A study conducted for the San Francisco Public Library Commission has found that the three-year-old main library has already filled its shelf space, has a confusing layout that impedes users, and has a “severely flawed” book return and checkout system. A summary of the study, prepared by a team of architects, engineers, and librarians, states that the library, “while designed to be a grand public space, does not function as effectively as it should or as effectively as peer institutions do.”
The report, which identified more than 150 problem areas, recommends that more space be made available for public collections and services, and that older materials be moved to an archival service department in nearby Brooks Hall. It also calls for utilizing existing space more efficiently, with public collections located on every floor, and for relocating nonpublic staff services such as technical services, automation, and finance.
It will be several months before cost estimates are available for the proposed changes, the San Francisco Chronicle reported August 27.
Posted September 6, 1999.