Recap Library Renovation Muntpunt

It seems like the Dutch-language library of Brussels tries hard to serve their patrons as well as possible.



The temporary building is not very nice looking, but it has features to make it easy for patrons to find what they need, which is extra important as everyone is new to the building's layout. It is also not as cramped as it could have been if the library had tried to put all of the materials in there, instead of putting some in storage.



The plans for the new library look great, so now we'll have to just wait and see... maybe late November 2011 might be a good time to try to attend a conference in Brussels! Time to start dropping hints to your boss... or to start saving money. Brussels is a pretty neat city to visit too, and can easily be combined with trips to Paris, Amsterdam, etc.



Although libraries are basically the same everywhere, they're different in many ways too!

The Temporary Library

If the embedded video doesn't work for you:



Renovation Temporary Building



250,000 library materials (books, videos, etc) needed to be moved to the temporary building. Conveniently, they only need to move to the opposite side of the Muntplein (the city square). This didn't just make the move easier for the librarians, but also for the patrons, who won't have trouble finding the temporary building. The move took 5 weeks, during which the library was closed.



People with 130 different nationalities use the Dutch-language Library of Brussels, which serves these patrons by not just offering Dutch books, but also books in foreign languages such as Turkish. The library also offers space for teens to do their homework and provides computers for public use. The library aims to make the library as accessible as possible.



The renovation and the move combined cost 1 million euros.







If the embedded video doesn't work for you:



Library Closes for 5 Weeks



This video offers some good shots of the original library before the renovation. It shows how the people get to say farewell to the old library by being driven out by the man with the saxophone at closing time. To make the move easier, people are allowed to check out more materials than usual, and borrowing media is free (normally the library charges a small fee per item). Every single CD was checked out by the end of the day!







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Library Open Again



A video of the opening of the temporary library, with some shots of the party discussed in the previous post. Because the temporary library is smaller, some items are in storage, and available only on request. You can have another look at the directional arrows on the floor and walls, that I mentioned in a previous post. Another feature to help patrons find what they need is the big text on the walls "NON-FICTIE", "INTERNET", etc. The library isn't as nice as the previous library, but quite functional. And once you're lost in a good book, you won't notice your surroundings anyway.



Toward the end of the video some more pictures of what the new library will look like in 2011. The architect and a government official talk about how the new library will allow people to find comfortable places to sit, and how popular authors will be invited to talk about their books. In the final shots, you can see how in the temporary library there are some books on renovations on display, such as "Fun Rooms", for those patrons who have become inspired.

Muntpunt Party

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Muntpunt Party



Some shots of the party mentioned in the previous post, featuring a band playing some music. People often enjoy hearing some music while they are walking on the street, so this gave the public a positive impression of the library renovation project.



Next, some shots of the inside of the temporary library. Note the arrows on the floor, helping guide people to the materials they want. Definitely a plus; you'll understand if you've ever experienced walking around a big library trying to figure out where (e.g.) the non-fiction section is but finding no clues!



An interview with the Flemish Minister of Brussels about what the new building will be like. He says you'll be allowed to bring coffee or whatnot, gain a bunch of knowledge, and will even be able to buy movie or theater tickets because the new building will not just include the library but other cultural institutions too. Great idea!



The architect is interviewed next, explaining how they got their inspiration by looking at what other libraries and cultural institutions were doing, in London, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Paris, etc. International communication about what works best to serve users can save countries from having to re-invent the wheel!



The chairman of the library says that the holes in the ceiling of the temporary library building were left in place to stress that that library was temporary. This is probably a positive thing, as library users might be dissatisfied that the temporary building is a third smaller than the previous building, so a reminder that it's just temporary helps keep them happy.



The secretary of state mentions that the library building will be much more energy efficient after the renovation, although not as energy efficient as destroying the old building and creating a new building could have been. That would have been too expensive though, and according to the head librarian the location in the center of the city was too good to move the library elsewhere. Energy efficiency is good for the environment and for the amount of money taxpayers have to spend on heating, leaving more money for books and services, the things patrons really want.



You can see the general layout of the building in the model shown.



The video ends with an interview with the head librarian and some more shots of the music and crowd outside.

Muntpunt Presentation Video

Or, if the embedded video does not work for you, just 
follow the link:

Muntpunt Presentation Video

This video shows what the renovation is supposed to result 
in. The video itself is user-centered in that it moves at 
a neat pace, being fairly exciting for what has the 
potential to be boring. It provides the information that 
the public might want in an easy-to-read, easy-to-
comprehend manner. 

A transcript of some of the key points of the video:

Er was eens... een droom. 
Once upon a time... there was a dream. Books often begin 
with "Er was eens", so it's very appropriate for a library 
renovation plan.

What if we could create one entrance to all ideas - a 
Flemish Communication House.

Goals: to inform and inspire.

The video then explains who is funding it, who is 
designing it, where it will be located, etc. 

Characteristics of the new building:

- lots of glass
- lots of light
- lots of space inside
- on the ground floor a big open information space with 
  info desks, info, newspaper and magazine holders, 
  a cafe...

This is clearly user-centered, in that users like spaces 
that are well-lit and not cramped. Having all the 
information desks on the ground floor makes them easy to 
find for users. Having newspapers and magazines that 
people might come in to read daily readily available is 
user-friendly too.

The video then shows some images of what it will look like 
when finished. 

More important than bricks are the people in and behind 
and around it...

They include the people from the library, the tourist 
bureau, etc.

In February 2009 there was a big name contest: 1332 
submissions. The winning name is Muntpunt (named after the 
location on the Muntplein - 'punt' means 'point').

Building permit, etc...

November 2009: the existing library moves to allow the 
renovation to begin.

December 4 & 5 the first Muntpunt event: a moving party at 
the Muntplein and a dance event for the youth in the empty 
library building. 

Word vervolgd
To be continued

Library Renovation: Muntpunt

I decided to find a Dutch library that underwent a renovation. I found several candidates, but I decided that the Dutch-language library of Brussels, Belgium, is the most interesting:



Muntpunt in English



Muntpunt in Dutch provides more a lot more information than the English version.



Technically, the renovation won't be complete until 20-11-2011 at 20:11 (note that Europeans write dates using the dd/mm/yyyy format). In the meanwhile, the library moved into a different building, which was renovated for the purpose of serving as the library while the main library is undergoing the big renovation. So, it's kind of like looking at two renovations in one!