Shifting Role

Vaughan Civic Centre Resource Library

NRU
Aug. 24, 2016
By Leah Wong

The role of libraries is changing. They have shifted from places that focus on the storage and organization of information to places where users can gather and access digital resources. Recognizing that the use of libraries will continue to change over time the new Vaughan Civic Centre Resource Library was designed with flexibility in mind.

“We realized that libraries are changing as the digital age is progressing and we need to rethink the role of libraries in the community. We have to expand and transform the role,” Vaughan Public Library CEO Margie Singleton told NRU. “It’s not about getting rid of the things we do really well ... but there are new things that we need to add.”

These changes were central to the design of the new resource library, located adjacent to Vaughan’s city hall, which was built in 2011. ZAS Architects + Interiors principal Paul Stevens told NRU that the library was designed as a counterpoint to city hall - it is more whimsical and less stoic.

“The creativity that is exuded by the building form really starts to trigger an interesting set of ideas on the inside of the building,” said Stevens.

Singleton said that over time libraries are adding more creative spaces. The Civic Centre library, for example, includes a digital media lab, video studio, dj booth and recording studio that the public can use.

While the creative spaces and private meeting rooms have a fixed location, Stevens said the rest of the library is open and designed with flexibility in mind. Distinct zones have been designed - for children, teens and specific collections - to be distinct, but part of an open plan that allows the library to have flexibility to reconfigure the space. In the library’s study hall this means chairs, tables and display that are all on wheels so the furniture can be moved to accommodate events.

“The spaces have to be versatile because libraries are changing so rapidly. We can only really speculate what we will need 10 years from now,” said Singleton. “The days of having the card catalogue cemented in the middle of the floor are gone.”

ZAS Architects has been designing libraries for around 15 years, Stevens said. In that time he’s seen how information technology and the community’s demand for it can drive the design of a library. This has ranged from the introduction of WiFi to the creation of flexible IT floors.

One of the ways the new Vaughan library accommodates technology is with an inner courtyard that allows users to take both laptops and books outside. Singleton said it creates a secure outdoor environment for users to enjoy the outdoors while using the library’s resources.

The official opening of the building is not until September 10, but over the summer users have been able to test out the new facility. Singleton said since the doors opened, staff has noticed new customers at the library illustrating that the branch is reaching a new population of library users.