Planning the health sciences library: a new building for information services

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences Librarianship
• Academic Library Planning
• Information Services Management

Background:

• The University of Maryland at Baltimore embarked on an extensive 15-year planning process for a new Health Sciences Library.
• The initiative aimed to create a modern facility to support evolving information needs in health sciences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the multi-year planning and design process for a new Health Sciences Library.
• To highlight the collaborative approach involving library staff, computing/communications groups, and architects.
• To explain the design philosophy focused on promoting interaction and service integration.

Main Methods:

• An interactive program planning process was employed, engaging all stakeholders.
• Architects collaborated closely with library staff and the Information Services umbrella organization.
• The building layout was specifically designed to integrate staff and services on each floor.

Main Results:

• The planning phase spanned over 15 years, reflecting a thorough and deliberate process.
• A unified Information Services group, merging library and computing/communications, was central to the planning.
• The final building layout emphasizes inter-floor interaction and service cohesion.

Conclusions:

• Long-term, collaborative planning is crucial for developing specialized academic libraries.
• Integrating diverse information services within a single organizational structure enhances library functionality.
• Architectural design plays a vital role in fostering a collaborative and integrated library environment.