Library Furnishings: A Planning Guide

The life expectancy of a typical library is 20 or so years. This useful life can be greatly extended, however, with extensive planning and an informed choice of versatile, adaptable furnishings. Everything you need to know to accomplish this feat can be found within the pages of this volume. Professional, experienced advice and suggestions take the library designer through the entire design process.

This book provides a plethora of information from the planning stages through the finished media center--to allow any librarian or architect to make informed, cost-effective decisions. The work begins with the creation of the development team, explains terminology employed by furniture manufacturers and the conventions used for furnishing measurements. Topics covered include the installation of adequate (and stable) shelving; user-friendly seating arrangements; and plans for satisfying ever-increasing technological requirements.

Appendices contain a number of checklists covering such areas as the tasks and responsibilities of the development team; evaluations of various work stations and seating options; ADA surveys; and electronic planning. Detailed diagrams and photographs from completed designs are also included. From colors to work spaces and furniture composition, Tish Murphy's twenty years of experience in the field provides the reader with firsthand knowledge regarding what works and what doesn't in the world of library furnishings.

Library furnishings consultant Tish Murphy lives in Mesa, Arizona.