Librarians, Architects, and the Space in Between

摘要

Not long ago, in a Java joint not so far, far, away, librarian Tina Keresztury sat down with architect Regan Young to talk through the critical relationships that foster either inspiration or havoc during a building project. Keresztury, associate state librarian with the New Jersey State Library, recently managed a $45 million grant program that funded additions, renovations, and new buildings for 68 public libraries statewide. Young is owner of RYEBREAD Architects, a Mount Holly, NJ, firm that designs public and K-12 libraries, as well as other public and private sector projects. An architect with 30 years experience, he also comments on architecture, planning, and related topics for newspapers, magazines, and radio. Keresztury and Young discussed common disconnects between librarians and architects. For example, librarians sometimes perceive architects as "monument builders," favoring form over function, while architects see librarians as only one voice on the project team of engineers, consultants, and administrators. While such misconceptions can hamper a good working relationship, more conversation also revealed a deep mutual respect between librarians and architects. Young, who characterized both fields as "profoundly optimistic pursuits," noted there are remarkable similarities in the stereotypical librarian/architect personalities: both can be somewhat introverted, with a laserlike focus, and extraordinarily well organized. Keresztury held that librarians and architects are both Renaissance types, visionary, interested in everything, and looking toward emerging and future trends. Together they agreed that many librarians and architects today are futurists; both study demographic, education, social, sociological, and technology trends and their potential impact on buildings and their use.