The library is an impressive spacious structure and appears to have been designed in a Frank Lloyd Wright mode. The designers were Plunkett Raysich Architects of Milwaukee.
The main entrance is off the very large parking area, with a long hallway to the left. In that hallway there are several lighted, glassed-in display cases, and a setup for hanging art works of local artists. On the right are public restrooms, and further down is a Local History/Veterans' Room, which is kept locked when there is no volunteer attendance (usually a veteran) there. It's great, but could probably use more glassed-in displays of the old uniforms and other objects, for their protection from dust and other damage.
Across the hall is the gift store, run by the Friends group, which, besides books, sells cards and other items. Next to that is the entrance to the large community room, with a capacity of 182. At one end, it has a kitchenette an area for coats, and an ample storage room for the tables, which are light weight but sturdy. In the front is a large projection screen. This room is at one end of the library, and is accessible for events while the rest of the library is closed. there is a charge for its use.
Back to the main area, there is a circulation and information desk, an express checkout, new arrivals space, with carts and bar-coded baskets for public use. The tech room is spacious, with plenty of countertop area, several cubicles and lots of storage. The office is large, but the administrator would like it to have stairs directly to the basement, instead of the necessity of going out to the public area for stairs or elevator. In another area, there are plenty of lockers with combination locks, and little mailboxes for staff. There is a staff lunchroom with kitchenette.
The ILL drop off area is adjacent to a door, so easily accessible for driver and staff. There are E-lockers for pickup of materials after hours. There is a drive-up book return and a drive-up service window. The sorting machine is fabulous, in that it puts all returns in the correct bin, so items can just be returned to their place. In the main desk area, each station is adjustable for the height of the person using it, but the administrator wanted no sit-down stations.
There is a table with seating on both sides, and a plug-in port for laptop computers at each place. Throughout the library, there is comfortable seating for patrons, and there is an abundance of storage for staff. There is a lack of signage for most areas.
The slat walls on the ends of the stacks are capable of holding all sorts of materials, such as pamphlets, books, posters and etc. There are "card catalog" computers for the convenience of patrons on the ends of many of the stacks.
The center of the ground floor holds all the media for adults, and at the end is the Youth Dept. with desk. That large area is divided up according to reading age, with an open area in the middle for children to sprawl out, and a parenting section. The Youth Dept. has a large office, and much storage space. There is a separate room for children's programs, part carpeted for sitting and part tile floor, by the built-in table area, for crafts, plus a storage closet and sink. There are wide shelves that allow for oversize books.
The 2nd floor has the reference desk, a conference room, the computer lab with money machine, a business room (which is apparently never used,) a large quiet reading room with fireplace, and several one and two person study rooms. The usual limit for these rooms is two hours, unless there is no one waiting for their use.
There is a separate young adult area on one side, between the 1st and 2nd floors. It needs more color, or something to liven it up, to attract teens. It's just a sedate as the adult quiet area. If a teen has some serious studying to do, there are the study rooms. Tables and seating are available everywhere.
Outside light from the huge number of windows in the entire building and the views they afford is very impressive. There is a great deal of indirect lighting indoors also.
The basement is immense, with a huge amount of metal shelving, used by the Friends for storing books for the two book sales they hold each year. They do all their sorting down there. The microfilm is stored in the basement too, though the microfilm reader is on the 2nd floor. Extra copies of items, for future use, are also kept down there.
Not large enough is the room that holds the main control computer. In a new library that would have to be a better size.
The conveyor belt that carries the returned items, dumps them (although softly) onto the floor in the little room upstairs. Even though the floor looked very clean, the items really should go into some sort of container, rather than having to be picked up by staff from down on the floor.
These are my impressions of the New Berlin Library, and the ideas which could or could not be used for a new library.
Kate
New Berlin PL has a facebook page that contains many pictures of the library for anyone who wants a look. -Sue
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