Library Construction from a Staff Perspective (review)

Library Construction from a Staff Perspective,Staff of the Williamsburg Regional Library. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2001. 170 p. $35.00 (ISBN 0-7864-0838-3)

As a library director who is soon to break ground on a $25 million expansion and renovation project, the opportunity to review this book could not have come at a better time. While there are a number of good books that describe the planning and construction of library building projects, this is the first that provides a staff perspective. The purpose of this work, as stated in the introduction, is to share the staff perspective on library building projects so that other library staffs can learn from them.

Twenty-two staff members of the Williamsburg Regional Library in Virginia were the authors of this highly readable, informative, and humorous retrospective look at two building projects. One project focused on new construction, the James City County Library, a 35,000 square foot facility that opened in 1996, and the second involved the expansion (from 28,000 to 40,000 square feet) and renovation of the Williamsburg Library, which opened in 1998.

With so many authors and contributors one would expect some unevenness and a few bumpy transitions in the writing. However, Patsy Hansel, who served as library director during the projects, and Benjamin Goldberg, who served as director of development, rendered this book accessible and enjoyable.

The volume is divided into three sections: planning, building, and living with the results. A glossary of helpful terms (some humorously defined) assists the reader in understanding building project vocabulary and words specific to the Williamsburg Regional Library projects. An appendix includes such project-related documents as a construction timeline, computer workstation specifications, and candid staff comments about the "best" and "worst" aspects of the completed projects.

Academic librarians searching for useful books about library building projects should not be discouraged by the focus on public library building projects. Working effectively with architects and construction managers, minimizing the disruption of services to patrons during construction, dealing with staff morale are shared challenges regardless of the type of library. This book provides practical advice based on real-world experiences.

Library Construction from a Staff Perspective will be of interest to those who are involved in planning a library building project. Because of its unique perspective and honesty, it will have special appeal to library staff. I would recommend it highly to librarians in building project leadership roles who may feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of doing "their regular job" and "building a building." This book provides the assurance that although stressful at times, it can be done and that it can even be fun.