Facilities planning is one of the things I do as a consultant here at the State Library, so I look with anticipation for the annual architectural issue of Library Journal in December. Each year, LJ does a survey of library building projects all over the country, including both public and academic libraries.
Each January, I sit down with the figures and start looking at trends, like the cost of construction per square foot and the cost of equipment and furnishing per square foot. This data is crucial for the early planning discussions of a building project. I start with national averages and then figure them for the southeast.
This year, I decided to add a new set of figures. What percentage of the total project cost was funded by local funds or gifts/donations? Equipment costs made up what percentage of the total project cost? Costs are going up, and that’s no surprise to anyone, but the amount of the increase is a little shocking to me. Here’s just a sample: (Note: these are national averages.)
For new construction:
- Total project costs (including construction, equipment, site costs, architectural fees, etc.) increased from $200 per square foot in 2002 to $312 per square foot in 2007.
- Construction costs (bricks and mortar only) increased from $141 per square foot in 2002 to $217 in 2007.
- Equipment costs (including fixtures and furnishings) increased from $21 per square foot in 2002 to $27 in 2007 and make up about 10% of the total project cost.
- Local funds make up 85-90% of the total funds, but gifts and donations make up between 5-10% of total funds. Federal and stat funds are negligible.
For renovations and additions, the data is limited, but the trends are clear:
- Total project costs increased from $153 per square foot in 2002 to $185 per square foot in 2007.
- Gifts and donations are more important in renovations or additions, making up 6-18% of total funds.
These are just a few of the tidbits I’ve gathered from this great issue. There’s also an excellent article on the trend toward sustainable design in libraries. If you haven’t, dust off your copy of the December 15, 2007 issue of LJ and check it out!
We’ve talked a lot about game technology this year, so honestly, I wasn’t a surprise when I read this on ars technica–
2007 was a banner year for video gaming, and the industry has the figures to prove it. The Entertainment Software Association announced today that total sales for 2007 were $18.85 billion, with $9.5 billion of that spent on games (both PC and console) and $9.35 billion on consoles.
read more | digg story
Ok, I know some of you folks are yawning as I thought I would when beginning to read the NetConnect article called “In Search of a New Model”, but hold on, todays catalog is undergoing a transformation. We are all familiar with the current standards of cataloging using MARC, OCLC, etc. Robert Walven reflects on the current cataloging model is not meeting todays needs and looking for new model(s).Some of the issues presented in the article are:
- Current codes from MARC, OCLC, etc are not working with the diverse materials collected
- Outsourcing cataloging has forced libraries to accept a reduced level of cataloging to provide materials more quickly to our users.
- OPACs, periodical databases and other full-text searching tools have conflicting search methods - a very serious problem for our users!
Take a look here for this rather long article — it is worth reading!
A book glutton, that is…..
Book Glutton is now available in beta. What is it? It’s an online community for readers. You can read books online (mostly public domain stuff right now), join reading groups, or even upload your own work to share with others. One of the coolest features is the proximity chat function. You can do live chat with other people who are enjoying the same book, or even the same passage, at the same time.
Here’s what the creators say about the site in the “About Us” section:
Our intent: build an experience that is simultaneously a book group, a computer, and a book.
We believe firmly that people want to read, annotate and discuss, right there, immersed in the text. That’s the best time to talk about a book. We also respect the solitary side to reading: people should have the chance to tune out the community. We wanted it to be attractive, too; to be an experience.
Check it out at BookGlutton.com
This month, the State Library is launching SPLASH! workshops to encourage libraries to reach out to Spanish speakers. The issue of immigration has been in the local headlines for more than a year now and is a big topic in the presidential debates. Legislation pending in the S.C. State House may have implications for how we serve Spanish speakers. In the meantime, however, Latinos are coming to the library to use the computer, learn English, discover how to become Americans. Can we do more to welcome them? Yes, of course! Check out the SPLASH workshop schedule at http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/ , and join us in getting to know our Latino customers. I’ll be posting some facts, figures and thoughts about Latinos/Hispanics in South Carolina libraries over the next few months, as the SPLASH program moves forward. SPLASH is sponsored by WebJunction and is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
