School Library Media Facilities Planner

VOYA - Kathie Fitch

Often media specialists have little input in the building or renovation of their media center. If they are consulted in the project, this informative handbook would be extremely helpful. It tackles how to design and construct the media facility to make it the most effective in enhancing teaching, learning, and providing a user-friendly atmosphere. From choosing an architect and the location of water fountains to citing the advantages and disadvantages of various wireless systems to be included in the improved media center, this book covers it all in concise step-by-step chapters. Many successful library media designs are showcased, ranging from universities to elementary schools. There are many photographs, diagrams, and charts illustrating the text. An accompanying DVD features video tours, commentaries by both the book's author and the media specialists of each facility, and before-and-after comparisons of remodeled library facilities. The vast amount of information provided by this scholarly volume may not all be needed in designing a new media center, but it will serve as a handy reference in many decisions.

School Library Journal

This book is chock-full of suggestions for pre-planning, planning, and designing (or redesigning) a school media center. Every detail appears to be covered, including resources for architectural styles and terminology, samples of floor plans and planning documents, sample contracts and requests for bids from contractors, organizational worksheets, and lists of references and resources. Factors that distinguish elementary, middle, and secondary media centers are considered. It is unfortunate that a manual of media center design could be so lacking in visual representations and examples, though the floor maps, blueprints, photographs, and comparison charts that are included are certainly functional and informative. This pragmatic manual includes an amateurish DVD showing a homemade video, captured seemingly without the stability of a tripod, that is casually narrated by the filmmaker, background noises and all. It does give peeks into the processes and products of new and renovated facilities that-at least in part-makes up for the lack of color photographs and illustrations within the book. Visuals aside, the resources and expertise offered in this guide will be useful to anyone creating, renovating, or furnishing a media center.-Jodi Kearns, University of Akron, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.