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The Library Store: A New Place and Space within the Georgia Tech Library

The Future of Library Space

ISBN: 978-1-78635-270-5, eISBN: 978-1-78635-269-9

Publication date: 15 December 2016

Abstract

Purpose

Library spaces are being reimagined to better fit the needs of today’s and future users. At the Georgia Tech Library, a new library space, currently called the “Library Store,” is being developed as part of the “Library Next” initiative. How can this space best attract users and how can it work to intuit their needs to offer more seamless services? Careful planning and dedicated participation on the part of library management and library staff have set into motion a design for a new space that will meet user needs immediately and will be flexible enough to respond to their ever-changing use patterns.

Methodology/approach

This chapter explores the relationship between staff needs, user needs, and institutional needs when tasked with creating a library space and services in the 21st century academic library. It explores the development of the “Library Store” as a case study to shed light on the ways in which academic libraries can adapt to the research and learning needs of their users.

Findings

The authors provide insight into the complexities of leveraging existing staff skills in order to offer new user services in a space that boasts a new and updated design. They also detail the lessons learned from the initial planning stages of the new space and services.

Originality/value

This chapter considers user and library staff needs from a management perspective when planning a redesign of space and services. This library is one of only a few that has embarked on this specific model of space and service reimagining.

Keywords

Citation

Decker, E.N. and Henson, B. (2016), "The Library Store: A New Place and Space within the Georgia Tech Library", The Future of Library Space (Advances in Library Administration and Organization, Vol. 36), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 285-306. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0732-067120160000036013

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017 Emerald Group Publishing Limited