Ergonomics in Academic Libraries
| Pages | 26-35 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435129410049025 |
| Published date | 01 February 1994 |
| Date | 01 February 1994 |
| Author | James Rooney |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
LIBRARY MANAGEMENT
26
The author’s interest in ergonomics began when
he was working as a motor mechanic. The study
of dangerous working environments, the use of
hazardous materials and the need to find the most
productive method of using tools provided an
appreciation of the study of people and their
working environment. Libraries had previously
been regarded as congenial places for study –
quiet places which were warm in winter and cool
in summer. The reality is often far from this and
libraries are frequently not ergonomically
designed.
Definition and Scope of Ergonomics
Ergonomics is a multi-disciplinary field of study.
The biological sciences of physiology, anatomy
and medicine provide information about the
structure and physical capabilities, limitations and
dimensions of the human body. Physiological
psychology examines the brain and nervous
system as they determine behaviour. Experimental
psychology attempts to understand the
fundamental ways in which a person uses his
body to comprehend, learn and remember to
control his motor processes. The fields of physics
and engineering give us an understanding of the
machines and environment in which a person
works. Information provided by these areas of
study is taken by an ergonomist and integrated to
achieve an understanding of a worker’s safety,
efficiency and reliability of performance making
the task in hand easier to learn and also providing
a feeling of comfort. The word ergonomics comes
from the Greek ergo, meaning work, and nomos,
meaning laws[1]. The following quotation from
Storey and Rea is a definition of ergonomics from
the point of view of a librarian[2, p. 3]:
Ergonomics is a range of concepts which assist in
maximising the design of the interaction of the
human being with machines, systems, working
methods and environments, while taking into
account the safety, physical and mental capacity and
productive potential of those same human operators.
History of Ergonomics
The interest in the relationship between people
and their working environment began during the
First World War. The Health of Munitions
Workers Committee was formed in 1915,
containing individuals trained in the areas of
physiology and psychology, who analysed men
and women in their workplace with the objective
of increasing munitions output. This committee
was reconstituted at the end of the war as the
Industrial Fatigue Research Board, addressing
problems of fatigue in industry. In 1929 the Board
became the Industrial Health Research Board,
containing psychologists, physiologists,
physicians and engineers studying working
practices and working environments. Areas
covered in detail were posture, the physique of
working men and women, rest pauses, inspection,
lighting, heating, ventilation and training.
During the time of the Second World War,
equipment was being manufactured to higher
specifications with greater complexity and at
higher operating speeds than ever before. It was,
therefore, essential that an understanding of a
worker’s performance, capabilities and limitations
be investigated. Important in this field were the
Medical Research Council and the Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research.
In 1949 the Ergonomics Research Society (now
the Ergonomics Society) was formed. Interest
grew in the field, papers were published and
conferences held. The journal Ergonomics first
appeared in 1957. In 1959 the International
Ergonomics Association was formed, linking
ergonomics societies from around the globe.
During the period 1960-1980 there was great
interest in manufacturing processes, consumer
products and computers. The American interest in
the field which they called human factors
Ergonomics in
Academic Libraries
James Rooney
Library Management, Vol. 15 No. 1, 1994, pp. 26-35
© MCB University Press, 0143-5124
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