The new Big Bend Community College Library opened its doors for the first
time January 3, 2005. Its construction cost 7.5 million dollars and it is
the first new facility on campus built completely with state funds. The library
was built simultaneously with the Grant County Advanced Technologies Education
Center (GCATEC). The ATEC side of the complex, funded almost entirely with
local donations, includes the Peterson Gallery, the Lauzier University Center,
a conference and training center which can seat more than 300, and a new dining
commons.
Big Bend Community College was authorized by the Washington State Board of Education in 1961. The college’s service district includes Adams and Grant Counties, and the Odessa Consolidated School District in Lincoln County. Beginning fall quarter 1962 BBCC held its first regular classes at night in Moses Lake High School, it moved to a new facility located a short distance southeast of the city in 1963. Then in 1966, BBCC acquired a 159-acre tract of land on the former Larson Air Force Base, which became the permanent college campus in 1975.
The library had been housed in what was once the base’s cafeteria; approximately 9,000 square feet. The new facility offers 27,000 square feet of space designed specifically for library services. Our staff spent many months researching all aspects of library design and worked closely with the architects and the interior designer in the development of the new facility and we believe it will serve BBCC staff, students and those living in the college's service district well for many years.
During the early planning phase I spent most of a summer traveling to as many libraries as possible looking for ideas and advice. We were especially interested in what colleagues with new or recently remodeled libraries liked about their facilities and what mistakes they could help us avoid.
A major factor influencing our design was staffing. The library has a small staff, five full-time and three part-time. Maximum visibility with minimal running around was required. We have been pleased with the end result. Staff can see 90 percent of the library just by walking the length of the service desk. The new building also includes a camera system which is tied into the campus network so we can all view the entire library from our office computers.
One of the new features our users have been most excited about is the Computer Commons. There are eighty-four seats in the commons which mainly includes computers offering word processing, access to the library’s online catalog, databases and the internet. We also provide test proctoring, scanning, media viewing, disability access equipment, a microform reader-printer and a typewriter (which gets a surprising amount of use) in the commons.
The service desk, a combined circulation and reference desk, is a long rounded
“L” shape. The reference “desk” area at the “corner”
is bumped out beyond the circulation point offering staff an easy view and
access to the security gate at the front door as well as being highly visible
for users needing assistance.
Our new offices are larger and were designed to provide optimal access to
library service points and each other. The library’s cataloger spent
many hours with the interior designer developing a work area that included
plenty of workspace, storage and improved workflow. One of the highlights
of this area is the large worktable tall enough to park bookcarts under. This
was quickly discovered by the campus quilting group who utilized it to lay
out one of their projects for an upcoming charity auction for the college.
Their only negative comment was that it was too bad the table wasn’t
a bit larger so they would lay out a king size quilt.
The new storage rooms have oversize doors and are located close to library receiving area. The general storage room was designed so pallets can go directly into storage without opening the doors into the processing work area. The media storage room was designed with the potential to serve as a workroom/office should we ever get a fulltime media person, which we did within six months of moving into the building.
Of course we couldn’t let the opportunity pass us by and not to get a few things to make life a little more comfortable for ourselves. We now have a very nice staff room large enough for potlucks and a staff bathroom. No regrets there.
As with most libraries we had run out of shelf space long ago. The new library offers almost double the shelving space allowing for fewer shelves per section, easier access and more room for growth. Collections formerly located in storage due to lack of space are now accessible due to the additional space. The stacks were laid out so they run perpendicular to the service desk so staff can more easily spot users in need of assistance.
An area we were interested in improving in the new building was study rooms. Where we had previously had none, we now have ten study rooms, each seating four to six. Two rooms have folding walls so we can convert them from four to eight seat rooms. Each study room includes a whiteboard and a TV with a DVD/VCR combination unit. One room even includes a full size electric piano which has been very popular. At first our patrons were a bit shy about using them. Now it can be hard to find an available room.
Two instructional rooms were included in the new facility. Both include a fully integrated sound system, an instructor station, ceiling mounted projectors and multiple light settings. One is a dedicated computer lab for library instruction and class use. The room has thirty-six seats and includes two projectors that display on large screens that flank the instructor’s station. Build by the college’s carpenter, the instructor’s stations are both beautiful and incredibly functional. The large oak units include controls for the projectors, PC, document camera, etc., which are all manipulated using a built in touch screen. There has been unanticipated interest from groups outside the college clamoring to use the computer classroom for training.
The second classroom is our Multipurpose room, it is designed for maximum
flexibility; including stacking chairs and tables with folding legs. It can
seat thirty-two with the tables or forty-eight without. Intended to serve
as a secondary computer lab or large group study room it is frequently booked
for general instruction.
Faculty who have used either of the rooms love them and we’ve had to
keep a close eye on our calendar to avoid double booking due to their popularity.
Yet another of the new features the library and ATEC building has to offer is wireless network access. We haven’t had large numbers of our patrons using this service yet, but that is rapidly changing as the word gets out.
I had worked with Ellen Miller, who served as the project manager for the
Spokane County Library District when it built several new libraries. When
I knew the project was a go I immediately had the architects contact her and
get the design for a padded floor behind the circulation desk. It is wonderful
to stand there when you are working and even more fun seeing people’s
reactions when they step onto it during tours.
In our old facility the English Skills Center was located outside the library. To increase accessibility to their services and to keep students from walking out of the library with materials for “just a minute” the skills center and the Foreign Language Lab are now located in the library. Response to this move has been overwhelmingly positive.
All in all, it was a fascinating experience. A new campus library had been discussed for ten years and several “old timers” swore they’d be retired before it ever came to be. State funding for the building was allocated just prior to 9/11, withdrawn, then restated. Next came months of issues with architects that eventually left the project. Groundwork was hampered by the basements of former buildings on the site. Then, suddenly, there was a huge slab of concrete and brick walls seemed to spring up overnight. Next came a roof, windows and interior walls. Finally paint, carpet and then we were frantically moving in! Yes, there were times we thought this project would never begin, or end, but now those “old timers” are working in BBCC’s new Library and GCATEC building, and we couldn’t be happier.