Dorothy Alling Memorial Library in Williston, Vermont

Although the Town of Williston established a public library as early as 1905, the library didn't find a permanent home until 1958. In that year, the widower of Dorothy Alling  had a library building constructed to honor his late wife's long-time support of the library.
The brick colonial revival building, appropriately christened the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, offered 1500 square feet of library space and served the town until the 1980's when the growth of Williston made it clear that more space would be needed.  The first addition to the original building was completed in 1986 followed by a second addition in 1998, bringing the library to 9500 square feet.  For more information on the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library be sure to go to its excellent  website at http://www.williston.lib.vt.us/

The main desk faces you directly as you come through the doors.  There's ample work space behind the desk, flowing directly into the staff offices.

 Just across from the main desk I noted an original take on the question of whether or not people should be permitted to eat in the library.  Here, library customers are invited to enjoy their lunch or coffee at little cafe tables set up near the front door. 

Let's take a quick peek behind the desk to see their DVD system.  For security reasons the staff decided to keep the actual DVDs behind the desk, leaving only the cases on display.  The DVDs are stored in numbered envelopes which match the numbers on the cases.  As in a video store (remember those?) the patron simply brings the case to the desk and the staff quickly retrieves the item and inserts it into the case.  In fact, it's better than a video store since you're able to keep the original case when you check out the item.  This system is simple, cost effective and space-saving.

The spacious office area is well-planned, and accommodates the library's entire staff. Although the offices are located in the central interior of the building, there are many windows which face directly into almost every public area of the library.   Kitchen facilities,  seen in the photo at left, are tucked in on one wall out of public view.

To the right of the main desk is the library's adult collection, housed in a large, bright room.  This room combines functionality with comfort, and features inviting nooks for reading or study.

  In the photo below we are looking out from the adult section, back toward the main desk.  Here's an idea I haven't seen anywhere else as yet:  see-through display cases which are built into the wall, giving a sight line from one area to the other. It's pretty nifty, and we'll see it repeated as we move to the children's area.

 

In this view we are looking down the corridor connecting the main desk area and adult collections to the youth collections.   The left hand wall of the corridor is used for art exhibits. Windows in that wall provide natural light into the staff offices thanks to the large exterior windows on the right of the corridor.  They offer a lovely view of the library's garden, seen below in winter.

 Perhaps the centerpiece of the Youth Area is "The Family Room", the connecting link between the picture book room, the meeting room, and the youth collection.  Truly a multi-purpose area, it is popular with teens and with parents waiting for children during story times.  It also serves as an expansion of the meeting room which is facing us in the photo.

For popular programs the doors between the Meeting Room and the Family Room can be folded back, almost doubling the available space.

Here's a closer look at the Meeting Room itself.  The closet to the left of the podium contains a kitchenette.  There is also storage for chairs and for audio-visual equipment.  Spotlights and audio speakers are mounted on the ceiling.

Aside from the picture books themselves, perhaps the highlight of this room is a charming mural by a very talented local artist, featuring views of Lake Champlain and its" Lake Monster", Champ.

The photo on right is taken in the "Family Room", looking toward the youth collection.  Note once again the see-through display case.   In brief, the Youth Area of this library consists of the Family Room, a Picture Book Room for pre-schoolers, and a third room housing materials for older children and young adults.

I'll close this post with a view of the bay window in the Children's Area. The comfy cushions and chairs offer a perfect welcome for young readers.

 Many thanks to dynamic Library Director, Marti Fiske, for taking the time to show me around.  It's inspiring to see how far this busy library has come over the last few decades!

Rockland Public Library in Rockland, Maine

This posting is a tribute to our late friend, Patrick Reilley of Rockland, and to his work on the library committee which restored and expanded this beautiful library in 2001. 

The Rockland Public Library, one of the famed Carnegie libraries, was completed in 1904 on land provided by the Town of Rockland.    In 1996, town visionaries created the Rockland Endowment Association with the purpose of soliciting private donations to improve their library.  It is a testament to the people of Rockland that their efforts raised an astounding three million dollars.  These funds made possible the expansion and restoration that we will see today on our tour.  For more information on the library, check out the website at http://www.rocklandlibrary.org/cs/?render=homepage

You will find two "main" entrances to this library: the historic entrance at the top of the page, and the entrance to the new section on the opposite side of the building, seen on the right.  

There is a service desk at each entrance with sight lines that go directly from one to the other.   In this view we are at the historic entrance looking back to the new entrance.  Note the handsome curved desk which serves as an information/reference point.  It looks toward the circulation desk straight ahead in the new section.

Now let's look at the library interior from the new entrance.  Note that the original exterior has been preserved in this restoration. The connecting atrium gives us the illusion of being outdoors.  Its effect is stunning and cheerful.   Here is another view of this area and its atrium.

During our dark New England winters, it's helpful to remember that a large, bright window can transform itself into a black wall by 4:30 on a December afternoon.  The architect took this into account by using track lighting above the glass to warm up the area when there is no light coming in.

Directly off the circulation area in the new section is the children's room, a nicely-planned space.  I liked the juxtaposition of the children's area and the main circulation area as both are active and noise-tolerant spaces.


In the photo above we have a view of the circulation desk from the children's room.  The French doors to the right of the photo lead into the "children's garden", a fully enclosed garden space.  Sadly, wintertime doesn't allow us to fully appreciate this charming feature, but one can fully imagine how inviting this must be in warmer weather.  Here's a view looking out from a window in the children's area.

 In an alcove adjacent to the children's room is a nifty storage area for story time and craft supplies.

Below is a view of the children's room from the main circulation desk.  It has a fine bay window - an inviting reading area for parents and kids.  I also want to point out the pendant lighting fixtures which are used throughout both the new and old sections of the building.  They provide good light while preserving the historic feel.

Directly across the new addition, on the other side of the circulation desk, I found the audio book section.   Note the clear wall lettering, a way-finding system used throughout the building to good effect.  

Before we go into the historic section of the building, I wanted to point out another view of the circulation area and the clearly designated display of new materials.  It seemed that there was very good communication between the library building committee and the architects; the library is laid out in a thoughtful and customer-friendly way, all the while preserving the beauty of the original structure.


This is a view of the periodical reading room from the information desk in the original structure.  Note the beautiful architectural details, the ironwork, and the handsome fireplace fitted with a modern insert.  This is such a gracious and welcoming space, clearly beloved by library customers today.

In the wing opposite the reading room is the non-fiction area, thoughtfully placed adjacent to the information desk. Note the glassed-in area for quiet study.

Once again, this area is clearly signed as you can see in the photo below.

Here's another photo of the historic section looking up at the beautiful lines of the ceiling.

In several of these photos you can see the use of well-chosen pendant lighting fixtures which seem to bridge the gap between the early 20th century architecture and modern 21st century illumination needs. 

Another nice design feature is the use of cushioned window seats along a number of windows. 






The library's ground level serves a variety of functions, housing a tutorial room, the board room, a community meeting room, and the library's own book store, "The Book Stop".

 This unique take on the traditional library book sale features a large, plate-glass window looking out onto  the corridor.  As you can see, this is not your typical book sale, but an actual retail space staffed by volunteers and filled with eager shoppers. To learn more about "The Book Stop", check this link: http://www.rocklandlibrary.org/cs/?render=page&callname=book_stop. 

Warm congratulations to all those who have had a part in the renaissance of this beautiful library, and thanks to Children's Librarian, Jean Young for taking some time out to show me around on a busy Saturday.