A Work in Progress: The JCOGS Library in Stowe, Vermont

It has been a busy summer here in Vermont, and my blog posts have been placed on the back burner for awhile as I tackle several fascinating projects.  One of these has been my work in helping the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe (JCOGS) get a library of Judaica up and running for its congregation.

Several years ago, a generous collection of books was donated to the JCOGS congregation to found a library which would serve their community.  After a room was set aside and furnished,  JCOGS decided to call upon my services to complete work on this exciting new library. My mission was to establish an online catalogue, train volunteers, and determine how to accommodate the growing collection within the space available in the building.

The collection was housed at the bottom of the staircase on the lower level of the building.  It offered a warm, family-friendly space enhanced by comfortable furnishings and a pleasant color scheme.  The only difficulty was that the existing shelves were already filled, and more books were stored in boxes waiting for attention.  With the collection growing,  the shelf space would be quickly maxed out, yet the addition of more shelves would risk the loss of some of the features (such as the sofa) that made this room so welcoming.

 A conference room was located just down the hall from the library, making some in the congregation wonder whether that space would be more suitable for the library as it offered considerably more wall space. 

Others in the congregation were concerned that the conference room was less welcoming and wouldn't afford enough space for recreational use, such as the book and film discussions which regularly took place.  Here are photos of the conference room at the time of those discussions.

After looking at the pros and cons of each option, I proposed that the library use both rooms:  the original room as a "community space" for book and film discussions, as well as for Jewish fiction, cookbooks, children's materials.  The conference room would then house the scholarly collection including religious texts, history, biography, and reference materials.

 My aim was to "warm up" the room with the addition of attractive shelving, and allow the scholarly collection plenty of room to grow.

The shelves were built by a local contractor, using my specifications for color and materials.  They are bolted to the wall for safety.  The conference table doubles as a study table, and there is a plan to add a reading chair as well.


There is still more work to do, but a great deal of progress has been made toward launching the JCOGS library and its online catalogue in the fall.   I'll post again when the project is finished!

Brownell Library in Essex Junction, Vermont

First established in 1897, the original library building, still used today, was financed and partly designed by local businessman, Samuel Brownell.  It opened in 1926.  Since that time the library has undergone several additions, the most recent of which took place in 2001, thanks to generous grants from the Freeman Foundation and the Kolvoord family.

Under the able leadership of library director, Penny Pillsbury, the interior of this library has been arranged with the customer very much in mind.  For example, just inside the main entrance library customers are offered shopping baskets. 

Another detail worthy of note is the library's excellent use of signs:  they are clear, well-placed and informative.  The glass window at the entrance has been transformed beautifully into a space for advertising library events. 

The library also makes use of lucite frames for sign mounting.  These are readily available at office supply retailers, and while not inexpensive, they are both durable and flexible.  They can be mounted on the wall or shelf end panels using velcro, double-sided tape, or screws.  Here are more examples.  Note also the legibility of the typeface.

While we're on the subject of signs, there was also inspired use of local artistic talent.  For example, the library's teens were put to work designing pictorial signs for the children's non-fiction area.  Here's one of the many lovely signs which came out of that project.

This display of graphic novels might have been overlooked but for the eye-catching sign which invites customers to browse.

In most of the libraries I have visited, the children's department is housed at basement level.  This is fairly typical as librarians attempt to find  space in which children can express themselves more freely without having to worry about the quiet that some adult patrons might expect.    At Brownell, it was decided to move the children's department to the main floor where it shares some space with adult services.  Nevertheless, the design takes the divergent needs of adults and children into account.  

One advantage of this system is that the two circulation desks are separate, but contiguous, allowing easy movement and communication among staff serving each population.  In the photo at right we are facing the children's desk but looking at the corridor between the two service areas.

The adult non-fiction area was moved to the basement level, allowing for quieter study space.  Because it is away from the main service area, a reference desk is staffed there to assist customers.  Here's the attractive entrance to the stacks. The stairway would be on the left.

 










I'd like to take a moment to highlight some of the shelving.  Like the Warren Public Library, the Brownell has made excellent use of local woodworkers to build fixtures perfectly suited to the library's needs.  Here are some lovely display shelves.

South Burlington woodworker, Bob Bouvier built these  CD shelves.  In the unit on the left the lower drawers pull out smoothly for easy access to the materials.

  Books on CD are are on these slanted shelves, making them easy to see.   All of the shelving is on casters so that the central floor space can be cleared for events.

On the other hand, librarians can also be talented scavengers when it comes to finding fixtures which would be very expensive to purchase.  These fine DVD shelves were obtained when a local video store closed its doors.


Seating is another area of strength in the Brownell's interior.  This beautiful room in the original library section houses CDs, fiction, and new materials. 

The original fireplace was fitted with a modern fireplace insert, making it once again the inviting reading area that the architect had once intended.
Below is yet another comfortale spot which in which readers may sit and browse.

A nice corner with good light in which to be read a story in the Children's Area.

While we're in the Children's Area, I wanted to point out that the picture books for the youngest children are in their own room on the main floor, while the area for older children adjoins the rest of the services on that floor.  Here's another view of the room:













One of the newest additions to the library, added in 2001, is the Kolvoord Community Room.  A bathroom, kitchenette, and coat closet are part of this facility which is accessible from the outside when the library is closed.  Activities for children also take place in this bright space.

 The young adult area is in a small, welcoming room on the main floor, close to the circulation desks.  YA Librarian, Kat Redniss, has a number of plans for this room and I look forward to returning at some point in the future to see what changes she has in store.  I enjoyed the teen art on the walls, including this poster:

From here, I just want to point out a number of other good ideas I noted during my tour of the Brownell.  For example, the simple use of cork strips turned a brick wall into an exhibition space.

On the right you'll see a designated cell phone area, well-placed beside the elevator to keep phone conversations from being intrusive to others.  Some libraries don't allow cell phones at all, but on this wintry afternoon it seems a more customer-friendly compromise rather than letting the cell phone users shiver outside!

At Brownell, new acquisitions are displayed on this lazy susan, custom-built for the library.

I liked the Large Print Area, with its good lighting and comfortable seating.   And the Periodical Area featured hot beverages!

In addition to the library's regular books sales, the Friends of the Library host an "Eternal Book Sale" throughout the year, which offers more desirable titles at slightly higher prices.

Every part of this library was thoughtfully planned for the convenience of its customers.  The rambling structure could have been confusing, but the clear signs made it easy to navigate.  There was a willingness to "think outside the box" when it came to allocating space and the result is excellent.  I want to thank all of the staff at the Brownell Library for their great work, and particularly Library Director, Penny Pillsbury, Youth Services Librarian, Mary Graf, and Young Adult Librarian, Kat Redniss, for taking the time to show me around a library that they have every reason to be proud of.

Warren Public Library in Warren, Vermont

I have long looked forward to visiting this library, as Deborah Kahn, the head librarian, had interned with me at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier as part of her coursework during her Masters studies at McGill University.  When she was hired in Warren, I followed the library's progress with interest, but until now I hadn't had time to drive down and see the fruits of Deborah's hard work. 

Although the Warren Public Library was founded some 100 years ago, it has had several homes during the course of its long history.   From the 1970's the library was housed in the town's Municipal Building.  But with this small town's continued growth it became clear that the library was running out of space.   A strong community effort recently brought the library to its newest home, the Warren Town Hall.  The design of the new library was done by Waitsfield architect, Ellen Strauss, of Sanford/Strauss Architects.  You can see more photos of the library at their website, http://www.sanfordstrauss.com/.

The town hall, as you can see in the historic photo displayed prominently in the library, was originally built on a slab and rested at ground level.

However, in the 1950's, the town raised the building and put a full basement underneath as you can see from the current photo below.

 

Since the building entrance was no longer at ground level, one priority in the move was to make the building handicap accessible.  This was neatly accomplished through a small elevator addition to the left of the front entrance.  The library's hand-built book drop (on right) was tucked in beside the elevator entrance, insuring that both the entrance and the book drop were easily accessible.  I'd like to mention right away that almost all of the library's shelving and other fixtures were made by Vermont woodworkers.  We'll see more of their work inside the building.

Proceeding through the main entrance and into the lobby, we can see the elevator door and accessible bathroom.

 The lobby prominently displays the names of individuals and organizations which supported the move to this new facility - an important acknowledgment of those who worked hard to make this a reality. 





 Now let's enter the library itself.  Note the bright space and original beadboard wall finish.  The circulation desk was moved from the original location and is well positioned at the entrance to the room.

In the photo below, you can see the three-sided "bulletin board" positioned around one of the supporting posts across from the circulation desk.  It's constructed of slatted boards, salvaged from a gift shop, and posters and fliers are mounted with alligator clips.   Again, I always enjoy seeing ideas for turning disruptive architectural features into assets.  This is an interesting solution for any library lacking sufficient wall space for announcements and posters.

Here is an example of the locally-built shelving which is featured throughout the library.   An excellent local craftsman developed the specs for this sturdy hardwood shelving, and the library used the specs when they advertised for carpenters.  When the project was completed, the fixtures still ended up costing less than comparable furnishings available through the usual library supply warehouses.  The light color adds to the brightness of the library.  It's important to point out that the shelving came in under the cost which would have been charged by library suppliers, and they were able to customize fixtures to suit the library's needs.

The library graciously gave credit to those who worked on the shelving and furniture here:

The computer table at left is another example of the craftsmanship that went into this library.   Outlets are built into the desktop, as well as into the tops of the reading tables, as you can see below.

Looking toward the back of the room we see a very creative use of an unusual building feature.  Because Warren Town Meeting was held in this building for many years, the library wanted to preserve the original stage.   The stage is now home to the library's children's area, offering a special and unique environment for the library's youngest patrons.  We'll see more of it as we go along.

 The audio-visual shelves separating the children's area on the stage from the remainder of the library provide a firm safety barrier for children.  However, they can also be easily dismantled and moved should the library want to use the stage at any point.  In fact, the fixtures in this area have been customized so that the entire area near the stage can be cleared for events in five minutes by only two people!  It's yet another advantage to having shelves and furniture custom-built.

Stepping up a few stairs to the stage, we enter the children's area of the library.  It has an appropriately cozy feel, with a small story area and cheerful rug in one corner.  Again, the stools that you see in the photo were custom-built.

On the back wall (and ceiling) is a charming work-in-progress by Children's Librarian, Colleen Mays.  To the left of the tree you can see more custom-made cabinetry.

Here is a shot of the library taken from the children's area "stage".  Most of the overhead lamps were original to the building, although more were added when the library moved in.  They provide good light.   This photo is looking back toward the office area and circulation desk.  By the way, the office furnishings were built through the Vermont Offenders Work Program.

Going back into the main part of the library, I wanted to point out a nifty gadget for highlighting new library materials.  These "Shelfwiz" label holders were probably intended for the retail industry, but are perfect for libraries.  You can check out their website here: http://www.shelfwiz.com/.  

Finally, even this relatively small library has saved room for displaying the work of local artists.










 One of the things that most struck me about my time at the Warren Public Library was how proud the library patrons were of their library.  During my tour, several people stopped me to praise it and to tell me about the "bucket-brigade" book transfer that had allowed a smooth move between the library's last home and its current one.  I want to thank librarian, Deborah Kahn for giving me such an interesting tour of the library, and to commend all of her accomplishments.  The library is in a very fine new home!  Check out the library's website at: http://www.warrenlibrary.com/warren/