Architects and Librarians Unite to Explore Library Planning and Design Issues in Executive Education seminar from Harvard Design School

Harvard Design School's Office of Executive Education presents The Planning and Design of Public Libraries, a three-day seminar that explores how library design is evolving to meet the changing demands of library patrons.

CAMBRIDGE, MA (PRWEB) November 12, 2004 -- The Planning and Design of Public Libraries, a three-day Harvard Design School Executive Education seminar will bring architects, librarians, library administrators and trustees together to examine concepts and methods for the planning and design of public libraries.

The program is scheduled on January 11-13, 2005 in Cambridge, MA to coincide with the American Library Associations Mid-Winter Conference in Boston.

Seminar participants will explore the future role of public libraries and how their programming and design is evolving rapidly to meet the changing demands of patrons for library services and technology.

Meeting the needs of a diverse population of users and the demand for new computer technology, electronic media and internet access has had a significant impact on the function and design of public libraries. As a result, library design must take into account all of the issues that may affect its use in the future.

Todays public libraries must incorporate flexibility and adaptability for future changes and expansion while addressing the current informational, educational and cultural needs of their communities.

Working in teams, seminar participants will plan a small public library. They will also examine case histories of recent and proposed libraries and tour several library projects in the Boston area, including the Morse Institute Library, Natick, and the award-winning Newton Free Library, designed by Tappé/Kallmann McKinnell & Wood Architects, Inc., both of Boston.

Other topics the seminar covers include space programming standards for small and large libraries, building design and technology, electronic workstation design, the evaluation of existing buildings for adaptive reuse, and post-occupancy evaluation techniques.

The Planning and Design of Public Libraries will be led by Anthony Tappe, FAIA, who, as principal at Boston-based Tappe and Associates, Architects and Planners, has designed many public and institutional libraries throughout New England and upstate New York.

Joining Mr. Tappe as instructors will be Jeffrey M. Hoover, AIA, principal and library design specialist at Tappe and Associates; Hartford, CT-based library consultant Nolan Lushington, former director of the Greenwich Public Library and author of Libraries Designed for Users: A 21st Century Guide (Neal Schuman, 2002); and Elisabeth Martin, AIA, architect and library planner, and former director of planning and design for the Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY.

The Planning and Design of Public Libraries is registered with the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Continuing Education System. Participants who complete the three-day seminar will earn 24 AIA/CES units. Complete seminar and registration information can be found at www.gsd.harvard.edu/execed.

About the Office of Executive Education at Harvard Design School

The Office of Executive Education at Harvard Design School is the foremost provider of Executive Education programs for architects, planners, landscape architects, and real estate and building industry professionals. Executive Education offers an extensive menu of open enrollment seminars that explore timely design issues and trends; admissions programs that cover topics in real estate; and customized programs that are tailored to an organizations or firms specific needs. Drawing upon the unparalleled resources of Harvard University, Executive Education programs are led by renowned faculty from the Design School, the Business School, the Law School, and the Kennedy School of Government, as well as eminent practitioners and scholars from across the country and around the world. For more information, visit www.gsd.harvard.edu/execed.

###