The Librarian’s Facility Management Handbook

Citation

Matthews, G. (2003), "The Librarian’s Facility Management Handbook", Library Management, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 171-171. https://doi.org/10.1108/lm.2003.24.3.171.1

The common theme of these four books is facilities management and its relationship with service provision, an aspect of library and information service management that does not always get the attention it merits. Those charged with responsibility for facilities management or aspects of it will find that these four titles offer sound advice and practical assistance. Between them they cover traditional aspects of, and current developments in, their related topics within the library and information environment. They have particular significance at present as the digital environment impacts increasingly on staff, users, collections and facilities.

The Librarian’s Facility Management Handbook is comprehensive in its coverage: maintaining daily operations, supplying utilities and energy management, providing the right environment, budgeting and controlling costs, keeping records and managing reports, designing safety and security guidelines, preparing emergency and disaster plans, arranging space and the needs of special needs patrons. It also includes a guide to supplies, services and resources (for North America), a glossary of terms and an index. The book aims to help library administrators identify, organise, and create a plan for the diverse range of activities involved in effective facility management. This is a very practical book with lots of advice based on experience. It is organised in a way that facilitates use; each chapter, for example, begins with a clear overview of its contents and a list of figures that include sample checklists, schedules, specifications, request and report forms. The book provides helpful guidance and suggestions for librarians with responsibility for managing library buildings and services; there is not a great deal written about this elsewhere and this book brings together much useful information in one resource.

Protecting Library Staff, Users, Collections and Facilities: A How‐To‐Do‐It‐Manual also tackles a broad subject and offers wide coverage of it: overview of library security, security of the general collection, of users and employees, of special collections, special events, and legal, personnel and vendor considerations. There is an index and references at the end of each chapter. The book is aimed at all types and sizes of libraries and asserts it “identifies issues and offers solutions”. The author stresses the need for libraries to have a security plan and that security should be a key feature of a library’s mission statement. The book will certainly be of considerable assistance to those developing or updating a security framework. There is some coverage of bombs and bomb threats, but events since the book’s inception would suggest that any future edition would need enhanced coverage of this in the context of terrorism and lessons learned. The text is interspersed with plenty of helpful sample policy statements, reports and checklists; these, with good use of headings and bullet points, make this an easy book to read and use. This is certainly a worthwhile addition to the somewhat limited literature on security for library and information services and offers constructive help to those who deal with this.

The Neal Schumann Electronic Classroom Handbook offers a manual for designing electronic library classrooms for teaching and learning in libraries. It is presented in three parts: Preparation and planning, Design and construction, and Day‐to‐day operations. Appendices (pp. 113‐234) reflect the functional approach taken by the author. They include blank figures which can be used to play around with and “try out” different classroom designs (available electronically via a Web site); US laws, codes, regulations, standards and guidelines; a directory of suppliers; select library classroom Web sites; sample instructional materials for introducing students to the research process using electronic resources, and for evaluating information; and, case studies, with examples from school, public and special libraries. The author’s perspective is that of an academic librarian, and the book’s focus is on university libraries, but the last case study and the overall approach and coverage of the book should ensure it has significance for those working in other types of library, too. The author puts the book in its broader context with a chapter introducing teaching and learning in the electronic environment; she ends with a look into the future; this reflects an holistic approach to the topic. The book brings together advice on a range of appropriate issues (including, for example, different uses of space and various layouts; infrastructure issues such as network connectivity, electricity, lighting; software types, security; equipment and furnishings; financial aspects, costs and budgeting; construction and occupancy; administration; teaching and learning strategies; and evaluation of provision) based on research and experience and thus achieves comprehensive coverage of this subject. I expected more on licensing agreements in the book, but here the author refers to two other sources. The book has an index and a lengthy list of references (pp. 235‐47). It contains a wealth of information of use to those designing electronic classrooms, particularly in the academic environment; the numerous sample worksheets, timelines, layouts, checklists, charts, forms and handouts add to its practical application.

With student numbers increasing, the need for more individual study facilities, more room for PCs for access to digital libraries, and an eye on future capacity, library space can soon be at a premium, if it is not already. With the high cost of extensions or new buildings or lack of a suitable site, one option is to consider off‐site storage. In Library Off‐site Shelving: Guide for High‐Density Shelving the Editors take a dynamic approach to this, underlining that it is not a passive matter of warehousing or storage. The book begins with a chapter that puts the subject in context and then proceeds to specific aspects with chapters by contributors, mainly from large university libraries, but with specialist input, too; for example, from an architect and a specialist materials handling and storage consulting firm. All the chapters are written from experience and there is therefore much practical advice in them, with some offering case studies outlining different approaches. Topics covered include: governance issues and cost models, design, construction and implementation, preservation issues, material selection, transferring items, computer systems, accessioning and managing, services, special collections; staffing is dealt with by several contributors. There is also a bibliography (with a useful list of storage facility Web sites) and an index. A key theme throughout is the determination to provide an efficient and effective service so as not to inconvenience users unduly. The high density nature of such facilities brings with it different considerations for care of the stock than those in a main library; for example, environmental conditions, fire prevention and suppression measures, and insurer requirements. The book’s attention to practical detail learned from experience can be illustrated by two examples: several contributors suggest ways of easing the concerns of academic staff when such facilities are first suggested, and others stress the significance of transport and prompt delivery of requested items once the facility is established. The book offers much such considered advice and will be of interest to anyone contemplating building, or new to managing, such a facility.

While these books are all primarily aimed at the US market, they contain much that is of interest and application elsewhere and offer readers much sound advice based on practice and experience. They certainly make useful additions to the library literature on the fabric, infrastructure and services that underpin library and information services and will contribute to their effective day‐to‐day management and development. They have particular significance now when electronic provision of and access to resources requires new thinking and approaches regarding their effective storage, delivery and management. Digital developments have major implications for facilities management and related issues. These books will help those faced with tackling such issues as well as dealing with traditional aspects.