College and Research Libraries " B y R A L P H E . E L L S W O R T H Determining Factors in the Evaluation of the Modular Plan for Libraries Dr. Ellsworth is director of libraries, State University of Iowa. EV A L U A T I O N of the modular method of planning libraries has, since 1 9 4 3 , focused too often on side issues and irrele- vancies. T h u s when one hears discussions among librarians of h o w to carry ventila- tion ducts through columns, or whether a modular l i b r a r y must use the " d i v i s i o n a l " type of organization, one can be certain that misunderstandings exist. Responsibility f o r this misunderstanding w o u l d seem to be about equally divided between those of us w h o did the first talking and the natural human tendency to relate things that happen at the same time even though they have no connection. E v e r y o n e remembers that the first automobiles had a w h i p holder. T h e critical points around which evalua- tion of the modular idea should take place seem to f a l l into t w o categories: program planning and construction techniques. T h i s article w i l l attempt to state and discuss the relevant points in each category. First, Program planning Is the modular idea applicable to one theory of college or university library plan, or can it be used for all known types of organization? U n f o r t u n a t e l y , because of my connection w i t h the development of the U n i v e r s i t y of C o l o r a d o subject divisional plan of organi- zation, it w a s assumed that the same plan w o u l d be imported to I o w a . A n d when w e announced our intention to adopt the modular idea, it w a s inevitable, it seems, that the idea w o u l d get around that modu- lar and divisional were inseparable. O u r choice of a non-divisional plan at I o w a w a s based not on dissatisfaction w i t h the divisional plan, but on our desire to experiment w i t h other new ideas. A n d that is w h a t w e have done. Proof of the adaptability of the modular idea lies no longer on claims but in the operation of existing buildings. A t Prince- ton in the below-ground levels one can find a variety of patterns: administrative offices, reserve rooms, seminars, staff rooms, open and closed stacks, oases and research quar- ters. In the I o w a building there are at least three different types of organization, and the only thing they have in common is open stacks. T h e organization of service in the N o r t h D a k o t a State College L i b r a r y , the N o r t h C a r o l i n a C o l l e g e f o r W o m e n , and B r a d l e y are entirely different f r o m one an- other, and f r o m Princeton, I o w a , or W a s h - ington State. Ironically, one can find all kinds of or- ganization in these libraries except the sub- ject divisional arrangement that w a s used at C o l o r a d o . I t is true that the architects of these buildings have used a low spread-out style, but so have the architects of most of the new non-modular buildings. M o d u l e s can be stacked in w h a t e v e r manner the archi- tect wishes. I t is also true in these build- ings that there has been a tendency to use the open shelf plan, and to achieve an in- f o r m a l uninstitutional mood. T h e same can be said of the non-modular buildings. Are modular buildings more expensive to staff than other typesf T h e staff costs of a particular building may be a f a c t o r of the plan of organization, or of the physical layout and features of the building, and it is not a l w a y s easy to assign responsibility. T h u s , in making comparisons between types of buildings in terms of staffing costs, care must be taken lest the results be invalid. Because of the current stress on the pub- lic service aspect of university librarianship most of the n e w e r b u i l d i n g s , — m o d u l a r or otherwise, have l a r g e r s t a f f s than did their predecessors. B u t when staff size of various libraries is compared w i t h other f a c t o r s such as size of the book collection, enrollment, dollars spent f o r books, it is clear that the element of modularity has nothing to do w i t h the size of the s t a f f . P e r h a p s it could be said that a librarian w h o w o u l d choose a m o d u l a r building w o u l d be the kind of librarian that w o u l d empha- size the teaching and research role of the l i b r a r y rather than the storage concept. A n d it can be assumed that storage li- braries require smaller s t a f f s than do " t e a c h i n g " libraries. E x c e p t f o r this pos- sible indirect relationship, staff size is a resultant of other factors. Second, Construction techniques. Do ?nodular libraries violate traditional laws of aestheticsf T h i s question should be considered t h o u g h t f u l l y by anyone w h o bears the responsibility of planning a li- brary, because as D e a n H u d n u t pointed out in his address to the N e w E n g l a n d L i b r a r y Association in 1 9 4 8 , 1 libraries be- long in the humanistic tradition, D e a n H u d n u t pleaded w i t h librarians not to let their zeal f o r functional buildings lead them into the trap of planning buildings that w o u l d not be supremely b e a u t i f u l . R a l p h W a l k e r in a fine rage lashed out against the 1 Hudnut, J . "Architects and L i b r a r i a n . " Library Quarterly, 18:93-9 April 194S. lack of traditional beauty in modular li- braries. ( B o o k s in Libraries: P r i n t e d f o r the F r i e n d s of the M . I . T . L i b r a r i e s . P o r t - land, M e . J u l y ' 5 1 . ) T h e l a t t e r , by the w a y , spoke before he had seen one. B o t h of these men w e r e right, to some ex- tent. T h e interiors of existing modular li- braries are not b e a u t i f u l in the same w a y that the interior of older buildings—such as the Boston P u b l i c , or H a r p e r L i b r a r y at C h i c a g o , or the D e e r i n g L i b r a r y at N o r t h w e s t e r n — a r e . T h e r e are no rooms that are gems of architectural genius. T h e r e is a lack of f o r m , in the traditional sense, in these buildings, and this is of course heresy to m a n y architects, j u s t as the w r i t i n g of" H e m i n g w a y , L e w i s or F a u l k n e r , or the d r a w i n g s of the A b s t r a c t School are to the more traditionally minded in those fields of art. B u t this does not mean that R a l p h W a l k e r is necessarily right in the long run. T h e librarians w h o have to manage one of the older buildings are likely to agree that the aesthetic qualities and the utili- tarian qualities are t w o separate things en- tirely. Perhaps the aesthetic justification of the m o d u l a r building lies in the beauty of their fine f u n c t i o n i n g of services. T o a librarian, this is desirable; to a traditionally minded architect, blasphemy. F r a n k L l o y d W r i g h t ' s statement in the October issue of the ALA Bulletin, p. 2 9 3 , indicates that he might approve. T h e lack of style in the exterior of most of the m o d u l a r buildings seems to bear out M r . W r i g h t ' s statement that no one knows j u s t w h a t a l i b r a r y should look like, if it is supposed to look like a l i b r a r y and not a church. M e r e w r a p p e d - u p space is not yet accepted as a thrilling concept to architects, or to lay- men. F o r over a century architects have had their w a y . Perhaps librarians can be f o r - given f o r d a r i n g to assume a belligerent attitude. 126 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES Are modular libraries more or less ex- pensive than other typesf T h i s question is so complicated that the w r i t e r is of the opin- ion that it cannot be answered objectively at the present time. T h e dilemma arises f r o m the f a c t that measuring costs in terms of cubic feet is no longer m e a n i n g f u l . Cost per square foot is the only u s e f u l measure, and in calculating the square foot costs of a traditional building, there are problems. F o r instance, h o w do you count the stacks, stairwells, and other service units? N o one thus f a r has had time to w o r k out a simple rule f o r making the comparisons accurately, and until this is done, cost com- parisons are not possible. N o r are other kinds of measures such as cost per reader, or per book stored, valid. I n a modular library, w i t h its interchange- able space, the most one can say of a given building is that " w i t h space f o r x readers, x number of books can be housed." F i g - ures on costs per reader or per book housed are meaningless in this situation. I t is true that assertions have been made about the short and long term economies of modular libraries, and it is the w r i t e r ' s opinion that these guesses w e r e not too f a r w r o n g , but as things n o w stand the proof is not yet spelled out. What about the wisdom of using the columns for ventilation ductsf A n g u s S. M a c d o n a l d developed an excellent and economical method of constructing columns so that they could also be used as air ducts, and it w a s therefore n a t u r a l that many of us associated the modular idea w i t h his method of construction. I t is, in the w r i t e r ' s j u d g m e n t , u n f o r t u n a t e that more libraries did not use M a c d o n a l d ' s inven- tion, but actually there need be no relation between the two. A i r can be circulated to all parts of a modular building through the ceilings w i t h o u t involving the columns at all. Indeed, in v i e w of the ignorance one finds in the typical ventilation " e n g i n e e r , " there are good reasons f o r using traditional methods only. A good engineer can, of course, achieve gc od results at a l o w cost wTith M a c d o n a l d ' s method, and w i t h others. What about low ceiling heightsf A l l the predictions by architects (See M i n u t e s of the Cooperative Committee on L i b r a r y B u i l d i n g P l a n n i n g ) about the depressing effects of l o w ceilings in reading rooms have not been borne out by the facts. I n the I o w a building (whose ceiling h e i g h t s — are the lowest of all the modular b u i l d i n g ) , f o r instance, no one pays any at- tention to the ceilings unless attention is called to them. B u t l o w ceilings have no virtue in them- selves (except as they make it easy to pro- vide good l i g h t i n g ) . W h a t then is the point of using them? O n e of the claimed virtues of modular buildings is their flexi- bility. R e a d i n g room space converted to stack space should not waste space above the book ranges. T h u s , the nearer the ceilings can be brought down to 8 ' the better. T h e I o w a building shows that this can be done, but also that it need not be done. T h e calculation behind this statement proves the point. Since the stack ceiling heights are 8 ' ^ " and the stacks are 8 shelves ( o r almost 8 ' ) w e waste less than f o u r inches above them. C a l l this a one foot waste. I n the reading areas w e save the difference between 8 ' and 1 5 ' , or 7'. T h e n : 4 0 , 0 0 0 sq. f t . in stack floor X I cu. f t . waste = 4 0 , 0 0 0 cu. f t . wasted. 8 0 , 0 0 0 sq. f t . in reading room floors X 7 cu. f t . saved = 5 6 0 , 0 0 0 cu. f t . saved. T h i s calculation suggests that one could a f f o r d to be more generous w i t h the ceiling height if this is desired. How big should the modules bef N o final answer can be given to this question. I n f a c t , the w r i t e r ventures the assertion that as long as the columns are spaced at distances 2 0 f t . or more, the question is not APRIL, 1953 12 7 very important in jterms of floor space utilization. I t may be in terms of construc- tion costs. I n theory, if you approach the problem by measuring the number of feet required f o r tables, isle w i d t h s , distances between table edges and stacks, etc., you arrive at figures somewhat as f o l l o w s : ( A n d , of course, one should achieve the utmost economy in the use of floor space.) A s s u m i n g the f o l l o w i n g basic distances: Stack range length—units of 3 feet plus 4 inches for range ends T a b l e widths—43 inches T a b l e lengths—6, 9, 1 2 feet Distance between tables—5 feet Distance between tables and stacks—6 feet Stack Centers—42 feet T h e smallest practical reading room dimension f o r a module w o u l d appear to be 2 4 ' 2 " f r o m edge of column, to edge of column (size of column not important in this connection unless l a r g e r than 1 8 " ) - T h i s figure is developed as f o l l o w s : 6' From edge of stack to 1st table. 4 3 " T a b l e width 5 ' Between tables 4 3 " T a b l e width 6' From edge of table to edge of stack 2 4 V — 1 8 " for column or 2 5 ' 8 " between column centers B u t it is necessary to assume that the same space w i l l some day be used f o r book storage. If stacks are spaced on 4 ^ ' centers, live ranges take 2 2 ^ " and six take 2 7 ' . T h u s , it w o u l d appear that in the inter- est of economy of floor space utilization it w o u l d be best to use a dimension of 2 7 ' between column centers along one of the sides of a module, and w h e n the space is used f o r reading room purposes, spread out the tables slightly more than is necessary. T h e dimension of the other side of the mod- ule should be in units of 3 ' and should be not less than 1 8 ' if seminars are to be pro- vided. If the 4 3 " table w i d t h is changed, the dimension of the module can be changed accordingly. T h e s e theoretical calculations plus the evidence that can be f o u n d in existing li- braries suggest that a module size can be determined that w i l l not waste floor space. Are "Dry" movable partitions sensiblef Since one of the reasons f o r modular build- ings is their flexibility, it f o l l o w s that some type of movable partition is essential. A l l non-bearing partitions are movable, of course, but this discussion is limited to t w o k i n d s ; J o h n s - M a n v i l l e T r a n s i t e and M i l l s metal partitions. O n c e erected both kinds serve w e l l except that the sound deadening qualities of the metal partitions seem better. T h e metal partitions can be moved much more quickly and w i t h much less messiness. T h e T r a n s i t e partitions are harder to dam- age w i t h scratches and should nq>t have to be painted. T h e y are harder to w a s h than the metal. T h e initial cost w a s about equal t w o years ago. In operation, library users are not a w a r e that the partitions are movable. Problem of locating light switches. Since switches must be located at the time a build- ing is planned and since m o v i n g them is expensive, there is a basic dilemma here. L o c a t i n g them on the columns gives maxi- mum control of the light fixtures f o r each module as a whole, but not w h e n the mod- ule is subdivided. Unless there are master zone controls at a convenient location, purely local controls are expensive to ad- minister. In the stacks, the ends of ranges are better places f o r switches than are col- umns. I t must be admitted, therefore, that the problem of locating light controls is a diffi- cult one, and that some kind of combination of local and zone control is necessary. T h i s is one of the penalties one must pay f o r the privilege of flexibility. fContinued on page 142) 128 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES Chronology of L i b r a r y Planning at M . I . T . 1 9 1 6 - 1 9 5 0 , T h e Charles Hayden Memorial L i b r a r y , Annual Report of the Director of Libraries for the Y e a r 1948-49. Dedicating the Charles Hayden M e m o r i a l L i b r a r y — M . I . T . L i b r a r y Annual 1950 Books in L i b r a r i e s — T h e Librarian and the Building of a L i b r a r y , by Vernon D . T a t e (and) T h e Architect, and the University L i b r a r y , by Ralph W a l k e r Statistical Data: Cost Dimensions Lighting Seating Ceiling Capacity Exterior M a t e r i a l 3.5 Million 2 1 8 ' x 189' Silvray 500 I S ' 400,000 Volumes Shot-sawn Indiana Limestone Michigan Scholarships and Fellowships L i b r a r y Service Scholarships and Fellowships offered by the University of Michigan provide an opportunity f o r well qualified students enrolled in the Department of L i b r a r y Science to acquire experience in one or more departments of the General L i b r a r y . A w a r d s a^e made to applicants who present evidence of superior academic ability and who can q u a l i f y for library assignments. 1 Scholarships, which carry a stipend of $ 1 7 5 0 , will be awarded to successful candidates who have had little or no library training or experience. Fellowships, worth $2250, are granted to students who have already had formal training or considerable library experience. Payment of the stipend is made in ten monthly installments from September 30 to mid-June. Each appointment is f o r one academic year and may be once renewed. Scholars and Fellows may elect not more than half the number of course hours expected of full-time students in the Department, and must pay the regular University fees f o r these elections (six hours or less). T h e y will be scheduled f o r thirty-six hours of service weekly in the General L i b r a r y . Scholars and Fellows are allowed the Christmas and spring vacations scheduled in the University calendar, f̂ Applications f o r both Scholarships and Fellowships should be made not later than M a y 1. Announcement of the awards will be made about J u n e 1 . f Inquiries and requests for application blanks should be directed to Samuel W . McAllister, associate director, General L i b r a r y , University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Evaluation of the Modular Plan (Continued from page 128) Can the interiors of modular libraries be attractive? T h e danger is monotony. T h i s can be avoided through imaginative use of color, design of f u r n i t u r e , and ar- rangement of equipment. O n e can find good and bad solutions to the problem in the various m o d u l a r buildings. What effect does a modular library have on the behavior of its users? T h e testimony of librarians administering these libraries is u n i f o r m l y f a v o r a b l e . T h e atmosphere is f r i e n d l y and pleasant and readers respond accordingly. T h i s tendency is encouraged by the f a c t that these buildings are all at- tractively furnished and all use a very in- f o r m a l arrangement of f u r n i t u r e . Is the modular idea applicable to all li- braries? T h e danger is that librarians w i l l assume that it is. I n libraries w h e r e there is no need f o r flexibility, w h e r e codes do not permit, or w h e r e the predominant style of architecture clashes, and w h e r e there is no need f o r economy, other methods are more suitable. A r t i f i c i a l circulation and treatment of air is essential in most climates in a modular building and this costs money. F u r t h e r m o r e , there can be no universally best w a y to plan a l i b r a r y . 142 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES