21st Century Library Design

Contract Magazine
August 01, 2006
Intro: Social Intelligence
By Holly Richmond

"Is today's library the new mall? That notion may not be such a stretch. Simply replace rows of retailers with stacks of books, and by some accounts you're headed in the right direction. 'We've lived through the mall generation,' quips Mark Schatz, AIA, principal at Field Paoli in San Francisco. 'I'm hoping that, in some measure, the library will replace that experience for the next generation.'"

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My Schooling Has Ended, But My Education Has Not

It's official. I've completed my Masters degree in Library & Information Science. It's been a long and winding road, and I've gained so much over the last five years.

My undergraduate degrees prepared me with the foundation to conduct research. My graduate degree has focused that training in the specific area of librarianship (even more specifically in management and art librarianship). A wiser man than me once said, "Your education will never end" (Theodore Morris, PhD, Personal Communication, August 2, 2006). I certainly hope Dr. Morris is right.

I'll miss APA style, but I look forward to a new era of Chicago Manual Style. I also look forward to going to more annual conferences, meeting more librarians, and being part of a new generation of librarians who will revolutionize our profession.

(In case you’re part of an older generation of librarians and that last sentence rubs you the wrong way, don’t let it. It is your wisdom & skills which will enable the next gen. You are our key to success as much as our generation’s ability to create & innovate.)