[Publib] Children's rooms upstairs?

[James Casey]

My preference would always be to keep the Children's Services (YS) facilities on the first floor so that the use of stairs and elevators would not be required.  When mothers come with strollers, multiple small children, etc. the convenience factor is of critical importance.   As a member of a construction grant review committee for 10 years here in Illinois, I often criticized facilities that placed YS facilities in the basement or second floor with administrative offices on the ground level.   Ideally, the prime spaces near windows, excellent views, natural light and ease of access should be public spaces.  Administration, Technical Services, Building Services, staff lounges, etc.. should go into the basement whenever possible.

James B. Casey,
  Director of Oak Lawn Public Library
  ALA Council Member

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Su Epstein
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 8:29 AM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Children's rooms upstairs?

Hi all,

Me again, wanting more feedback from the collective mind.

I know the trend of late has been to put Children's Rooms on the second floor of a building.  This has not worked out so well for the places I've worked in that have done this. (Noise below, children playing and falling down stairs and elevators, and children's librarians carting a great deal up and down).

What's your opinion?  Would you design it this way?  Praises and pitfalls if you didn't mind?

As always, thank you and I'll be happy to share responses.
Su


Su Epstein, Ph.D.
Library Director
Saxton B. Little Free Library
Columbia, CT 06237
sepstein at columbiactlibrary.org<mailto:sepstein at columbiactlibrary.org>
860.228.0350

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/attachments/20090901/5dd2bfc9/attachment.htm