The design of the meeting room calls for a recessed kitchenette for making coffee, a door wide enough for a piano to pass through and track lighting.
Architects for the new South Hadley Public Library produced this generic drawing of a circulation desk, and are taking suggestions from the library staff on details to make it as efficient as possible. Before ground is broken for the new library, architects are asking staff for feedback on such details as how a circulation desk can be designed for better work flow and efficiency.SOUTH HADLEY – The new $10.1 million public library in South Hadley Falls is still in the works, and members of the Library Building Committee have been meeting throughout the summer to hammer out details.
On Monday, architects J. Stewart Roberts and Philip O’Brien of Johnson Roberts Associates met with the committee to update them on progress.
They presented a drawing of what the large meeting room could look like, based on what the committee approved in July.
The library will have two public meeting places: a conference room that seats 12-15 people, and a large meeting room for speakers and an audience, not as big as an auditorium but serving a similar purpose.
The most striking aspect of the large meeting room will be windows that reach almost from the floor to the ceiling, looking out on the Connecticut River and the falls.
For presentations in the meeting room, guest speakers will have their backs to the view and the audience will be facing it. For films or slide shows, the audience will be turned the other way, facing a pull-down screen from the ceiling.
The design of the meeting room also calls for a recessed kitchenette for making coffee, a door wide enough for a piano to pass through and track lighting.
The large windows can’t be opened, though the architects said some of the smaller windows in the building will open.
The drawing for now is illustrated with typical furnishings, colors and carpeting, but will get very specific as time goes on, said O’Brien. Vagueness can be costly and time-consuming, he said.
Library director Joseph Rodio said subcommittees will be assigned to make decisions on furnishings, technology, landscaping and other details.
Currently the architects are consulting library staff on what they want for the circulation desk, from height to work flow.
All of these details are included in the $10.1 million cost that was approved by Town Meeting.
Rodio noted that hazardous materials assessment is proceeding on the two buildings by the river that have to be knocked down to make room for the new library.
The buildings, once part of the Carew manufacturing complex, are likely to contain lead paint and asbestos insulation, which were common in buildings 40 or 50 years ago, said Rodio.
An engineer from the environmental engineering firm O’Reilly, Talbot and Okun has already made a preliminary visit. “We don’t see any major issues coming out,” said Rodio. “It’s just part of the process.”
The committee also discussed the possibility of having a 5K race as a fund-raiser.