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Traditionally, libraries have been viewed as "warehouses for books" - a place where members of the community can locate necessary resources and access information. Over the past several decades, the role of the library has transformed significantly, becoming more of a meeting place/community center. What are some of the potential costs of this change? Has this shift been made under the assumption that the role of libraries of the past has a fiscal 1:1 relationship with emerging roles of libraries in the future? People can come to a library to search for a book or to use the Internet. They can now also learn a new language, attend a program where they can acquire new skills or they can simply meet with friends. The library has become less of a means to an end and more of a vehicle for people to actively transform their lives. The Council on Library and Information Resources' 2005 report, Library as Place: Re-thinking Roles, Re-Thinking Space , identifies two main objectives of a library's physical space as creating an environment for lifelong learning and promoting civic engagement (pp. 62-63). As the role of the library changes, so does the library's physical space. A library's interior design should be singularly unique and should reflect the library's purpose within that particular community. All of these changes, however, require cost considerations for library leaders challenged with working within their existing budgets.
Past predictions
The topic of library interior design has come more to the forefront of conversation in recent years, as the nature of the library and the role of the library as a physical space continuously grows, changes and evolves. Some fairly recent articles, such as Lesneski's (2011, pp. 7-8) Library Journal article "10 Steps to a Better Library Interior", take a fairly traditional and simplistic approach to library interior design. Lesneski focuses primarily on the library physical space as a warehouse for bookshelves, furniture, information desks, etc. She highlights the importance of elements like "less is more", the removal of space barriers, uncluttering and an increased focus on how patrons physically use the space. In this approach, uninhibited function and efficient use of the physical space are emphasized over and above, adding excessive costs due to furniture and automation features.