This checklist is designed to provide librarians, architects, and other members of a building design team with a list of questions to ask during the design phase of a new or remodeled library building project. The purpose of the questions is to make sure that no element of the building is overlooked by the building design team in their programming…

Begins with an overview of the basic principles of light and light sources currently utilized in building design. Case studies of several successfully lit library buildings are presented and specific recommendations for the various functional requirements of a library are provided. (15 references) (MES)

This document presents the process of radon diagnostics and mitigation in schools to help educators determine the best way to reduce elevated radon levels found in a school. The guidebook is designed to guide school leaders through the process of measuring radon levels, selecting the best mitigation strategy, and directing the efforts of a…

This essay focuses on the impact of a bibliographic instruction (BI) program (primarily course-integrated instruction) on the design of an academic library building. Instruction areas, design of the reference area and reference desk, working space, and accommodating BI to the new technology are highlighted. (EJS)

The U.S. Department of Energy's Rebuild America EnergySmart Schools program provides school boards, administrators, and design staff with guidance to help make informed decisions about energy and environmental issues important to school systems and communities. This document is part of the suite of products developed to promoteenergy efficiency…

Discussion of laboratory cabinets and desk systems looks at considerations of cost, flexibility, utility, serviceability, storage capacity, future availability of compatible components, and safety or other legal compliance issues. Four system types (standard floor-mounted, C-frame, end rigger-leg frame suspended, unistrut) are described, and…

Developed for use in library building projects--whether they involve remodeling, expanding, or erecting a new structure--this handbook discusses the roles of the library administrator, the board, the librarian, the architect, the library building consultant, the interior designer, the building contractor, and others. It also addresses the major…

This book presents a series of projects for children of all levels of expertise, beginning with abstract patterns, rows, and towers and progressing to step-by-step instructions for 18 projects, including a bridge, boat dock, airport, shopping mall, skyscraper, castle, Greek temple, Toy Store City, City of the Future, and The Emerald City of Oz.…

In Canada today, more than a million children spend a large portion of their preschool years in child care outside the immediate family. The design of a child care center's physical facility has a major impact on the quality of interactions that take place within it. Intended to assist design and child care professionals who are building a new…

Guidelines and sample designs for the construction or renovation of libraries providing services to blind and handicapped individuals are introduced by brief discussions of the responsibilities of members of the planning team, planning prerequisites, funding, and architect and site selection. Barrier-free designs are then suggested for the entry…

Instructional units with suggested resources and appropriate activities for teaching environmental design to students in grades 6-12 are presented. An overview of program goals and suggested environmental awareness exercises and projects is followed by six illustrative units. The first unit (grade 6) focuses on environmental awareness and…

Describes a project that is a part of an "Architects in Schools" program in England in which students were challenged to redesign a small structure on the school grounds. Discusses the student tasks involved, including the development of scale models, and the evaluation of the design. (TW)

Incorporating the principles and practices of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) in the design and remodeling of schools can contribute to the safety of the school while reducing the target-hardening and fortressing effects of a bunker mentality. The basic CPTED premise is that through the effective use and design of the built…

Discusses issues addressed by OCLC in the construction of its new headquarters. Original design criteria and a retrospective appraisal of solutions are presented in the following areas: (1) structural requirements; (2) environmental considerations; (3) utilities; (4) fire protection; (5) security; and (6) workspace design. Essential design issues…

Reviews four environmental design and environmental psychology concepts and summarizes their implications for library building planning: (1) privacy; (2) proxemics and personal space; (3) territoriality; and (4) ergonomics and human factors. (34 references) (MES)