JA Library Architects Collaborate with Yolo County Law Library

The Library Journal Design Institute was held in the fall of 2022 at the Missoula Public Library. Staff from five libraries were paired with library architects to help identify their different design challenges and explore potential solutions. JA was paired with the Yolo County Law Library, based in Woodland, California.

JA collaborating with yolo county law librarians / photo by kevin henegan for library journal

THE CHALLENGE

Serving Yolo County’s population of over 221,000, the 2,099 square foot public law library is dreaming of a more functional and people-friendly space for users and employees. Designed over 20 years ago to house the maximum number of print materials possible, the space is now bisected by 14 banks of compact shelving that cut the front and rear off from each other. Serving the research needs of residents and legal professionals, the library needs more space dedicated to people rather than materials.

THE BRAINSTORM

Because the library serves a diverse constituency of legal professionals and individuals researching their own legal needs, access to varying levels of privacy is a must. Mona Johnston Zellers of Johnston Architects led participants through a discussion of the needs of the community and opportunities to reimagine the layout, including expansion into an exterior courtyard. The library sits on a lot that is mostly fenced in, making the space opaque and foreboding. Currently many individuals come into the space, find the resources they need, and leave quickly, but they have expressed an interest in holding meetings, workshops, and depositions there.

Participants discussed adding soundproof booths with future flexibility to move them if needs change. Zellers improvised a rubric to help the library prioritize what options were most compelling based on cost, impact, efficiency, and viability. Ideas shared included creating a small training room, adding a welcome desk, vastly decreasing the collection size and offering it on smaller shelving, and increasing the natural light in the building by removing some walls and adding glass to make the space more inviting and visible. —Emily Petty Puckett

This article appears in its entirety in the November 2022 issue of Library Journal.