Academic Library Design: A Commons or an Athenaeum

Introduction The rapid expansion of the Internet and the availability of an ever growing array of information technology tools have created a paradigm shift in the field of Library Science. The mission of the Library has largely stayed the same, but the means of fulfilling this mission have dramatically changed. To address this paradigm shift libraries have been forced to implement extensive physical renovations. These renovations can largely be grouped into two competing designs, "The Commons" and "The Athenaeum." These designs have been the direct result of a need to address the decline of user statistics brought about by the Internet. A brief examination of the history of the Librarianship will reveal why library renovations and redesign have become so pressing. Furthermore, this article will attempt to chart a strategic course for 21st century academic libraries by discussing the "Commons" library design and comparing it to the "Athenaeum" design. Three sets of data were used in writing this article. Library usage statistics are taken from the Association of Research Libraries statistical reports from 2001-2002 and 2007-2008 and from the National Center for Education Statistics' Library Statistic Reports: 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. The data on user satisfaction with library renovation is taken from a study conducted by Harold Shill and Shawn Tonner (2003). Brief History Since the founding of the first ancient library until recent times libraries have largly had a monopoly in regards to information and knowledge. Like any true monopoly the libraries dictated who could have access. The original libraries of the ancient world stored, what was then the world of knowledge, and rationed it out to suitable scholars. The libraries of the Middle Ages and Renaissance were little changed as in either case this knowledge was maintained for the privileged few. It was not until the late 19th early 20th century that the growth of public libraries began to democratize knowledge. This trend toward democratization of knowledge would continue slowly until near the end of the twentieth century. Of course we are speaking of the rapid rise of the Internet and the associated knowledge management tools e.g. web-pages, search engines, wiki and the like. The Internet and its related technologies would change the entire field of Librarianship. The Internet was the first challenge to the hegemony of the library. As with most long standing hegemonies the librarians had developed traditional ways of providing service. This included an emphasis on, in-person usage and a monopoly on access to research material. This tradition left the libraries largely ill prepared for the dramatic shift brought about by the Internet. Suddenly libraries were competing against the completely open and free Internet that made information, accurate or not, instantaneously available twenty four hours a day. The academic library on the other hand, with more authoritative information, was still wedded to, print indexes, print journals that would have to be painstakingly photocopied or interlibrary loaned. The early book catalogues in their telnet or DOS formats were clumsy even in comparison to the early Internet. The ease of access that the Internet provided, as well as the seemingly endless supply of information, helped the Internet become the preferred destination for many researchers. As the new millennium began, it seemed that the Internet had supplanted the academic library as the primary destination for researchers. According to the research conducted by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) for the years 1991-2002 as total student populations increased 9% the most noticeable library user statistics decreased "Reference Transactions decreased by 26%, Total Circulation decreased by 10% and In House Use decreased by 35% (Kyrillidou, 6). And gate counts, the number of persons who physically enter library facilities as compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics declined steadily from 1994-1998, (see chart 1). …