We have almost completed a major renovation of our library. Every book, every journal, every map, and every report has been moved. The only things we didn’t touch were the aerial photographs. Stacks and compact-shelving have been moved, walls have been taken down, walls have been put up, offices have been built, and all staff work areas were either moved or significantly cleaned up.
Benefits of the renovation that we anticipated:
- improved library client workspaces
- improved library staff workspaces
- weeding of the collection
Unanticipated benefits of the renovation:
- amazingly improved staff work areas due to the cleaning up, we should have done this years ago!
- reduction of the clutter of supplies, cataloguing backlog, etc, due to improved use of existing furniture
- increased client and colleague respect by creating both a more client-friendly environment and staff workspaces that are neat, clean, and functional … basically we created a more professional environment
- increased staff morale now that our workspace is functional and inviting (I wasn’t expecting that, we already had great morale!)
