Soundscape of the evolving library

Abstract

Historically libraries were thought of as places of quiet reading and research. There were 2 general acoustical design approaches to reading rooms in libraries. One was to use large volume spaces with sound reflective materials that amplified every sound made in the room so that people would be self-conscious of the sounds that they made. A second approach was to design rooms with sound absorbent finishes that would reduce the spread of sounds from one part of the space to another. The evolving library of the future has many more complex functions and rich programs than the traditional library. Many of these encourage discussion, recreation, public involvement, experiencing multi-sensory media in addition to traditional books and a variety of other activities such as coffee shops, community meeting rooms, auditoriums, recording studios, listening rooms for amplified audio, interactive computer work stations, collaborative work/study areas where students can gather, talk, view and listen in active sessions all in close proximity to each other. Case studies of 2 libraries will be presented to identify links between soundscape design issues, architectural planning strategies and practical systems for designing the library of the future as it continues to rapidly evolve in concept.