Location Site -Preliminary Considerations of Library building-library managment
Location is important for homogeneous services, site selection and choice of community, region, etc., depend on the factors like convenience, operating cost, proximity to competitor, availability of support system, geographical or environmental factors like noise, traffic, communication networks, transport facilities, channels/distribution/service centers, etc.
Ideally, a library should be centrally located so that it, is easily accessible to its clientele. It should be setup in serene surroundings, insulated from din and dust. However, in practice, this ideal condition seldom prevails and there will be competitors within the organisation for better location. Quite often one room in a building is designated as a library. Sometimes aisle vacated by another department is handed over to the library and at times building donated by a philanthropic person or a body serves as a library. If one is fortunate to have the opportunity to plan a library building right from the beginning, one should select a location which is most convenient for the clientele it is going to serve. It should be large enough to have provision for future expansion-both horizontal and vertical, and it should form an integral part of the overall campus plan and should not appear to be an appendage or an after thought. Finally, it should be in accordance with various governmental codes.
Various factors determine the site that is ultimately selected for a library building. While a central location is of paramount consideration in an academic campus (university or a centre for advanced studies), the same consideration may not be applicable in the case of a special library. Sometimes safety and other considerations (hazardous chemical factory, noisy establishment) may dictate the positioning. of the library in a remote corner. In addition to safety, aesthetic and cost factors may also be considered. In the process of selection of location and site, not only the adequacy of the size be ensured but population distribution, relation to neighbouring buildings, traffic flow, orientation, elevation, scope for future expansion, shape of the land and nature of the soil, and ground are to be taken into consideration.