Graham Matthews and Graham Walton, Farnham, Ashgate, 2013, 228 pp, £49.50 (hardback), ISBN 9781409423829
Almost all libraries have had their use of space affected as they have transformed their collections and services for the digital age, and this has perhaps been particularly true of university libraries. Various, but generally consistent, descriptions of the resulting shift in function and purpose of the university library are provided by many authors in this international collection. As Robert P. Holley (to cite just one typical example) notes, “the academic library no longer needs to define itself as a place where users go to access physical materials. Instead, the library has become a service point for providing users with the information resources and services they seek even if they never set foot in the library” (65).
As collections in particular have gone digital and as users have modified their library use accordingly, there has been considerable space released for new and innovative functions that are often associated with access to those very same digital technologies. In University libraries and space in the digital world editors Matthews and Walton collect 14 essays that address the many aspects of the changed use of space within academic libraries. The second chapter by John Feather provides a succinct historical overview of the space management practices of libraries over several centuries, and indeed it is noticeable how many of the authors are compelled to provide some sort of historical context to their writing. It seems that while they willingly accept the challenges and opportunities provided by a transformed era of space management, they are also conscious and respectful of the historical space management practices that have been a core element of the traditional academic library. As Olaf Eigenbrodt from the University of Hamburg points out, many contemporary university library users are resistant to spaces that look “too tech-heavy”, and they often retain a strong attachment to elements of traditional building design and materials.
That said, the keynotes of this collection are change, modification and adaptation. This is apparent whether the focus is on an entirely new library fit for twenty-first century use (Chris Banks provides a chapter on the University of Aberdeen's recently completed Library and Special Collections Centre), or on the redevelopment of existing space (Sheila Cannell gives an overview of several major redevelopments in the United Kingdom). Both of these chapters, as with a number of others, provide many useful tips for the librarian faced with the need to (re)design university library space. This is true both in terms of the special design features and space uses that exemplify best practice for contemporary university libraries, and also the intricacies of project management including managing the sometimes difficult relationships with university administrators, users, architects and builders. It is noticeable, however, that with one exception only (Peter Jamieson, a “designer of new generation learning environments” (xiv) from the University of Melbourne) all of the contributors are practising academic librarians, and it might have been revealing to seek a wider range of input. A number of chapters refer to users' responses to or opinions on changing library spaces, but we don't have the opportunity to hear from them directly.
This is, however, a very practical and useful collection that performs a valuable service in drawing attention to the complexity of designing effective university library spaces. While the current imperatives around social learning spaces are widely understood, it is also the case that libraries are places with deep socio-cultural roots and connections that need to be acknowledged in their approach to space management. This collection points forward in a way that responds to the massively transforming impact of digital technology, while at the same time remaining sensitive to the non-technology based functions that remain an important component of the use made of university libraries. While several chapters raise the spectre of university libraries that have no physical presence whatsoever, it is recognised by the editors and authors that libraries remain physical for reasons that are necessary in terms of their service and desirable in terms of their capacity to represent the learning and research mission of a university.
© 2013, Paul Genoni