This document discusses strategies for redesigning library spaces to engage patrons. It recommends incorporating interactive technology, maker spaces, colorful decor, and modular furniture. Staff should promote the new spaces on social media and get involved to encourage patron interaction. Funding could come from grants, donations, volunteers and crowd-sourcing. The goal is to position libraries as community anchors for learning and collaboration rather than just housing books.

1. Design My Library Space
Computers in Libraries 2013
Workshop
Brian Pichman of the Evolve Project

2. Things We Will Discover
 Main Themes around Engagement
 Design Concepts
 Interactive Technology
 Fab Labs & Maker Spaces
 Promotion of New Space
 Funding

3. Virtual Tour

4. Building a Public Value
Libraries can no longer be just about “books”; instead
they must position themselves as community anchors;
providing for general needs as well as the endless
learning possibilities.

5. What Does Your Community Ask
For?
 Study Rooms / Homework Area
 Open Areas
 Tech (Computers)
 Business Centers
 MakerSpaces
 ?Others?
What do these things have in common?

6. Engagement
Your new space must allow for the ability for patrons
AND staff to engage with each other and the space.

7. Libraries Have To Be Engaging
 Encourage Creativity and Invention
 Allow Discovery
 Increase Collaboration
 Generate Interaction
 Foster Innovation

8. Creation and Inventions

9. Discovery

10. Collaboration

11. Interaction

12. Innovation

13. Libraries need to find ways to engage their
patrons…a redesign of your library is one way to
accomplish this.

14. Key Design Concepts
 Adding Color
 Art
 Have Open Areas
 Furniture
 Modularity

15. Adding Color
 White = Boring
 Inherently teens/kids are in white schools. How do
they see your library?
 Parks are typically colorful
 Painting walls is an inexpensive redesign
 Use Fun Colors
 Be Bold!
 Children Areas should use bright attractive areas.

17. Art
 Have patrons create the art
 Donate it to the library
 Mix it up as often as you like. There is no cost.

18. Open Areas
 Open Space !
 Seating
 Tables
 Multi Functional Areas
 Less Closed Rooms
 Activity Rooms, Meeting Rooms, etc

22. Furniture
 Fun Colors

23. Modularity
 Allows you to always change your environment
 Put things on wheels
 Desks
 …No Need For Shelves To Be On Wheels
 Don’t fasten furniture to floor…
 no one will be stealing a desk

24. Collection Concepts
 Rotating Collection
 Provides an “always new” environment
 Child Friendly Shelves
 Bin style shelving, so children can “flip” through books
 Props to show collection (not books)
 Interactive Book Ends
 Allow children to find, discover, and hear reviews of books,
all via a touch screen computer mounted at the end of a
the shelf
 Merging Easy Readers with Junior Books
 Most children have to go back and forth between the
sections finding the books they like. Not many other
libraries separate like this. We can still maintain the J and

25. Workflow Concepts
 Self Check Out Units
 Even children are highly receptive to the ability to
do things on their own and utilize technology
 Mobile Check Out / Catalog Units
 Allow people to use an iPad to either search or
check out material
 Standing “Help Desk”
 Have one or two people at a single circulation desk
 The rest are out on the floor to offer suggestions, help, and
guidance
 Head of department should be in an accessible
area so children can interact comfortably

26. Interactive Technology
Fill The Space With Fun Interactive
Technology
Allow People to CHECK THINGS out

27. Sphero Ball …. MSRP: $130
Guide Through Library (Follow The Ball)
People Approach The Ball – Curiosity

28. Kurio Tablet …. MSRP: $150
Cheap Tablet
Locked Down
Secure

29. Sifteo Cubes …. MSRP: $130-$200
Interactive Touch Cubes
New Learning Game, Spell, Sort, and more!

30. Lego WeDo’s …. Msrp $130
Simple, Drag and Drop GUI Based Program
There is a nation wide Lego Robotics Contest
Software: $90.00

31. Lego Mindstorm …. MSRP $300
More Advance Programming
There is a nation wide Lego Robotics Contest
Software: $80.00

32. Gaming Stations
Wheeling and Dealing Game Stations!

33. A redesign for a public library
http://tinyurl.com/Evolve-
See a virtual tour at
VirtualTour

34. I Have All This Tech…Now What
Your environment can have all the best tech toys
and cool fablabs but it could still fall short.
It is up to the frontline staff to ENANGE their
audiences. A friendly hello goes a long way. Allow
the staff to play with the tech, get them involved to
reflect that excitement to the patrons.

35. Staff Communication
 Get Them Involved In Your Library
 Tech
 Books
 Stories
 Get “resident” experts
 Cooking
 Computing
 Fishing…
 AND LET THE PATRONS KNOW WHICH STAFF ARE
EXPERTS ON SPECIFIC HOBBIES

36. Engagement Ideas
 Ask these things out of the blue.
 Books
 Ask them their thoughts
 Suggestions for collection
 Recommend other reads
 Computing
 Ask them what games they want to see
 Programming
 Ask them what programs they like.
 Socially
 Ask how they are doing.
 Homework Help
 Offer ways to help them on assignments. Bring them snacks and
beverages. Positive reinforcement.
 Remind them a library can be more than just “books”

37. Ways To Engage Your Space
This Can Also Be Used To Promote
Space

38. Sphero Ball …. MSRP: $130
Guide Through Library (Follow The Ball)
People Approach The Ball – Curiosity

39. Ubisoft Laser Tag
Score Keeping, Board Projecting Score Board, Laser Tag Game!
Discover New Places In Libraries Through Objectives
Hunger Games style playing.

40. Miniature Golf
Purchase Cheap Plastic and Foam to setup Paths and fairways with felt.
Have it throughout the library, engage the participants through your space.

41. Zombie Movie
Film A Zombie Movie (Cameras and some Face Paint for Your Library)

42. Mystery Grab Bag
Place books into color themed bags. Barcode number written outside of bag.
Allow patrons to check out and take them home.

43. Other Cool Activities
 Library Lockin
 Play Games, Watch Movies, Etc.
 Teddy Bear Lockin
 Children drop off their stuffed animals, and staff
take pictures with their stuffed animals interacting in
the library

44. Fab Labs and Maker Spaces

45. Evolve: A Library Playground
 Fab Lab / “Hackerspace”
 A location where people with common interests
(usually in computers, technology, science, or digital
or electronic art) meet, socialize and/or collaborate.
 Can be viewed as open community labs
incorporating elements of workshops and/or studios
where people can come together to share
resources and knowledge to build and make things
and ideas.
 Combining the positive & fun aspects of schools,
museums, and playgrounds into one “entity”.

46. Types of Maker Spaces
 Collaborative Areas (Either Network Based or In A
Room)
 Learning Labs or Training Centers
 Provide Tools (Hardware and/or Software)

50. Multimedia Room
 Room Set Up Features:
 Clickers
 Allows for jeopardy style gaming
 Smart Board (interactive white board)
 Full DVD/BluRay/Sound System
 Easy to use and start (Touch Panel System)
 You Can Use This Room For
 Jeopardy
 Movie Nights
 Presentations / Interactive Style Board Game Night
 Create a Business Plan, Project Plan, etc

52. Promotion

53. Teasers
http://youtu.be/gFaXvkrd-

54. Video Marketing
Chard Mairn, Librarian/Adjunct Professor at St. Petersburg College started a
viral media marketing tools. Purchased cheap inexpensive flip cams.

55. Social Media

56. Funding

57. Sell Your Idea

58. Twitter
 Use Twitter to ask vendors or product
manufacturers for help

59. Crowd Source Funding

60. Donations and Grants
 Ask for donations to the project
 Name Rooms after Business who sponsor parts of
renovation
 Grants

61. Volunteers
 Ask People To Help Build Area
 Manual Labor
 Paint
 Move Furniture
 Set Up Computers or Furniture

62. Contact Me
Brian Pichman
 @bpichman
 815.534.0403
 bpichman@evolveproject.org
Other Sessions at CIL:
Sunday 04-07-2013 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM W16: Teen Library Users:
Engaging _
the Next Generation
Monday 04-08-2013 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM C102: Innovative
Technologies