The building is almost complete!
The library project steering committee gathered ideas and hosted workshops gaining ideas from students, staff and faculty during the visioning stage of the project. Our goal was to design a modern library which will endure, meeting the needs of students and faculty far into the future.
On this page you will find ideas, best practices, and examples of new library construction that provided inspiration for our design process.
The Steering Committee incorporated principles developed by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). These guidelines were utilized to develop the scope of the project, including appropriate square footage, in the request for project funding.
http://wikis.ala.org/acrl/index.php/Academic_Library_Building_Design:_Resources_for_Planning
The SCF librarians and library staff have participated in a series of webinars regarding library design guided by principles of UX. You are welcome to watch the recorded videos below. Click on the title of the webinar you are interested in viewing.
Academic Libraries are no longer just places where students and faculty access and use information, rather, they have become the place on campus where students can create, design and build information and products derived from the information they have gained through classroom instruction, collaboration and library research. While visioning, we researched the many different types of Makerspaces to design one that meets the needs of our students and faculty.
During the visioning stage, the steering committee also visited different college's and universities that demonstrated innovative library design. Below are examples of library design and function the committee finds useful for visioning the appropriate design, technology, function and space for the new Bradenton library.
NCSU Hunt Library 2013
The North Carolina State University Hunt Library is an example of new library design in which spaces are created for students to create, not just study. These spaces include a Makerspace with 3D printers, multimedia editing rooms, digital media production studios, sound/music production studios, and a video presentation theater.
UCF Library Renovation 2010
UCF renovated the first floor of the library to create a "knowledge commons". The design incorporates collaborative learning spaces, research assistance, and a large cafe. Decor and furniture create an inspiring space for collaboration, academic excellence, and creativity.
Colorado State University Library Renovation 2012
CSU Librarians utilized student input for renovating the library. Students voted to increase their own fees in order to pay for the 12 million dollar renovation which provides collaborative, modular, and high tech spaces.
USF Tampa Library Renovation- Fall 2014
USF renovated the first and second floors of their library with the first floor renovation completed just in time for this year's fall classes. The library created spaces for student group collaboration, group study, and multimedia production. One of the problems addressed by the renovation was the addition of electricity to power the additional 500 computers but also the electronic devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets the students bring with them into the library.