A Designer Reconsiders the Look of a Library’s Collection

Posted 17 July, 2008 in Design, Libraries | No comments

As anyone who maintains a book collection of some size (and this obviously includes librarians) knows, some sort of classification system is essential if one wants to facilitate ease of access, storage, and retrieval. Having worked in a library myself, I am only too aware of how difficult this matter can become, although my experience did provide me with the ability to recognize almost any book by its spine — a useful talent if, like your humble correspondent, you’re too damn lazy to alphabetize your books.

Communications designer Valérie Madill tackled this problem as part of a senior grad project at Emily Carr University, and came up with a rather unique solution. Madill begins with the premise that a library is a place of magic, a repository of adventure, imagination, and knowledge. “Why is it then that the magic, mystery, adventure and knowledge is not sensed when entering a library? It is disgraceful that a library should be considered dull and stuffy.”

Taking as her starting point the Library of Congress Classification System employed by most academic libraries, which breaks the collection down into twenty-one different subcategories, Madill created a colour-coded system of classification for a large collection of books:

I Initially wanted to cover the books individually with a standard removable sleeve that I would design displaying all of the book’s information in a clean, efficient and legible manner; however, it took about 30 seconds in the encyclopedia section to feel how boring and unbearable this solution would make one’s library experience. The trickiest part was realizing that having the same template for every book did not ease one’s book search, but rather cause the book to completely to disappear within the others, making it impossible to see or stand out. All signs of curiosity vanish.

The results, which can be seen on her Web site, are intriguing.

It’s hard to imagine this system catching on in private libraries, and academics may prove too stuffy to adopt it, but it’s always interesting when innovative design ideas are applied to existing or outmoded systems.

(via Callie.)