But I’m not a big fan of the new Darien Library. My biggest problem is that there is no indication that you are inside the library and should alter your behavior somewhat because you are inside. So people are gossiping and chatting at full voice in the stacks. People are shouting to one another, “hey shirley!” by the front desk. And the check-out kiosks are beeping. And the rough, hard floor is similar to outside flooring. This lack of intimacy is a real problem for me and others. The ceiling heights, floor materials, and layout make it hard to find a book. Perhaps the mental shift I need to make from outside/sidewalk behavior to inside/thinking behavior is an old-fashioned one. But I don’t think so. I think you need a big front desk with tent over it–like a canopy–where the librarians live so you can ask questions. The canopy would create intimacy and encourage a softer tone in people’s voices. The current little desk to the side creates a weird traffic problem in the front hall/main street which is also where the most popular books are. So I’m trying to choose a book in a zoo-like atmosphere.
The librarians and the necessary human interaction with those librarians to check out a book is a big part of why the Darien Library is successful. Not knowing where they are (where is there desk? do they wear special clothes? how will I find them?) or replacing them with flat screen televisions is not a good thing. The self-return machines are good; but can’t you at the very, very least kill the beeping noise on the self-checkout and move the 7-day books someplace quieter? and farther from the overnight DVD’s? Really, I think the architect should return a big portion of his/her fee. They forgot that human beings bring their sensory bodies to the library, not just their brains. Build a high-tech website, but give us a high-touch library.