The Changing Landscape of Resource Libraries

I always thought design resource libraries were never quite named properly for their purpose. But now that technology has taken such a foothold in our daily lives, resource libraries barely contain books or catalogs at all anymore. Sure, they have always kind of operated like traditional lending libraries, but there has always been so much more to them than just dispensing information.

A design resource library is a home for concentrated amounts of knowledge, along with product samples; but it can also act as a social hub for many design firms, and needs to be a source of inspiration and ideation for the company in which it’s situated.

office_specialty_drawers
Office specialty 9900 series drawers are great for resource libraries.

The teaching and mentoring element inherent in resource libraries seems to have faded into the background, for the most part, across the industry. As technology has become more pervasive and space more at a premium, many libraries have shrunk and focused more on storing samples than archiving product knowledge or a firm’s design intelligence.

This is a huge missed opportunity for design firms to infuse their own story, told in the form of materials, into their own library. Design intelligence is what makes each architecture firm unique; cultivating that spirit of individuality is the charge of any good resource library.

My company, Streamline Material Resourcing, manages libraries for design firms and large facility groups. When I first started in this industry more than 20 years ago, most of the resource librarian’s energy was spent predicting what materials a project would need in order to be completed. Today, it is more about responding to specific requests in a timely manner.

Products may get discontinued, or what was thought to be a standard application turns out to be custom with a longer lead-time. Resource libraries usually respond to the pace of each firm’s workflow, which seems to be getting faster these days.

The shift in libraries from predicting to responding is critical, but it also speaks to how the A&D industry has changed since the economic downturn. Information is everywhere now, but keeping information accurate during the course of changes in a given project is even more valuable, given the pace of today’s design and delivery schedules, along with accelerated client expectations.

A vendor tradeshow at Environetics New York office. Vendor presentations are an extension of a good resource library
A vendor tradeshow at Environetics New York office. Vendor presentations are an extension of a good resource library

My role as a resource librarian has changed over the years as well. Because now these smaller libraries don’t contain complete information on any given product, the importance of interactivity with the vendors that represent the products, mostly in the form of product presentations, has risen significantly. Many design firms have opted to host vendor tradeshows, which are regularly scheduled events that include anywhere from three to six vendors who collectively present products that all complement one another in a casual social atmosphere.

With vendor tradeshows, each resource library has an opportunity to come alive on a regular basis and be fully interactive. This is something the Internet or an online library platform cannot provide: real time relationship-based communication that is relevant to what the firm is currently designing.

A vendor tradeshow at Environetics in New York
A vendor tradeshow at Environetics in New York

Sometimes lines blur at tradeshows; the manufacturing side and the design side of the business come together in an exciting way. I have seen project meetings spontaneously emerge in the middle of vendor tradeshows, and solutions were found that would normally have taken much longer to develop. Vendors like them too, as they can network with other vendors they don’t compete with, and usually get more qualified job leads than a lunch and learn the same firm may provide.

Some would argue vendor tradeshows are the tail wagging the dog. The industry has finally gotten its way and is given unprecedented access to the people that specify their products. I would argue this is the way the industry has always been; manufacturing and design have been closely linked since before the industrial revolution. A little discretion can go a long way, and the spirit of vendor tradeshows is one of camaraderie, not competition.

When it comes to using technology in resource libraries today, it is easy to become seduced by the latest app or gadget. Many of these devices are looking to save time and be convenient to project workflow, but they usually only add to the noise in an already crowded marketplace.

Digital meets analog: library computer station at Perkins Eastman
Digital meets analog: library computer station at Perkins Eastman. Integrating an Internet connection to a library is becoming much more popular now.

Because designers are visual thinkers, they tend to use a lot of digital photographs in their work. I have found that using video monitors with an Internet connection is a great way to facilitate the use and communication of digital photos and design ideas. Team meetings are happening in libraries more and more these days, and a digital interface for product selection when brainstorming can come in handy instead of constant trips back to one’s workstation.

Many people see resource libraries as a place to find building products, but they are also used to store palettes for current projects. To that end, all resource libraries need as much horizontal layout space as possible. I have found that coordinated project materials on display in the library reveals the design intelligence of the firm, and also happens to be a great marketing move for visiting clients.

Set up your library like a retail environment.
Different storage options are crucial for today’s resource libraries.

When I start working with a new design firm, I like to set up their library like a retail environment. That means all samples are organized ergonomically, shelves and drawers are easily accessible, and everything is clearly marked with signage. I don’t like to store individual boxes of samples; lids only keep designers from looking inside the box, and I prefer to group all of the same materials together, apples to apples, for the best library experience.

It is no secret that resource libraries are an overhead cost for any design firm. However, it is a necessary cost, much like insurance. The more a resource library is neglected in a given company, the more unseen costs, like change orders during construction, can significantly impact the firm’s profitability.

With a smaller footprint but a bigger impact than ever on a firm’s design intelligence, design resource libraries are not going away or being replaced by the Internet. By leveraging technology and vendor relationships – essentially merging analog with digital research approaches – resource libraries can become much more affordable, nimble and responsive to unique product and information requests.

A vendor tradeshow at Meyer Davis in New York
A vendor tradeshow at Meyer Davis in New York