How to plan a library building for library work

by Charles C. Soule

By a proper grouping of rooms it may be possible for one attendant to temporarily supervise several rooms.
Stack.
An allowance of 10,000 sq. ft. on each floor will provide accommodation for 1,600,000 volumes.
Separate Building or Sub-Basement.
Heating, ventilating and lighting plant.
Basement.
Janitor’s work room				300	sq. ft.
Engineer’s room (office)				300	”
Engineer’s work room				400	”
Scrub women’s room				300	”
Store room for supplies				1,000	”
Bindery				5,000	”
Printing plant				3,000	”
Auditorium or Exhibition Room				4,500	”
				14,800	sq. ft.
Ground Floor.
Book Order Dept				3,000	sq. ft.
Supply Dept				2,500	”
Packing room				1,500	”
Delivery Station room				1,000	”
Repair room				1,200	”
Library for the Blind				2,000	”
Supt. of Building—office				500	”
Coat and parcel room				600	”
Public telephone room			} combine {	300	”
Public reception room				300	”
Telephone switch board				200	”
Public toilet rooms				700	”
Private toilet rooms				700	”
Lockers for 200 employees				600	”
Newspaper reading room				2,500	”
				17,600	sq. ft.
Main or First Floor.
Children’s room				5,000	sq. ft.
Delivery room (open shelves)				3,000	”
Executive offices				4,900	”
Trustees’ room		900	sq. ft.
Committee room		400	”
Librarian’s public office		400	”
Librarian’s private office		500	”
Librarian’s Secretary’s office		400	”
Stenographers’ room		600	”
Assistant Librarian’s office		400	”
[400]Supt. of Branches office		300	”
Finance Department		1,000	”
Reading rooms—Periodicals				4,000	”
Reading rooms—Scientific periodicals				400	”
Reading rooms—Store room for unbound back numbers				600	”
				17,900	sq. ft.
Second Floor.
Reference room				10,000	sq. ft.
Special reference rooms as follows:—
Statistical Dept.		800	sq. ft.
Patents room		2,500	”
Map room		1,500	”
Public documents room for readers		1,200	”
Restricted and rare books		400	”
Public catalog				1,500	”
Public writing and copying rooms				800	”
				18,700	sq. ft.
Third Floor.
Music room				1,500	sq. ft.
Prints room				800	”
Art book room				2,000	”
Manuscripts				800	”
Photographic room				400	”
Photographic dark room				120	”
Apprentice class room				2,500	”
Staff meeting room				1,000	”
Bell collection				1,200	”
Study and club rooms (3 or 4)				1,200	”
Cataloguing Dept.				5,000	”
Library of Congress Card Catalog room				1,000	”
Traveling Library Dept. and Interchange				600	”
				18,120	sq. ft.
Mezzanine Floor.
Staff sitting room				600	sq. ft.
Two lunch rooms:—
One				400	”
One				800	”
Pantry and kitchen
Public restaurant				900	”
				2,700	sq. ft.
Fourth Story (if any).
Janitor’s living rooms				1,500	sq. ft.
Totals.
Prof. A. D. F. Hamlin has estimated that the available ground space for the building might vary according to different types of building from 31,250 sq. ft. to 44,600 sq. ft. Our estimate of the space required, including rooms, halls, etc, and stack is about 36,630 sq. ft.
(Above basement):—
Ground floor				17,600	sq. ft.
Main or first floor				17,900	”
Second floor				18,700	”
Third floor				18,120	”
Mezzanine floor				2,700	”
Fourth floor				1,500	”
				76,520	sq. ft.
Stack—4 stories of main building				40,000	”
				116,520	”
Add for halls, stairs, walls, vaults, toilet rooms, etc.				30,000	”
				146,520	sq. ft.
Average per floor (4)				36,630	”

ALPHABETICAL ARRANGEMENT OF ROOMS.

Under each room is given the purpose and best arrangement in relation to other rooms. The list also includes such headings as “Furniture,” “Shelving,” etc.

Accession Department, see Cataloguing Department.

Apprentice Class Room. For students who are taking the training course in the library preparatory to admission to the library service. Accommodations should be provided for one hundred students.

Need not be considered in relation to other rooms, and may be placed on top floor or wherever convenient.

The room might be divided into sections by sliding partitions so that a part or the whole could be used either for class work or for entrance and promotion examinations, and should be planned as a regular school class room containing such necessary appliances as desks, chairs blackboards, etc.

A sufficient number of lockers should be provided in a dressing-room near by.

If the room is not divided as mentioned above, a study room containing a working collection of library literature would make study possible by members of one class while another class is in session.