Interior Rearrangement Propsal, Bushwick Library

Brooklyn Public Library is making a systemwide effort to boost its material circulation statistics. In October of 2008 I attended PLA’s Strategic Planning Bootcamp. The following images show the way I will use what I learned at the stratgic planning workshop to help the system achieve its goal at my branch library.

I am rearranging my library based on materials circulation statistics with the intention of exposing the most popular materials to the most library users. Below is an image of the Bushwick Library floor plan with all of the shelves color coded and labeled to explain what materials are where in the building.

Current Arrangement:

  • -The world language material circulates too well to be tucked in the back corner
  • -The fiction collection is jammed in an awkward spot
  • -Young adults do not have their own space
  • -Parents cannot sit next to children in the children’s section


Material type by shelving location FY08 circulation by location

Terrible, right? Look at the awkwardly shaped young adult space. Why is the fiction and the world language stuff stuck in the back, while the comparatively low circulating non-fiction is out on the main floor? Another accidental discovery when you visualize things this way: look at the ratio of floorspace to circulation for the multimedia materials. Clearly offering DVDs is a good way for libraries to move a lot of material.

Proposed Rearrangement:

  • -The world language collection comes out to the main floor
  • -The fiction collection comes out to the main floor
  • -Young adults get to hang out in their own little nook
  • -Parents and children can be together in the childrens area

Material type by shelving location FY08 circulation by location

Maps and visual aids are useful for revealing patterns in your data, especially when your data is describing the movements of real books located on real shelves in a real space. Data doesn’t always make sense until you look at it right, but when you look at it just right it can steer your decision making in ways that will improve efficiency. I made these images in Adobe Illustrator, but this same thing can be done with makers on a dry erase board or a big piece of paper. This exercise can be replicated at any library.


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