Think about the perfect “ third place” and what you enjoy doing when you go there. City dwellers like us may even have several of these places. I have one coffee shop where I like to read the paper on Sunday morning and another coffee shop where I like to do work on the weekdays. As a single parent with part-time custody of my children, I spend a lot of time at my neighborhood pub because I enjoy the company. Sometimes I’ll go there to catch up on e-mails, and sometimes I’ll have dinner or a glass of wine. And on occasion I take my children there for brunch. With each one of those three uses, I sit at entirely different areas that each have their own types of furnishings, lighting and look and feel. We believe that libraries should be as flexible as these neighborhood third places. They should create a variety of spaces and places that support our complex moods throughout the day, make us feel good about being there, and most importantly, bring the community together for shared experiences. The 21 st-century library is a social condenser of contemporary society and must be designed intentionally to foster community advancement. In the past, designing spaces for flexibility has resulted in not only libraries designed as a “warehouse for books,” but also a warehouse for furnishings on casters that librarians spend way too much time putting back into an original configuration. This is not to say that we are not a fan of wheels! We love them, but they cannot replace designing for intentionality. True flexibility in a library design results in a variety of spaces and places that foster activities, with select furnishings, technology and special equipment that enable a positive outcome. Toss in an appealing look and feel and you will have a 21 st-century library that your community will love and call home. Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces.
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