Abstract
A survey was conducted of health sciences libraries to obtain information about newer buildings, additions, remodeling, and renovations. An online survey was developed, and announcements of survey availability posted to three major email discussion lists: Medical Library Association (MLA), Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL), and MEDLIB-L. Previous discussions of library building projects on email discussion lists, a literature review, personal communications, and the author's consulting experiences identified additional projects. Seventy-eight health sciences library building projects at seventy-three institutions are reported. Twenty-two are newer facilities built within the last ten years; two are space expansions; forty-five are renovation projects; and nine are combinations of new and renovated space. Six institutions report multiple or ongoing renovation projects during the last ten years. The survey results confirm a continuing migration from print-based to digitally based collections and reveal trends in library space design. Some health sciences libraries report loss of space as they move toward creating space for "community" building. Libraries are becoming more proactive in using or retooling space for concentration, collaboration, contemplation, communication, and socialization. All are moving toward a clearer operational vision of the library as the institution's information nexus and not merely as a physical location with print collections.
Highlights
ObjectiveA survey was conducted of health sciences libraries to obtain information about newer buildings, additions, remodeling, and renovations
Librarians are frequently challenged to justify the need for the physical library space, given the wide availability of electronic resources, changes in scholarly communications models, ubiquitous student laptops, and competition for space needed by other institutional priorities
The 1999 Medical Library Association (MLA) library building survey [2] and this 2009 survey and analysis of health sciences library buildings, additions, remodeling, and renovations over the last ten years offer some insights into these questions and others
Summary
A survey was conducted of health sciences libraries to obtain information about newer buildings, additions, remodeling, and renovations. Method: An online survey was developed, and announcements of survey availability posted to three major email discussion lists: Medical Library Association (MLA), Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL), and MEDLIBL. Previous discussions of library building projects on email discussion lists, a literature review, personal communications, and the author’s consulting experiences identified additional projects
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