Friday, April 6, 2007

Some Great Ideas

People have diverse hopes for a new library. We have gathered them from community forums and comment boxes around town. The most common request is for more computers. The library currently has 9 and some preliminary plans indicate a need for 63. Another common theme is adequate parking. We have 16 spaces and the plan is for more than 200.
Among all the comments, I’m most impressed with how personally people take their library experience. It’s not enough to simply get materials, they said. People look for a convenient experience that is enriching. Patrons have a high regard for the well-trained staff and they want to make sure the building design takes service into account. Some people want a help desk on each floor and to make sure the maintenance budget is strong enough to keep a new building looking good.
There were many comments asking for a children’s reading area and for special areas such as homework tables, meeting rooms and a quiet zone. My personal favorite comment on Tuesday came from a man who liked one library that has a large stone hearth fireplace. He said you can sit there with a book and it feels warm and comfy. You are in a public space, with high ceilings, but it feels personal and private, as well. Other comments ask for a snack shop, aquarium, better elevators, wireless Internet, public art, etc. Forums continue the next couple weeks.
Be sure to share your ideas either at the forums or through correspondence here on the blog. These comments will be turned over to an architect who will create the design for the new building.
- Dan Black

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think it's wonderful that NPL will finally get a new library. For starters, I would recommend adding more information to your individual profiles in your blog.

You're just names for now, but who's "Dan Black" and "NPL Staff"? What do you do there? Any pictures available? Are you real people? You know, put a face to your ideas, or at least make it personable. It's easier for me to trust someone who has a stake in asking how I feel about my library.

Here's hoping you get the library everyone wants.

Anonymous said...

Hello -
while I also love the idea of a fireplace I do have a valid reason as to why you may wish to rethink this costly addition: I worked at a library in CA that had a beautiful stone fire place.Yes all patrons lOVED sitting by it and reading, however, that bugger leaked and filled with water when it rained. It was so bad that it would even flood out when the sprinkler system came on. I would really think long and hard as this cost that library lots of money just to keep that darn thing dry.

Worldbuilder Robin said...

These days, a "fireplace" doesn't have to be a real fireplace. They make nice electric heaters that look a lot like real fires, or at least enough to "fool" someone who's reading beside it. Combine this with a genuine stone setting, and the illusion of a cozy fireplace is perfect without the expense and hassle of maintaining a real one.

Anonymous said...

Let me interject my 2 cents on the "fireplace" concept. It's not neccessarily a fireplace that people desire, but a warm, comfortable area to curl up with a good book. My favorite space in the Meridian library is the row of study booths along the back wall that are next to big windows that catch the morning sun. A great place to start the day. I'd consider an atrium with lush landscaping and lots of natural light equally inviting. Whether or not plans include an actual fireplace, I think we can all agree that we want a homey, comfortable library, not an institutional building.

Anonymous said...

I would love a Genealogy room. With Microfiche

Anonymous said...

Why not have library access to HeritageQuest Online - you could do that now before a new building and space for a Genealogy room! I know several Nampa people who would love it!

Anonymous said...

June 21, 2007: Breaking News & Sneak preview for those who read these early comments! In response to the last anonymous post on genealogy dabases - The Friends of Nampa Library have funded both Heritage Quest Online and Ancestry.Com for the next year. Ancestry will be available from library computers later this month. Heritage Quest will be available from our webpage as well as in the building. Follow the link below and be ready to enter your library card

Heritage Quest Online
http://www.heritagequestonline.com/barcode?aid=14492