Design Research
Site visit and participant observation
Notes
The guided visit consisted of visiting all the areas that are currently under the use and administration of the HSL even those that are not part of the main building. The visit confirmed the needs and priorities requested by the HSL staff:
Need to prioritize creative spaces, connection with the community.
It is attempting to be user centric but lacks identity and wayfinding.
The library has crowded and improvised areas prioritizing the collections.
The building has attractive views to the exterior, an opportunity for increasing the sense of safety and incorporate natural light.
OBSERVER 1
Scattered Populace: The present populace was scattered among different types of furniture system.
Engagement priority: The closed cubicles had the greatest number of users with 6 now.
User preference type 1: The cubicles had 7 users today, the most among any set up.
User preference type 2: Four separate study rooms were occupied today.
Optical Condition: The artificial lights had to be turned on even though there were some natural lights.
OBSERVER 2
Multiple types of furniture profile: There are multiple types of furniture that almost look unorganized but at the same time look like the staff want everyone to have what they want.
View of Exterior: The views to the exterior seem very attractive and yet there is no workstation taking advantage of the view. I see bookshelves, private rooms, offices, and single use stations like the bicycles facing the great windows.
User preference of engagement: Most users are using computers and no books although the shelves are nearby.
Navigation: It was difficult to find the entrance. It is on the second floor although there is a big automatic glass door that just takes you to a bookstore instead of the library. It is like a secret magic place.
Specific requests by element
Other priorities collected from conversation are:
• Address accessibility.
• Enhance indoor environment health.
• Keep the color pallet in carpet and surfaces on mind to generate a “cozy-homelike” feeling.
• Become a landmark or reference point for the community.
• Address Diversity Equity and Inclusion principles.
• Keep generous spaces for social distancing.
• Noise reduction strategies for locks, carts, and conversations.
• Allow for organic accommodation / flexibility of collaborative spaces.
• Enhance privacy and safety, especially after 9pm.
• Bring a new innovative alternative to window covers.
• Attract public while serving in-house users during pic hours (3 to 9 pm).
Document review
Drachman HSL Document review and procedures.pdfThe building documents relevant to the performance of the building include:
• UA HSL Fact sheet: Contributed the background information explaining how this facility serves in-person and online students from the Tucson, Phoenix, and Gilbert campuses. It is clear how UA Health Science aims to be a top-ranked unit leader of the next-generation education research, clinical, and public outreach.
• Floor plans in PDF and DWG - 9 documents: These documents are the basis for all future conceptual design development. They are currently used to measure the areas and calculate the work to be done for any recommendations.
• Guidelines for Sustainable libraries - 4 documents:
• Manual of Design and Specification Standards – The University of Arizona: the sources below, within the bundle found in the University of Arizona Planning Design and Construction website, bring detailed guidelines that are relevant to any recommendation that results from this planning project. The documents will be accessed and applied as planning develops to keep the team informed.
• UA Planning Design and Construction Desing and Specifications Standards (DSS) is a guideline containing information on the procedures, materials, and design parameters the UA finds appropriate. The specific documents currently consulted for this planning project are:
o Procedures and operations - PDC 4 documents
o Criteria and design – PDC 29 pages
o Construction and materials - UA PDC 18 documents
o Thermal and moisture protection - 22 documents
o Specialties, mechanical, electric, hydraulic, and telecom - 207 pages
• Access to libraries for persons with disabilities CHECKLIST: this tool will always be used through conceptual design to guarantee that the conditions are met.
• Creating Inclusive Library Spaces for Students with Disabilities (SWDs): Perceptions and Experiences: this source was set aside from the literature review since its contribution to the operations of a library is greater and has potential to be the guideline for the entire process.
The Role of Acoustics in Libraries
A library is traditionally a place of quiet study, a place where students and lovers of literature go for hours of intensive research or a peaceful read. Today, libraries serve a more diverse purpose, facilitating group discussions, book reading clubs, organization meetings and literary events.
The challenge is turning the library into a comfortable area that caters for both silent readers and collaborative learners.
Design Challenges in HSL that Affect Noise Control
High ceilings that amplify soft noises
Walls made of highly sound-reflective materials such as glass, brick and wood.
Bookshelves that are positioned too closely together and filled to the brim can disrupt the airflow in the room, causing even the softest of sounds to bounce back.
Mix of people who want to read alone and people who want to work in groups.
Libraries should be able to cater for different studying styles while increasing speech privacy. If the aim is to drown out the noise in the library and help people concentrate on their own learning, acoustic panels are a suitable solution.
Literature review
The review consisted of reading and analyzing a total of 18 articles:
(Dexter et al., 2019) Building new twenty-first century medical school libraries from the ground up: challenges, experiences, and lessons learned.
(Nevius et al., 2018) Library instruction in medical education: a survey of current practices in the United States and Canada.
(Somerville & Brown, 2011) Library space planning: a participatory action research approach.
(Gibbons, 2012) Techniques to understand the changing needs of library users.
(Bennett et al., 2009) Libraries and Learning: A History of Paradigm Change.
(Rohlf, 1986) Architecture: Library Design: What Not to Do.
(Shipman & Peay, 2012) Building projects: redefining hospital libraries.
(Nevius, 2018) Library instruction in medical education: a survey of current practices in the United States and Canada.
(Dexter, et al., 2019) Building new twenty-first century medical school libraries from the ground up: challenges, experiences, and lessons learned.
(Cooper & Crum, 2013) New activities and changing roles of health sciences librarians_ a systematic review, 1990–2012.
(LaPolla et al., 2022) Rigor and reproducibility instruction in academic medical libraries.
(Speaker, 2018) An historical overview of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, 1985–2015
(Earl, 2020) Transforming Health Sciences Library Spaces
(UD, 1997) Academic Library Building Design: Resources for Planning: Accessibility / Universal Design.
(Bostick & Petre, 2009) Designing libraries for the 21st century: Issues of accessibility and usability.
(Forrest, 2006) Towards an accessible academic library: Using the IFLA Checklist.
(Irvall & Nielsen, 2005) Access to libraries for persons with disabilities CHECKLIST.
(Ilako, et al., 2020) Creating Inclusive Library Spaces for Students with Disabilities (SWDs): Perceptions and Experiences.
Results
• The number one approach across the ten articles related to library design in higher education institutions is the participatory method based on surveys, focus groups, and design charettes to determine the common and uncommon features of the library redesign.
• The process may follow an iterative plan that includes research, reaching out to the user, observing, and reflecting.
• The research-design side must circle back every insight from the user to the institutional alignment to ensure that all programmatic requirements are followed.
• The user’s participation must be directed to reveal innovative and creative ways to accommodate their needs while also collecting insights about the reading experience, the book (collection) aspect, and the learning-centered paradigm.
• Libraries are most used nowadays through online collections. Space planning, staffing, and safety increasingly focus on providing private and collaborative spaces to access computers (or other devices) and not necessarily book anymore.
• Contemporary libraries are beyond collections (books) and access to them; they feature café shops, compact shelving, study areas, a variety of furnishings, technology, multimedia laboratories, meeting spaces, exhibits, and student headquarters.
• The workflow prioritizes the alignment between the services, collections, facilities, and digital presence and accessibility of the libraries with the academic needs of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty.
• Users want desktop delivery of information while they still want ‘‘a place’’ to go to for reflection and to concentrate their focus on learning.
User Experience
Based on responses to the HSL-led surveys
The number of responses to the survey from
- 2021 is 359,
- 2022 is 318
- 2023 is 365
- The population of the Health Sciences facilities is around 4000. Therefore, the survey responses meet the sample size to have a confidence level of 95% that the real value is within ±5% of the measured/surveyed value.
Results
The Health Science building is perceived as a good facility that serves its purpose but can use some revamping of the space to provide more comfort for in-person use. It needs easier access, and in general, its level of noise is not disturbing. However, when noise is a concern, it will be mostly on the second floor.
It is perceived as a wonderful, safe space that needs work on a cleaner look, comfortable seating, and ways to relax and eat.
Responding to the question, would you see yourself as similar to most of the other people you see at the library? The students mentioned they all seem to go for the same reason, lean and work, and they perceive being all related to the same field of study. This could indicate how territorial the facility is, although it is open to any student on campus and even the community.
The Director of the Health Science Library worked with the team to develop a second part of their annual survey asking students to help with the planning process for improving library spaces. The questions were intended to help us better understand the kinds of activities the user engages in at HSL and their needs and preferences for library space.
For making the library safer, welcoming, and comfortable, students mention that renovations, better views, availability of food, seating, controlled temperature, and extended hours of operation are needed.
User Experience 2: additional question to the 2023 survey
For collecting detailed feedback about space, three additional questions asked for a three-way answer. This second part of the survey will be open during summer and the beginning of Fall 2023. The questions were intended to help us better understand the kinds of activities you engage in at HSL and your needs and preferences for library space.
The first question asks to select from 15 spaces/arrange types of how students will use them and requests not to select those spaces they do not plan to use. We expect to know what spaces they like, whether the student comes alone, or with more people, and the relationship between use and space.
The second question asks about the preferences in views depending on the activity they are performing. It provides sample views that apply or can be available for HSL. Again, students need to ignore those that do not apply to them. We expect to know what activities the students perform at the library, the type of views they like, and the relationship between activity and view.
The third question is about sound level related to the activities they perform at the library and asks them to ignore those that do not apply. We expect to learn what sound levels are acceptable, what types of activities are performed, and the relationship between use and sound level.
Preferred views
Preferred seating
Preferred sounds levels and type
Preferred table arrangements
•The Health Science building is perceived as a good facility that serves its purpose but can use some revamping of the space to provide more comfort for personal use. It needs easier access, and in general, its level of noise is not disturbing. However, when noise is a concern, it will be mostly on the second floor.
•It is perceived as a wonderful, safe space that needs work on a cleaner look, comfortable seating, and ways to relax and eat.
•Responding to the question, would you see yourself as similar to most of the other people you see at the library? The students mentioned they all seem to go for the same reason, learning and working, and they perceive being all related to the same field of study. This could indicate how territorial the facility is, although it is open to any student on campus and even the community.
• To make the library safer, welcoming, and comfortable, students mention that renovations, better views, food availability, seating, controlled temperature, and extended hours of operation are needed.
The completion of this survey is not necessarily subject to the same confidence level reached in the general survey. There will not be the assumption that the responses represent the opinion of the HS student population. Instead, the result will allow us to better interpret observations, and input from the charrettes.