Library as a Third Place - NYLA 2008

Library as a "Third Place" NYLA Annual Conference November 7, 2008 Arezoo Moseni The New York Public Library [email_address] Terry Kirchner Columbia University Libraries [email_address]

Goals

To better understand libraries as “third place”

To show examples of “third places” created at NYPL and Columbia University

“Third Place”

Ray Oldenburg (1989)

The great good place: Cafes, coffee shops, community centers, beauty parlors, general stores, bars, hangouts, and how they get you through the day .

1 st place = home

2 nd place = work

3 rd place = welcoming ‘other’ space

3 rd place characteristics

Distinct from home or work—neutral

Liberating & “free” space

Destinations of choice

Encourages people to stay & to return

Library as a “Third Place”

Art

Design

Color

Furniture

Light

Outdoor Space

Technology

Classes

Computers

Digital Projects

Virtual Space

Entertainment

Art

Exhibition Area Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture General Research Reading Area

Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10458 Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Portrait of a Young Reader A dramatic depiction of a young person’s DNA sequence

Bronx Library Center Children Area

Melrose Branch, 910 Morris Avenue , Bronx, NY 10451 Teens Area

Melrose Branch Toddlers Area

Jerome Park Branch, 118 Eames Place , Bronx, NY 10468 Interactive Learning

Morris Park Branch, 985 Morris Park Avenue , Bronx, 10462 Toddlers Lounge

Riverdale Branch , 5540 Mosholu Avenue , Bronx, NY 10471

South Beach Branch, 21-25 Robin Road, Staten Island, NY 10305

Jerome Park Branch The Mobiles

Design Color Furniture Light

Clason’s Point Branch, 1215 Morrison Avenue, Bronx, NY 10472 Toddlers and Children Area

Riverdale Branch Toddlers Area

Mulberry Street Branch , 10 Jersey Street , New York, NY 10012 Toddlers Area

Hamilton Fish Branch , 415 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002 Picture Books Seating

Van Nest Branch, 2147 Barnes Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462 Story Steps

Aguilar Branch, 174 East 110th Street, New York, NY 10029 Children Area

Bloomingdale Branch, 150 West 100th Street, New York, NY 10025 Children Lounge

Fort Washington Branch, 535 West 179th Street, New York, NY10033 Children Area

Fort Washington Branch Lampshades

Aguilar Branch Teens Lounge after renovation

Teen Central Teen Message Center Hamilton Fish Branch, 415 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002-1197 Teen Lounge

St. George Library Center , 5 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301 Teen Area

Jerome Park Branch Teen Lounge and Graphic Novels

Muhlenberg Branch, 209 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011 Teens Area

Parkchester Branch, 1985 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462 Adults Lounge

Tremont Branch, 1866 Washington Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457 Adults Lounge

Riverdale Branch Adults Area

Belmont Branch, 610 E. 186th Street, Bronx, NY 10458 New Lights in the Atrium Previous lighting

Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10458

Bronx Library Center Reference Area

Technology / Web 2.0 Classrooms Computers Digital Projects Virtual Space

Humanities and Social Sciences Library 476 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018-2788 South Court Classrooms

Science, Industry and Business Library Classroom Laptop Docking Area

Fort Washington Branch Adults Computes

Francis Martin Branch, 2150 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453 Adults Computers

Aguilar Branch Teens Computers Before renovation Computer table wire management

Morris Park Branch, 985 Morris Park Avenue , Bronx, 10462 Teen Computers

Clason’s Point Branch, 1215 Morrison Avenue, Bronx 10472 Teens Information Desk, Computers and Self Check Out

Morris Park Branch, 985 Morris Park Avenue , Bronx, 10462 Children Computes

Aguilar Branch Children Computers

Bronx Library Center Children Computers

Hamilton Fish Branch Children Computers

Science, Industry and Business Library Business Information Wall

Outdoor Space

58 th Street Branch, 127 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10022-1211

Riverdale Branch, 5540 Mosholu Avenue , Bronx, NY 10471

Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011 Selis Reading Room Reading Terrace

Great Kills Branch, 56 Giffords Lane, Staten Island, NY 10308 23 September 1954 Glass vestibule under construction

Library for the Performing Arts 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498 Drama Film Dance Reference Desk and Reading Area

Belmont Branch Home to the Enrico Fermi Cultural Center Collection

Entertainment

Humanities and Social Sciences Library South Court Auditorium Uncle Tom’s Cabin Reconsidered: A Conversation with Henry Louis Gates & Margo Jefferson. Moderated by Thelma Golden

Humanities and Social Sciences Library South Court Theater

Clason’s Point Branch Community Room

Eastchester Branch, 1385 East Gun Hill Road , Bronx 10469 Community Room Before renovation

Riverdale Branch Community Room

Van Nest Branch Community Room

User-friendly

Interactive

Do-it-yourself

“ Relational Aesthetics” Nicolas Bourriaud Relational Aesthetics (1998/english version 2002) and Postproduction (2001) “ A set of artistic practices which take as their theoretical and practical point of departure the whole of human relations and their social context, rather than an independent and private space."