Library space management: a GIS proposal
| Pages | 375-382 |
| Published date | 01 December 2004 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830410570476 |
| Date | 01 December 2004 |
| Author | Jingfeng Xia |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Library space
management: a GIS
proposal
Jingfeng Xia
The author
Jingfeng Xia is a Student in the School of Information Resources
& Library Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Keywords
Geographic information systems, Academic libraries,
Space utilization
Abstract
This paper identifies the importance of space management in
support of the functions of academic libraries. It reviews current
solutions on library space management by pinpointing their
advantages and disadvantages, and it introduces GIS
(geographic information systems) as a tool for library space
management, because of its capacity for analyzing spatial data
and interactive information. A proposal is outlined that attempts
to highlight the process of developing, implementing,
maintaining, and utilizing a GIS system for academic libraries.
Electronic access
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Introduction
Information about space and facilities is central to
the operations of every organization. Libraries are
no exception, especially academic libraries that are
generally constructed on a large scale. A powerful
space management tool can help libraries increase
the efficiency and effectiveness of their daily
operations. It is the goal of every library to
“develop an efficient and harmonious balance of
all the elements that make up a library” (Fuller and
Post, 1991, p. 170).
By evaluating different space management
tools, this paper proposes developing geographic
information systems technology for libraries. GIS
is considered to be better than other systems in
incorporating spatial data analysis into visual
presentation. It is also cheap and easy to develop.
In this article, library floor plans are integrated
with library feature data as an example of how GIS
can be used as a practical library space
management tool.
Library space management: a necessity
Space management has become a frequent activity
in many libraries.In the early stages of architectural
planning for any university library, stipulations for
future development are commonly anticipated by
designers. Their expectations, however, generally
fail to keep up with dynamic changes in the real
world. Accordingly, libraries have to schedule
sporadic space re-arrangements in order to
accommodate these changes, and the decisions
about these re-arrangements rest primarily on
information derived from daily operations. This
makes it necessity to establish a space management
system thatis able to monitorand record data about
how the libraries utilize space and facilities. Such a
demand has been particularly popular in recent
years when the development of modern technology
as a resource and tool for library operations “has
been exponential and significant” (Fraley and
Anderson, 1990).
There are many situations in daily library
operations that inspire consideration of space
reorganization. Researchers have systematically
explored the causes of space innovations. For
example, Fraley and Anderson (1990), p.15
pinpointed four key conditions under which
library space restructuring needs to be
programmed:
(1) lack of collection growth space;
(2) lack of space for people;
Library Hi Tech
Volume 22 · Number 4 · 2004 · pp.375-382
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited · ISSN 0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830410570476
The author is grateful to the Editor, Dr Michael
Seadle, for his help in polishing the final draft of this
article.
375
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