I chose to explore the exterior of the City of Fairfax Public Library in Fairfax, Virginia. My family and I are regulars at this particular branch, but it was interesting to look at it with a new lense. My narrated presentation using Loom can be found here and the link to just the Google Slides presentation can be found here.
This seems like such a wonderful library. There was so much I liked about it: the meeting room that opens up to the patio (which can easily be seen by passersby) to connect with the outdoors, parking for other businesses and events with the number of available spaces shown right on the sign, and the posted bus schedules and bike racks to assist with different means of accessing the library. It’s such a small thing, but I even like how nicely the temporary signage was displayed in the acrylic holders. The library I visited also had temporary signage, but it was just taped to the doors a little sloppily. If that were the only thing wrong aesthetically, it wouldn’t be that bad, but there were other things making the library look unappealing, so the signage just exacerbated that. I also thought it was really cool that they offer the tool to check your energy and insulation. I interviewed the director of my former library, which features a Library of Things. We talked a lot about offering other types of equipment. Finally, I loved your suggestions of providing information for homeless people near the signs prohibiting overnight stays and doing more outreach at events. I also suggested more outreach for the library I visited. I don’t think that’s ever a bad suggestion!
I library of things is a great idea and I hope to learn more about that in your video summary of your interview!
My interview is posted now, but I only mentioned the Library of Things a tiny bit. I’m happy to tell you more about it any time, though! Or you can check out CADL’s collection at https://www.cadl.org/books-more/library-things/browse-things or learn more about Library of Things at https://www.centerforecotechnology.org/library-things-borrowing-recycling-movement/ or https://www.soulventure.com/the-library-of-things/.
Alexandra, I appreciate that you gave your blog visitors a choice between a video presentation and a self-guided tour.
Fairfax Public Library is a beautiful building — it reminds me of a train station. The brick sidewalks are both aesthetically pleasing and inviting. I especially love the book mural.
I like that there’s a sign that shows how many parking spaces are available. There’s nothing like spiraling around the inside of a parking structure just to discover there isn’t a single space open.
I think that sign is great too and I just realized it was there! I usually access the library through the garage, so I don’t see the front of the library from the street.
The sign telling how many parking spaces is helpful. And accessing the library in the rain would be much easier than my library!
I like your idea about offering information on homeless services. A friend of mine is a retired librarian and she once told me how she always looked up our county’s warming shelter information once our weather turned cold. In her first year as a librarian she was closing the library on a Friday night and a patron asked for the location of our town’s warming shelter. (At that point in our town the warming shelter changed location every weekend since we didn’t have a permanent shelter.) My friend stayed late that night to find the info, but then made a habit of getting that information posted after that.
I love that you mentioned some suggestions to improve the library. I think the addition of nongender specific signs for bathrooms and the elimination of the loitering signs would make the library more welcoming to patrons of all walks of life!
Your presentation is very nicely organized and easy to navigate. I’ll have to visit next time I’m in Fairfax!
I like that they offer free parking and it’s definitely not a place I would have thought to park at when visiting Fairfax. It’s also nice that the library extends their book sales out onto their sidewalk and patio so that as people walk by they have the opportunity to stop and possibly shop it.
I loved this tour! Thank you for sharing! I really want to go visit all of the libraries now that I’ve seen all of these wonderful tours! I love the outdoor spaces an the fact that you can see into the library from the outdoor spaces as well; it gives you a preview of what you might find inside.
The sign letting patrons know about the parking situation is great, too. How many of us have driven around looking for parking only to find that there’s nothing available? So helpful!
I like that you didn’t just paint it as a perfect place; everyone/every place can always improve. I think that the idea of making nonspecific gender bathrooms is a good one and shows that they are cognitive of societal trends/.