once Dust Settles from Renovations first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

University libraries in any part of the world can often be thought of as stuffy, boring, or simply a fairly quiet place to study. But Seikei University is changing that image. [1] For its centennial celebration in 2006, the university, located in the Kichijoji-Kitamachi neighborhood of Tokyo, built a brand-new library.[2] This five-story building has a striking glass façade and an abundance of open space and natural light. There are plenty of research materials, tables to study and work on, and computer workstations. According the library’s website, it is designed for students to use both functionally and easily, according to their needs. They also have access to a media room with CDs and DVDs, as well as 266 “crystal carrels,” or personal reading rooms.[3]

What catch the eye are the five student meeting rooms. Each called “Planet,” they hover high above the users’ heads on thick white pillars, covered in glass domes. Students can reach these study rooms via a series of walkways. When viewing the pictures, the reader can see the variety of shapes of these “planets.” The name “Planet” is no accident, either, as it signifies both the outer space bodies and the concept of meetings and organization in the breakdown of planet: “plan” and “net (work).”[4] Each “Planet” has meeting tables, chairs, white boards for brainstorming, and monitors for display. One picture shows an unimpressive wooden study carrel in view of one of these futuristic meeting rooms, as if to highlight the sharp contrast in new learning experiences. Seeking to create a library where speaking and collaborating are allowed, Seikei University sought a space for students who learn through discussion and sharing of opinions and ideas.[5] The library was designed by the team of Shigeru Ban and construction company Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei.[6]

Perhaps these celestial study and meeting rooms can inspire universities in other countries, like the United States, in design or redesign of academic libraries. Japan continues to advance in many areas, and their university libraries are, evidently, no exception.

References:

[1] Casey Baseel, “University library in Tokyo may be world’s coolest with its ‘floating’ meeting rooms,” Rocket News 24 (Tokyo), February 23, 2016.

[2] Ibid.

[3] “University Library,” Seikei University, accessed April 26, 2016.

[4] Casey Baseel, “University library in Tokyo may be world’s coolest with its ‘floating’ meeting rooms,” Rocket News 24 (Tokyo), February 23, 2016.

[5] Yukari Mitsuhashi, “The future of libraries? In Japan, elevated study pods encourage conversation,” Bridge (Tokyo), March 3, 2013.

[6] Ibid.

The post Meeting Rooms of the Future first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In August 2011, the city of Tulsa stepped toward a renewed Central location by inviting architects to present ideas. The winning firm was selected that October and the planning phase began. Two years from the start of the plan, the original Central library building closed its doors in preparation for the building phase; in order to continue providing services, the Librarium  opened nearby, an innovative solution to the public’s continued need for services in spite of the newly-begun construction.

As 2016 begins, the remodel is on track and doors will open this summer. What’s new? There are many exciting changes. An outdoor children’s garden area will host a variety of outdoor activities, possibly including storytime, hula hoop contests, and paper airplane races. A large number of study rooms for large groups and individuals will debut, along with a parking area that features energy-saving LED lighting and security call posts. Other green efforts include the Active Chilled Beams system instead of the traditional HVAC heating and cooling. You can see how TCCL will gain LEED points here.

TCCL is also joining the nationwide STEM emphasis by adding the Schusterman Learning and Creativity Center, a collaboration and makerspace where children and teens can generate ideas and create. The renewed Central location will cater to the needs of the twenty-first-century user with increased access to a variety of technology, more spaces to collaborate and create, and resources to foster youth, working adults, educators and more.

TCCL has made many improvements over the years, bettering the opportunities for the citizens of Tulsa County. Touchscreen self-checkouts, e-books and audiobooks, special teen areas with 3D printers, and iPads are just some of twenty-first-century improvement in the last few years. Yet this Central branch renewal is perhaps the greatest indication of this library system’s dedication to the needs of its users. The people of Tulsa look to their library to provide the resources they need and the information professionals, city government, and hard-working architects and builders are providing just that.

The people spoke and the Tulsa City-County Library listened. Today’s world is learner-driven, technology-based, and it belongs to the makers and creators. And those who still find solace in holding a book, turning pages, and tucking into a study carrel will find their refuge enhanced with comfortable seating, improved shelves and lighting, and more.

This is what the Central Library renewal brings. One thing that will not change, however, is the user-centric focus and the excellent customer service those who live in Tulsa County expect from their library.

Resources:

Central Library Renewed

Tulsa City-County Library

Librarium

The post Tulsa City-County Library Renewal first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

“Modular” is a new buzzword in library design across all departments. Every designer my board and I interviewed for our project threw the term around, and a recent Library Journal article agrees[1]. Modular fixtures are flexible and can be arranged different ways. For example, the Modular Display Shelving System mentioned in the article can easily accommodate a different breakdown of shelves, screens, and bins based on your library’s needs. What’s more, the configuration can be altered at any point in time. Modular seating, multiple examples of which can be found in Library Journal’s piece, can be arranged in any number of patterns with the components all in one area or spread throughout the library.

This type of furniture is a smart investment in that buyers are not limited to one particular set-up. If, for example, a modular fixture is purchased to house DVDs and a library decides to cut back on its physical media collection in five years, the piece can easily be used to accommodate other materials or tablets. Similarly, modular seating allows for both group and independent work, depending on your patrons’ preferences.

Mobile shelving and other fixtures is also hot. By placing large pieces on casters, staff can easily move displays from one area of the building to another. This allows freedom to use collection space for programming or even change your layout if you decide it isn’t working anymore. With this type of furniture, a library is no longer locked into a certain footprint.

Finally, sleek silhouettes and bright colors are popular for seating areas. Most of the furniture featured in the Library Journal article comes in eye-catching shades that look inviting to library users. This trend is significantly removed from the more institutional-looking pieces that were so popular in decades past and reflects a library’s fun, appealing attitude.

Like everything else in today’s library world, flexibility is key when it comes to choosing a new design. Pieces that have multiple uses or configurations will remain useable even if the face of the public library changes. Add in some vibrant colors and interesting shapes, and it is easy to update your space to last well into the 21^st century!

Citation
[1] What’s Hot: Library By Design, Fall 2014. (2014, November 25). Retrieved December 16, 2014, from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2014/11/buildings/lbd/whats-hot-library-by-design-fall-2014-2/

The post Flexibility is Key: Innovations in Library Design first appeared on Public Libraries Online.