Architects and Librarians Unite to Explore Library Planning and Design Issues in Harvard Executive Education Program

The Planning and Design of Public Libraries, a three-day program that explores how library design is evolving to meet the changing demands of library patrons, is presented by the Office of Executive Education at Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

CAMBRIDGE, MA (PRWEB) January 7, 2006 -- The Planning and Design of Public Libraries, a three-day Executive Education program from Harvard University Graduate School of Design 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 March 20-22, 2006 in Cambridge, MA in advance of the Public Library Association’s National Conference in Boston.

Program 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.

Today’s 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, program 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 program 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 and by Hartford, CT-based library consultant Nolan Lushington, former director of the Greenwich Public Library, author of Libraries Designed for Users: A 21st Century Guide (Neal Schuman, 2002), and 2005 recipient of the New England Library Association’s Emerson Greenaway award for distinguished service.

Joining Tappe and Lushington as instructors will be Jeffrey M. Hoover, AIA, principal and library design specialist at Tappe and Associates;; 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 program will earn 20 AIA/CES units. Complete program and registration information can be found at www.gsd.harvard.edu/execed.

About the Office of Executive Education at Harvard University Graduate School of Design

The Office of Executive Education at Harvard University Graduate School of Design 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 programs that explore timely design issues and trends; admissions programs that cover topics in real estate; and customized programs that are tailored to an organization’s or firm’s specific needs. Drawing upon the unparalleled resources of Harvard University, Executive Education programs are led by renowned faculty from the Graduate School of Design, 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.

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