P1

A C T I O N

Subject: New Central Library Functional Building Program

Prepared by: Barbara Clubb, City Librarian and CEO

Elaine Condos, Division Manager, Centralized & Information Services

Prepared for: Ottawa Public Library Board

Meeting of: June 15, 2009

Date: June 10, 2009

# Section Page

I. Recommendation / Recommandation 1

II. Executive Summary / Résumé 2

III. References 5

IV. New Central Library Functional Building Program 5

· Vision for the New Central Library

· Context

· Benefits of the New Central Library

· New Central Library Functional Building Program Summary

V. Background 12

· New Central Library

· Functional Building Program Development

· City of Ottawa Archives/Ottawa Public Library Synergy

and Co-location Opportunities

VI. New Central Library – A Virtual Tour 15

VII. Consultation 25

VIII. Funding Sources 26

IX. Appendices 27

I. Recommendation

That the Board receive the New Central Library Draft Functional Building Program.

recommandation

Que le conseil d’administration prenne connaissance du programme provisoire de bâtiment fonctionnel pour la nouvelle Bibliothèque centrale.

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY/ RÉSUMÉ

Note: Andrew Brown, Project Manager, Resource Planning Group will present the New Central Library Functional Building Program to the Board on June 15^th.

Ottawa’s new Central Library promises to be the most exciting public building erected in Ottawa in decades. In addition to being a civic landmark in the downtown core, it will be a major community institution, serving citizens throughout the city as a gathering place and as the nerve centre and technological ‘brain’ of the entire Ottawa Public Library system. It will also play an important role for culture and education, and will function as a comprehensive resource that is critical to a 21^st-century economy, with the mandate of making that knowledge freely and easily available to all.

The Central Library is the foundation of the OPL system, which had more than 4.8 million visits and 25 million uses in 2008. The Ottawa Public Library provides services through 33 locations, two bookmobiles and virtual library services.

Planning for a new central library was identified as a priority by the Library Board (2001-2003) in the first year of the new Ottawa Public Library. In 2001, the first vision was outlined and the Library Board started working towards a new central library. Project planning advanced and, as a result, in 2006, a new central library was included in the City of Ottawa’s Long Range Financial Plan III as an unfunded project with an anticipated opening date in 2015.

The Libraries for Ottawa: Facilities Strategy was first approved by the Board in February 2006. Development of a new Central Library is one of three key streams of the strategy. The other two streams provide for the renewal and expansion of current facilities and development of new branches in growth areas. This strategy was reconfirmed and included in the Board’s Strategic Directions and Priorities 2008-2011 which has five key strategies including C. Improve our Places and Spaces and D. Build the New Central Library.

In September 2006, the Library Board approved the awarding of a contract to the Resource Planning Group (RPG) for the development of a detailed functional building program for the new central library. A functional program is not a design for a new building but it identifies the type and size of the components required to provide services and support operations.

On June 28, 2007, the Library Board approved (Motion 053-07) in principle three key elements for incorporation into the New Central Library Detailed Functional Program: Draft Project Parameters, Draft Master Program and Draft Ideal Site Selection Criteria.

The Project Parameters were the foundation for the Functional Program. They provided the direction and guiding principles that informed development of the first detailed identification of what the new Central Library will be for the Ottawa Public Library and the City of Ottawa. The Project Parameters presented an overview of the proposed new Central Library including a strategic rationale and key planning concepts plus the identification of thirteen functional components for inclusion in the central library.

In June 2007, it was estimated that the new central library would be 350,000 gross square feet including leasable space. Library planning standards for central libraries calculate gross space required on 0.45 gft²per capita. To reflect Ottawa’s geography and more decentralized library system, the Resource Planning Group calculated a central library that is approximately two-thirds of the average space required for the population, or approximately 0.27 gft² per capita.

The draft functional building program details a new central library of 345,600 gross square feet including leasable space.

Also, in February 2007, Council approved a motion to investigate possible linkages between the new Central Library and City of Ottawa Archives. City and Library staff were directed to identify opportunities for cost savings and consider site co-location opportunities associated with the Central Library and Archives projects. This resulted in Council approval of recommendations supporting maximum synergies between OPL and the City Archives through:

· First phase Archives and Library Technical Facility, and

· Second phase new Central Library incorporating an Archives public presence.

On December 12, 2007, City Council approved, as part of the 2008 budget process, $38.6 million in capital funding for the completion of the design and construction of the 81,363 square foot Archives and Library Technical Facility on city-owned land in the Centrepointe area. On March 28, 2008, the Ontario Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal announced that the City of Ottawa would receive a one-time grant of $20 million for the Central Archives and Ottawa Library Technical Services Facility project. This grant is through the Ontario Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative program. The Archives and Library Technical Facility is presently under construction with an anticipated opening date in Winter 2011.

Part 2 of the Central Library and Archives Synergy and Co-location Study focussing on possible sites for the central library was undertaken. Possible sites were identified within the Board designated geographic area bounded by Bronson, Wellington, Nicholas/Canal and Gloucester streets. Acquisition of the recommended site for the new Central Library is on the agenda of the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee meeting of June 16, 2009.

RÉSUMÉ

Nota : Andrew Brown, gestionnaire de projet du Resource Planning Group, présentera le programme provisoire de bâtiment fonctionnel pour la nouvelle Bibliothèque centrale au conseil d’administration le 15 juin.

La nouvelle Bibliothèque centrale d’Ottawa promet d’être le plus fascinant édifice construit dans notre ville depuis des décennies. En plus d’être un point d’intérêt municipal au centre-ville, il s’agira d’une institution communautaire majeure, qui servira aux résidents de toute la ville de lieux de rencontre, de centre nerveux et de « cerveau » technologique de tout le réseau de la Bibliothèque publique d’Ottawa. Elle jouera un rôle important pour la culture et l’éducation, et constituera une ressource complète essentielle dans l’économie du XXI^e siècle, avec un mandat de rendre la connaissance disponible gratuitement et facilement à tous.

La Bibliothèque centrale est à la base du réseau de la BPO, qui a reçu plus de 4,8 millions de visites et fait l’objet de 25 millions d’utilisations en 2008. La Bibliothèque publique d’Ottawa dessert la population par le biais de 33 succursales, deux bibliobus et ses services virtuels.

La planification d’une nouvelle bibliothèque centrale a été désignée comme prioritaire par le conseil d’administration de la Bibliothèque (2001-2003) dès la première année de la nouvelle Bibliothèque publique d’Ottawa. En 2001, la première visualisation d’avenir était énoncée et le C.A. de la Bibliothèque commençait à planifier le projet d’une nouvelle bibliothèque centrale. Cette planification a suivi son cours et, en 2006, le projet d’une bibliothèque centrale était inclus dans le Plan financier à long terme III de la Ville d’Ottawa, en tant que projet non financé avec une date d’ouverture prévue en 2015.

La Stratégie pour des bibliothèques à Ottawa fut approuvée une première fois par le C.A. en février 2006. La construction d’une nouvelle bibliothèque centrale est l’une des trois principales filières de la stratégie, les deux autres ayant trait au renouvellement et à l’agrandissement des installations actuelles, et à la construction de nouvelles succursales dans les secteurs de croissance. Cette stratégie a été confirmée à nouveau et intégrée dans les orientations stratégiques et les priorités de 2008-2011 du C.A., qui comprenaient cinq stratégies principales, notamment C. Améliorer nos lieux et nos espaces et D. Construire la nouvelle Bibliothèque centrale.

En septembre 2006, le C.A. de la Bibliothèque approuvait l’attribution d’un contrat à la firme Resource Planning Group (RPG) pour l’élaboration d’un programme détaillé de bâtiment fonctionnel pour la nouvelle bibliothèque centrale. Un programme fonctionnel n’est pas le plan d’un bâtiment mais permet de déterminer le type et la superficie des éléments nécessaires pour offrir des services et des opérations de soutien.

Le 28 juin 2007, le C.A. de la Bibliothèque approuvait (motion 053-07) en principe trois éléments fondamentaux devant être intégrés dans le programme détaillé de bâtiment fonctionnel pour la nouvelle bibliothèque centrale : les paramètres provisoires du projet, le programme directeur provisoire et les critères provisoires de sélection de l’emplacement idéal.

Les paramètres du projet ont été à la base du programme de bâtiment fonctionnel. Ils ont fourni les principes d’orientation sous-jacents à la désignation préliminaire détaillée de la raison d’être de la bibliothèque centrale pour la Bibliothèque publique d’Ottawa et pour la Ville d’Ottawa. Les paramètres du projet ont permis d’avoir un aperçu de cette nouvelle bibliothèque centrale, notamment une analyse stratégique, des concepts clés de planification ainsi que la désignation de treize éléments fonctionnels à intégrer dans la bibliothèque centrale.

En juin 2007, on estimait que la nouvelle bibliothèque centrale aurait une superficie de 350 000 pieds carrés bruts, y compris les espaces de location. Les normes de planification des bibliothèques centrales établissent l’espace brut requis selon un rapport de 0,45 pi²brut par habitant. Compte tenu de la géographie d’Ottawa et du réseau de bibliothèques davantage décentralisé, la firme Resource Planning Group a calculé un rapport équivalant environ aux deux tiers des normes établies, soit environ 0,27 pi² brut par habitant.

Le programme provisoire de bâtiment fonctionnel fait état d’une bibliothèque centrale de 345 600 pieds carrés bruts, y compris les espaces de location.

En outre, le Conseil approuvait en février 2007 une motion visant à examiner la possibilité de relier la nouvelle Bibliothèque centrale aux Archives de la Ville d’Ottawa. Le personnel de la Ville et de la Bibliothèque a été chargé de déterminer les possibilités d’économie et de partage des locaux dans les projets de Bibliothèque centrale et d’Archives. Par conséquent, le Conseil a approuvé des recommandations en faveur de synergies maximales entre la BPO et les Archives de la Ville :

· Dans le cadre d’une première phase, une installation d’Archives et de services techniques de la Bibliothèque;

· Au cours d’une seconde phase, une nouvelle Bibliothèque centrale offrant une présence publique des Archives.

Le 12 décembre 2007, le Conseil municipal approuvait, dans le cadre du processus budgétaire de 2008, des fonds d’immobilisations de 38,6 millions de dollars pour la conception et la construction de l’installation d’Archives et de services techniques de la Bibliothèque, d’une superficie de 81 363 pieds carrés, sur un terrain municipal du secteur Centrepointe. Le 28 mars 2008, le ministère du Renouvellement de l’infrastructure publique a annoncé que la Ville d’Ottawa recevra une subvention non renouvelable de 20 millions de dollars pour son projet d’installation d’Archives et de services techniques de la Bibliothèque. Cette subvention est offerte dans le cadre de l’Initiative d’investissement dans l’infrastructure municipale. L’installation des Archives et des services techniques de la Bibliothèque est en construction et devrait ouvrir ses portes à l’hiver 2011.

La seconde partie de l’Étude des synergies et du partage des locaux de la Bibliothèque centrale et des Archives, qui est axée sur les emplacements possibles de construction de la bibliothèque centrale, a été entreprise. Des emplacements possibles ont été désignés dans le secteur géographique délimité par le conseil d’administration et compris entre les rues Bronson, Wellington, Nicholas/Canal et Gloucester. L’acquisition de l’emplacement recommandé pour la nouvelle Bibliothèque centrale est à l’ordre du jour de la réunion du 16 juin 2009 du Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique.

III. REFERENCES

1. OPL Board, Libraries for Ottawa: Facilities Strategy (February 13, 2006). http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/archive/board/2006/060213/06017.pdf

2. Ottawa Public Library Board, Strategic Directions and Priorities 2008-2011 http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/explore/board/strategic_e.pdf

3. OPL Board, Contract for New Central Library Functional Building Program, September 11, 2006. http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/archive/board/2006/060911/06084.pdf

4. OPL Board, New Central Library Building Program Project Update, June 28, 2007. http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/archive/board/2007/070628/070628_02.pdf

5. Report to Community and Protective Services Committee, Archives/Ottawa Public Library Synergy and Co-location Opportunities, November 1, 2007. http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/cpsc/2007/11-01/ACS2007-CPS-DCM-0008.htm

6. OPL Board, Capital Projects Status Report, May 11, 2009 http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/archive/board/2009/090511/090511_7.pdf

7. Report to Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee, New Central Library Site, June 9 2009. http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2009/06-16/03%20-%20ACS2009-CMR-OCM-0005%20-%20LIBRARY.htm

IV. NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY FUNCTIONAL BUILDING PROGRAM

The Vision for the New Central Library

The 900,000 people who call Ottawa home enjoy a dynamic mix of green space and nightlife, sports and recreational facilities, schools and universities and top-level cultural institutions that reflect the bilingual and multicultural nature of the country. With so many advantages, it’s no wonder that Ottawa consistently ranks among the world’s most liveable cities.

But quality of life is not something that just ‘happens.’ It must be nurtured, helped along by visionary municipal leaders. For a city to remain dynamic and liveable, the institutions that serve its residents must adapt to changing needs and changing times.

That is why so many cities around the world have been building new public libraries. More than just repositories of knowledge, these new libraries are dynamic centres of lifelong learning that balance books and tradition with the latest technologies. They breathe life into the urban fabric by becoming inclusive meeting places that feed the very human need to connect. Architecturally inspiring, the new libraries have also become symbols of civic pride and – by their sheer functionality – drivers of community, cultural and economic development.

With its new Central Library, Ottawa will soon join a list of world cities whose leaders have recognized that a library is a necessary investment in liveability, in community, and in economic vitality.

The Context

Ottawa’s public library system was created just over a century ago. The first library building, opened in 1906 on the same site as the current Main Library, was built as a result of funding from the Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

In 1907, its first full year of operation, the library lent out 129,594 items. The library struggled to keep pace as the city expanded over the years, but by the 1960s it was clear the city had outgrown it. The original building was torn down in 1971 and a new library built in its place. The current Main Library was opened in 1974 and covers 88,651 square feet.

Ottawa has now outgrown that building as well:

· Built in the days before computers and modern technology, and before the Internet became an essential part of everyday life, the current Main Library is not equipped for the 21st century.

· Built to serve a city of 250,000 people, it is physically too small for a city with a population of 900,000.

· Built according to the standards of the early 1970s, without regard to things we now consider essential, it lacks such things as adequate safety and security features and easy accessibility for all.

· Space for the library’s collections, public use, staff, programs and services is cramped and overcrowded. With one small auditorium and one public meeting room, the building lacks places and spaces for the public to meet and gather.

· There is no room to expand, and the building cannot be upgraded in a cost-efficient manner.

Because the Main Library serves as the technological brain and physical centre of the Ottawa Public Library system, the entire network – from Cumberland to Carp to Vernon– is being held back by the Main Library’s deficiencies.

The obvious solution, if the City of Ottawa is to keep on improving service to its citizens and businesses is to build a new Central Library.

Benefits of the New Central Library

1. A new Central Library is a major civic investment. Experience all around the world shows it is an investment with a significant and measurable rate of return – economically, socially, educationally and culturally.

2. Some of the economic benefits of central libraries include:

· Cities everywhere have found economic benefits to building new libraries. Return on investment studies in the United States, for example, show that for every $1 invested in libraries, there is a $3-$6 operating return on investment to the community.

· Libraries play an important role in education. And an educated workforce is essential in a knowledge economy.

· Libraries empower entrepreneurial activities. It’s important to remember that for many small businesses, the public library is their corporate library.

· In July 2005, an economic benefits assessment of the new Seattle Public Library Central Library was published (see http://www.spl.org/pdfs/SPLCentral_Library_Economic_Impacts.pdf ). This study indicated that $16 million in net new spending in Seattle was attributed to the first year of operation of the new central library.

· Further demonstration the economic benefits of downtown central libraries located in large urban areas can be found in a report by the Urban Library Council, Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development. (see http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/1001075_stronger_cities.pdf)

3. Economic benefits of large central libraries are not limited to the city core. Branch libraries are like convenience stores – good for quick access to general information. District libraries provide an intermediate, complementary level of service. The Central Library is like a combination warehouse, head office and department store.

While serving as a community branch for downtown residents, it is the operations centre of the Ottawa Public Library system, benefiting all users wherever they live and however they access the system by supporting the circulation of materials at the district and branch libraries. It does that by sharing of its wider and deeper collection and providing specialized resources and expertise.

Construction of a new Central Library will not slow or hinder the development of community and district branches:

· The Ottawa Public Library has 33 locations.

· Since 1995, four new branches have been built.

· Another thirteen locations have been renovated or retrofitted.

· Two new branches are planned in Kanata and Greely.

· Two additional branches (Alta Vista, Vanier) will be renovated.

Every year, the OPL Board allocates a minimum of $500,000 in capital funding to maintain and renovate branches. On June 5, 2009, the Federal Infrastructure Stimulus program announced $4.725 million in funding from all three levels of government to support five library capital projects under the Cultural Infrastructure stream.

A city is a service organization, and service excellence is one its main goals. A new Central Library is a key element in improving service to residents and businesses across the city. Amalgamation has improved the scope and delivery of library services in the city. A new Central Library will improve the system even more through the sharing of its wider and deeper collection and the provision of specialized resources and services.

4. Central libraries also bring social benefits. There is a library renaissance going on in major cities around the world resulting in new central libraries and community branches. Experience elsewhere suggests building a permanent addition to the urban landscape will serve as a catalyst for significant growth and development.

In Amsterdam, for example, the duration of an average visit went from 30 minutes to 90 minutes once the new library was opened. That’s because, with the library positioned as a combination information/education/cultural centre and meeting place, people were coming for more than just books. The library has become a place to go because there is always something going on – and what was going on was appealing to a wide cross-section of people. The success of the new central library in Amsterdam demonstrated how public perception of the library has changed. Libraries are positive forces in active, healthy communities.

A new Central Library in Ottawa can be expected to do the same for our city

. It will facilitate community interaction by become a real destination in an increasingly virtual world. It will optimize access to both traditional services and new and emerging media and technology. It will be an invaluable resource for today and for future generations.

5. The Ottawa Central Library will be inclusive. It will be a multi-purpose destination, a destination for artistic and cultural activities, home to a comprehensive collection of print, electronic and audio-visual material, and a critical resource for the entire system. The Central Library will also serve the city as a cultural and learning centre.

It is also by definition an inclusive place, a place where children and families, teens, seniors, newcomers to Canada and the economically disadvantaged can meet and learn. Its inclusiveness contributes to community development. In doing so, we are helping nurture a strong and sustainable city in the future.

6. The Ottawa Central Library will be wired. It will utilize technology to its fullest in the delivery of service to the public. It will provide electronic and digital access to as many information resources as possible.

7. Every great city is distinguished by its landmarks. Ottawa, while proud of the graceful Parliament Buildings and other federal institutions, is singularly lacking in a symbol of city life – something with symbolic presence that provides a sense of civic identity where people go. A new public central library will have important symbolic value for the city. It will also have a real role in city life by serving as a gathering place and one of the primary interfaces with all levels of civic government.

New Central Library Functional Building Program Summary

1. The Functional Building Program for the new Central Library presents a full and detailed picture not what the library will look like, but how it will function, as a working building, on a day-to-day basis. This includes answers to questions such as:

· Where will the reception desks be?

· Will there be room to store strollers in the Children’s Library?

· How will the genealogy section relate to the placement of history books?

· How will daylight get into the building’s core?

· How will the building be green?

2. Functional planning work has been informed by what has happened in other cities – what worked and what didn’t. Future social and technological trends were also looked at including:

· Aging population with more time to devote to cultural and educational pursuits;

· Growth of lifelong learning;

· Greater availability of non print information;

· Emergence of the electronic book: The library anticipates its gradual assimilation into general use;

· Marked increase in leisure reading at all age levels;

· Public expectation of 24/7 access to information: Electronic systems are not time-specific;

· How information and communications technologies have transformed most aspects of the traditional library service, including information organization, storage, retrieval, processing, display and communication; and

· Increasing ubiquity of technology, and its increasing portability thanks to wireless devices.

3. The new Central Library will be a green building. The City of Ottawa is committed to sustainability. That commitment was part of the planning process.

· Design will include efforts to significantly reduce environmental impacts and long-term operating costs, while allowing for the effective deployment of human resources.

· Design will recognize that the balance between print and electronic retrieval of materials will be constantly evolving through the life of the building.

· The City of Ottawa has required that all new facilities meet or exceed the criteria for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification. The building is therefore intended to be a landmark statement of environmental responsibility.

4. Technology is a critical part of any library today and it will be an integral part of the new central library, both as a service delivery mechanism and actual services:

· In 2008, 41.7 per cent of all Ottawa Public Library use was lending of physical materials, while 37.7 per cent was electronic.

· The planning process for the new Central Library recognizes that computer technology – and particularly the Internet – continues to change the role and function of libraries. For example, information that was once difficult to find, esoteric, unique, and accessible only to experts, is now available to anyone at the click of a mouse. What has not changed, however, is the need for information – and the need for a trustworthy resource accessible to all and able to help find it.

5. To summarize, the following 13 components are included in the draft functional building program:

A. Public Spaces

· A.1 Concourse, Meeting Rooms and Ancillary Spaces

B. Library Public Services

· B.1 Welcome Centre

· B.2 Community Library

· B.3 Children’s Services

· B.4 Teen Zone

· B.5 Fiction, Newspapers and Magazines

· B.6 Technology, Communications and Digital Services

· B.7 Learning Centre A including the Languages and Literacy Centre

· B.8 Learning Centre B including the Business and Careers Centre

· B.9 Learning Centre C including the Local History and Genealogy Centre

C. City of Ottawa

· Heritage Gateway

D. Library Support Services

· D. 1 Library Administration

· D.2 Materials Handling and Operations

· Leasable Space

A brief description of each component follows:

A.1 Concourse, Meeting Rooms, and Ancillary Services contains a large public concourse and atrium, formal meeting and presentation spaces, a 300-seat lecture style auditorium with stage, and Friends of the Library used bookshop, as well as privately operated services that augment the services of the Library.

B.1 Welcome Centre is the main public entrance and exit from the Library. The Welcome Centre provides self-service technologies, Borrower Services, an information desk and an orientation centre supporting new users, group tours and newcomers to Canada.

B.2 Community Library is the downtown neighbourhood branch contained within the Library. The Community Library features popular materials displayed in bookstore shelving, a reading amphitheatre, and an assistive services centre for persons with disabilities.

B.3 Children’s Services is a library within the Library for children from birth to age twelve, their parents and caregivers. The children’s area will have services, exhibits, collections and programs designed for each age group.

B.4 Teen Zone provides offers resources, spaces, technology and programs for teens aged 13 to 18. The Teen Zone will have educational, social and cultural spaces for teens.

B.5 Fiction, Newspapers and Magazines contains the largest fiction collection in the Library system plus newspapers and magazines in traditional and digital formats. A special feature will be the World News Centre that will support users updating their knowledge of the world and world events.

B.6 Technology, Communications and Digital Services is the brain of Ottawa’s entire public library system. It provides and supports e-services to all the branches and connects users at home to online information. A large information commons and a public computer-training lab will be included in this component.

B.7 Learning Centre A: Languages and Literacy Centre focuses on non-fiction, on reference material, on learning and on languages and literacy training. Collections in world languages will be here as well as the Language and Literacy Centre that includes a language learning lab.

B.8 Learning Centre B: Business and Careers Centre is a continuation of the non-fiction collection, and includes the Business and Careers Centre that will combine career information with small business support, planning and management. All of the Learning Centre components will offer extensive public study and meeting space.

B.9 Learning Centre C: Local History and Genealogy Centre includes the final section of the non-fiction collection plus the Local History and Genealogy Centre. The Carnegie Lounge, a recreation and relaxation space designed with seniors in mind is in this component.

C.1 Heritage Gateway contains a unique gallery and multi-purpose space featuring permanent and temporary exhibits and cultural events that showcase the history, geography and community profile of the City of Ottawa.

D.1 Library Administration contains workspaces and public meeting spaces for the Library administration, the Ottawa Public Library Board, and the Ottawa Public Library Foundation.

D.2 Materials Handling and Operations will support the movement of materials in and out of the building with automated materials handling systems. Facility operations and maintenance required to support the library are included here.

Leasable Space includes expansion space for Library activities beyond the 25-year planning horizon of the Functional Building Program planning study. On an interim basis, this space will support non-library functions, including revenue-generating activities.

6. The functional components have been arranged into a logical order, with functions attracting larger numbers of people closest to the entrance. It is also designed so that the noisiest and busiest areas are grouped together near the entrance, making it easier for researchers and students elsewhere to find quiet areas in which to work. The functional layout also provides extended hours of access to the auditorium and meeting room spaces from the concourse. An attempt has also been made to strengthen the connections between staff and the citizens they serve.

7. The draft functional building program details a new central library of 345,600 gross square feet including leasable space. Leasable space is included in the functional program to provide efficient and economical future expansion space for the Library if needed. A summary of the functional building program by square footage is provided below in Table 1.

Table 1: New Central Library Functional Program Space Summary

Component	Functional Program
	Net Sq Ft	Gross Sq Ft
A. PUBLIC SPACES
A1. Concourse, Meeting Rooms and Ancillary Spaces	35,740	41,101
Public Spaces Sub-total	35,740	41,101
B. LIBRARY PUBLIC SERVICES
B1. Welcome Centre	10,648	12,245
B2. Community Library	16,798	19,318
B3. Children’s Services	16,470	18,940
B4. Teen Zone	7,372	8,478
B5. Fiction, Newspapers and Magazines	22,706	26,110
B6. Technology, Communications and Digital Services	22,048	25,355
B7. Learning Centre A: Languages and Literacy Centre	21,595	24,835
B8. Learning Centre B: Business and Careers Centre	16,898	19,433
B9. Learning Centre C: Local History and Genealogy Centre	21,400	24,610
Library Public Services Sub-total	155,935	179,324
C. CITY OF OTTAWA
C1. Heritage Gateway	18,130	19,943
City of Ottawa Sub-total	18,130	19,943
D. LIBRARY SUPPORT SERVICES
D1. Library Administration	9,102	10,012
D2. Materials Handling and Operations	13,580	15,617
Library Support Services Sub-total	22,682	25,629
Grand Total Library	232,487	265,997
Leasable Space	20,000	22,000
	-	-
Total Component Gross Area	252,487	287,997
GRAND TOTAL		345,600

8. It is important to remember that the Functional Building Program is meant as a general guide to what might be, not a definitive statement of what a new Central Library will look like. It is not the design. It is a vision of the future facility, built on an informed understanding of what is required. It is meant to provide the City and the Ottawa Public Library Board with a detailed and comprehensive body of information on which to base civic planning and budgeting initiatives.

9. The functional building program is a living document which will continue to evolve as the new building gets closer to reality.

10. The full draft Functional Building Program has been distributed to all members of the Library Board. Technical briefings on the building program have been offered to all Board members by Library staff. Because of the length of the draft building program, it has not been appended to this report but is available on the Library website at http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/explore/board/board_e.html . The Executive Summaries of the Central Library Project Parameters (Appendix 1) and Functional Program (Appendix 2) are attached.

11. Andrew Brown, Project Manager, RPG will present the draft Functional Building Program to the Board on June 15^th.

V. BACKGROUND

New Central Library

1. Planning for a new central library was identified as a priority by the Library Board (2001-2003) in the first year of the new Ottawa Public Library. In 2001, the first vision was outlined and the Library Board started working towards a new central library. Project planning advanced and, as a result, in 2006, a new central library was included in the City of Ottawa’s Long Range Financial Plan III as an unfunded project with an anticipated opening date in 2015.

2. The Libraries for Ottawa: Facilities Strategy was first approved by the Board in February 2006. Development of a new Central Library is one of three key streams of the strategy. The other two streams provide for the renewal and expansion of current facilities and development of new branches in growth areas.

3. This strategy was reconfirmed and included in the Board’s Strategic Directions and Priorities 2008-2011 which has five key strategies:

A. Provide Responsive Services

B. Build Partnerships for Accessible and Efficient Service

C. Improve our Places and Spaces which includes the key priorities:

· Care for what we have – Implement upgrades and improvements in existing branches; and

· Build community, fill the “holes” – Develop new branches to support growth and address service gaps)

D. Build the New Central Library

E. Be an Accountable and Innovative Organization

Functional Building Program Development

1. In September 2006, the Library Board approved the awarding of a contract to the Resource Planning Group (RPG) for the development of a detailed functional building program for the new central library. A functional program is not a design for a new building but it identifies the type and size of the components required to provide services and support operations.

The Resource Planning Group is a Vancouver and Toronto based company; Resource Planning Group (RPG) is a leading facilities planning firm in the health care, college and university, library, research laboratory and justice sectors, was amended to undertake the work. As noted, one of the company’s areas of specialization is the development of functional building programs for large central public libraries. This includes the Vancouver Public Library, the major renovation of the Winnipeg Public Library, the Salt Lake City Public Library and the Seattle Public Library. Central libraries for which they have completed functional building programs have won awards from both the American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association.

Development of the program began in October 2006. RPG developed the building program with leadership and direction from the Library’s Project Steering Committee (including Library and City staff), Library managers and the Board’s Facilities Planning Committee (from 2001-2008 known as the New Central Library Board Committee).

2. On June 28, 2007, the Library Board approved (Motion 053-07) in principle three key elements for incorporation into the New Central Library Detailed Functional Program:

· Draft Project Parameters

· Draft Master Program

· Draft Ideal Site Selection Criteria

For the complete report, see OPL Board, New Central Library Building Program Project Update, http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/archive/board/2007/070628/070628_02.pdf .

3. The Project Parameters were the foundation for the Functional Program. They provided the direction and guiding principles that informed development of the first detailed identification of what the new Central Library will be for the Ottawa Public Library and the City of Ottawa. The Project Parameters presented an overview of the proposed new Central Library including a strategic rationale and key planning concepts plus the identification of the following functional components for inclusion in the central library:

A. Community Forum

· A.1 Concourse and Meeting Spaces

B. Library Services

· B.1 Welcome Centre

· B.2 Popular and Browsing Library

· B.3 Children’s Services

· B.4 Teen Services

· B.5 Fiction, Newspapers and Magazines

· B.6 Media and Technology Centre

· B.7 Non-Fiction A including the Languages and Literacy Centre

· B.8 Non-Fiction B including the Business and Careers Centre

· B.9 Non-Fiction C including the Local History and Genealogy Centre

C. Support Services

· C. 1 Administration

· C.2 Technical Services and Collection Development

· C.3 Materials Distribution Centre

· C.4 Operations and Maintenance

D. Ancillary Space

· D.1 Leasable Space

City of Ottawa Archives/Ottawa Public Library Synergy and Co-location Opportunities

On February 23, 2007, Council approved a motion to investigate possible linkages between the New Central Library and City of Ottawa Archives. City and Library staff were directed to identify opportunities for cost savings and consider site co-location opportunities associated with the Central Library and Archives projects and report back to Committee within six months in order to consider the implications as part of the 2008 budget process.

In response to this motion, the existing Library contract with the Resource Planning Group (RPG) was amended to undertake the work.

1. A functional building program was developed for a new City of Ottawa Central Archives facility.

2. A City of Ottawa Central Library and Archives Synergy and Co-location Study was completed in two parts.

3. Part 1 of the Synergy and Co-location Study was completed in Fall 2008 and focussed on potential synergies between the Archives and the Library. The Study was used to support recommendations in The Archives/Ottawa Public Library Synergy and Co-location Opportunities report that was approved by the Community and Protective Services Committee on November 1, 2007 and by Council on November 14. The full report is available at http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/cpsc/2007/11-01/ACS2007-CPS-DCM-0008.htm.

4. The recommended option that was approved by Council (Motion 24/11, November 14, 2007) maximizes synergies between the Ottawa Public Library and City Archives through a first phase Archives and Library Technical Facility (81,363 square feet), and a second phase new Central Library incorporating an Archives public presence (Heritage Gateway).

5. On December 12, 2007, City Council approved, as part of the 2008 budget process, $38.6 million in capital funding for the completion of the design and construction of the 81,363 square foot Archives and Library Technical Facility on city-owned land in the Centrepointe area. On March 28, 2008, the Ontario Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal announced that the City of Ottawa would receive a one-time grant of $20 million for the Central Archives and Ottawa Library Technical Services Facility project. This grant is through the Ontario Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative (MIII) program.

6. The Archives and Library Technical Facility is presently under construction with an anticipated opening date in Winter 2011.

7. Adjustments to the New Central Library draft functional building program were required in response to Council’s approval of Phase 1 of the synergy and co-location opportunities. This resulted in:

· Removal of the Technical Services and Collection Development from the Central Library draft functional program

· Removal of the Materials Distribution Centre from the Central Library draft functional program

· Addition of City Archives public services space - a City of Ottawa Heritage Gateway - in the Central Library functional building program,.

8. Part 2 of the Central Library and Archives Synergy and Co-location Study focussing on possible sites for the central library was undertaken. Possible sites were identified within the Board designated geographic area bounded by Bronson, Wellington, Nicholas/Canal and Gloucester streets.

9. Site investigation and analysis was completed in the spring of 2008. On May 12, 2008, the Board approved an in-camera motion that the recommended site for the new central library be approved and that Council be requested to acquire the site. Preliminary actions to acquire the site were undertaken in the summer and early fall of 2008, including Board identification of a $25 million pressure in the draft 2009 capital budget for site acquisition.

In October 2008, as part of the 2009 budget development process strategy, the Board approved a motion to reschedule the request for capital funds for site acquisition to coincide with receipt of the functional building program.

10. Recommendations from the Library Board and the City Manager regarding acquisition of the site for the new Central Library is on the agenda of the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee meeting of June 16, 2009. The report is available at http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2009/06-16/03%20-%20ACS2009-CMR-OCM-0005%20-%20LIBRARY.htm /

VI. NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY – A VIRTUAL TOUR

What follows is a virtual tour of the new Central Library as outlined in the draft functional building program. The sections in italics represent the view of an imaginary first-time visitor to the new central library several years from now, after the library has been built – this text is interspersed with summaries of the functional building program by component.

Overview

It is some time in the near future. You are walking along a street in downtown Ottawa, on your way to visit the newly built Central Library. The day is clear and bright, and there’s a spring in your step. There’s been a lot of buzz since the library opened – buzz about the beautiful new urban landmark for Ottawa, buzz too about how it has already become a gathering place, a focal point in the downtown core.

You haven’t been to the new library yet, and you eagerly anticipate this voyage of discovery. You want to find out about the building – what it contains, how it works. You could have come by car and parked in the library’s underground lot. You could have come by bicycle, too, and parked in the library’s bike parking zone. Or you could have come by transit. But you are approaching on foot, the way most people will. After all, the new library is in the heart of downtown – an area full of pedestrian traffic, especially in the busy daytime office hours.

You round a corner – and there it is. The buzz was right; it is indeed a beautiful building, solid and impressive, yet light, open and inviting. You are surprised by how well you can see the building. It is set back from the street, separated from the traffic and the sidewalk by a spacious urban plaza. This distance makes it easier for you to take it all in. The plaza also gives the library presence. You realize that this is a building designed to be noticed – and admired.

The exterior plaza in front of the building is full of people. A few public servants on break are reading in the shade of a couple of trees. Over in one corner, a busker is entertaining a small group with juggling tricks. You see a group of seniors about to walk in, and a high-energy group of school-children leaving with backpacks full of books.

You see a pond in the plaza and recall hearing that in winter, it will become a skating rink. You see sculptures – one of them a dynamic work of art moving in the wind – and imagine how dramatic the plaza would look at night, all lit up. You immediately get the feeling that this plaza is a space that calls out to people, that makes them want to linger.

You take a quick glance up. The building before you has two independent but linked sections: Further back from the street is a taller building. The library has eight levels, including the ground floor. Directly on the plaza is a lower building of only four stories. Both buildings have generous windows and terraces that make them seem open and as inviting as the plaza. You can’t see them from here, but there are also three levels below grade, and an atrium and concourse linking the four-storey front building with the eight-storey main building. You stride across the exterior plaza toward the entrance. Your tour is about to begin.

Level 1

1. - Concourse, Meeting Spaces and Ancillary Services

The new Central Library is designed to have several functions. In addition to its role as a provider of information to residents across the city, it is a community gathering place, with meeting rooms, an auditorium, retail space and designated venues for receptions. The functions that draw the largest number of people, as well as public gathering spaces, are grouped closest to the library’s entrance.

You discover, as you enter from the plaza, that you have not quite arrived at the library itself. Rather, you have gone through an entranceway into spacious interior concourse and atrium – a large and airy entryway that encompasses the space between the four-storey front building and the eight-storey library proper. The atrium and concourse area is beautiful – soaring, airy and inspiring. Rising four storeys and crossed by footbridges, it is a multi-windowed space full of light. You discover that it opens onto two side streets. Foot traffic into the building is coming from three directions.

The height of the ceiling and several other features, like the lush green plants, , the café tables and the casual seating, make it an attractive and inviting space. This is particularly important given Ottawa’s changeable weather.

It’s nice outside today, but you feel certain that if the weather were bad, many of those people you saw outside would gravitate here. At any rate, the concourse you are in today is a busy place, with people going to both the library and to the other services found here.

From the concourse there is access to meeting spaces and services connected to – but not necessarily part of – the library. For example, to the left of the entranceway is the entrance to a 300-seat auditorium that functions as a mini conference centre.

Your neighbour went to a lecture here last week and reported being impressed with the room. You see stairs, and signs pointing to meeting rooms and parking space below, as well as the new underground transit station.

Occupying similar space to the right is a retail area. The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library has a store here, right next to the Library Shop. And behind them are food services and some other retail outlets.

You think for a second about going for coffee, but decide you can grab one on the way out. You want to get on with your exploration. The main doors are in front of you. They are open. That means the library is open. You take a deep breath and walk in.

2 - Welcome Centre

The atrium and concourse form the gateway to the library proper. As visitors cross the threshold from the concourse, they find themselves in the new library’s lobby, a spacious area open to above. Though the lobby is a busy place, it is designed to give an intuitive sense of how things flow. To the left are Borrowers’ Services and a security desk. To the right, an information kiosk and orientation centre. The elevators and stairways that lead to other floors are clearly visible. There is no guesswork in orienting oneself. Visible signage provides direction – here and all through the building. At the entrance, one sign directs people looking for general information to the Welcome Centre. Another directs visitors to a Cards and Accounts service that handles problems with library cards and customer accounts.

The signs, you note, are in both English and French and give equal prominence to both languages – reflecting the fact that the Ottawa Public Library is the biggest bilingual French-English library system in North America. And you note that some of the information is given on video screens rather than on standard signs. The library must be up on the latest technology, you think.

At the Welcome Centre, you get a brochure that gives you the layout of the floors, with services available on each. You decide to explore on your own. From what you’ve seen of the layout, the signage and the general openness of the building, you expect exploring on your own will not be a problem. Your first stop is the Community Library, clearly visible on the ground level just beyond the entrance.

3 - Community Library

The Community Library is basically the library branch that serves the downtown community. Located on the ground floor, immediately behind the main lobby, it is laid out in a U shape. In the centre – in the middle of the U – is an information commons, with a service desk. This is the Community Library’s nerve centre.

Around the Information Commons, on three sides in another U configuration, are stacks of books. The stacks are arranged in bookstore-type displays of various heights and configurations designed to maximize browsing. The stacks are not up against the walls, but freestanding and occupying space toward the middle of the room. The walls themselves are lined with open areas for reading – and large windows that let in light. The room has an airy feel; that’s because part of the ceiling is open to the level above.

The room at the back of the Community Library intrigues you. Is that a fireplace you see? It is! You go in and discover a reading amphitheatre with a hearth and fireplace at its heart. “It’s like the den at home,” you think, as you notice people sitting on benches and even on the floor, reading in a relaxed atmosphere. Some of them are using laptops. You deduce, correctly, that the building offers wireless Internet access.

The whole atmosphere of the Community Library is relaxed and casual. Yet you see people operating at various speeds. You recognize a former colleague from work – a Type A personality if ever there was one – going through the stacks and self-serve checkout at warp speed. He quickly scans a display of new books, picks one, and is gone. Readers who are deep into their reading barely notice him.

You see displays, and notice a digital sign announcing that a popular author will be doing a reading here next week; you make a mental note to attend. You see library staff coming and going, and wonder where they are headed. You look at your library guide and discover that assistive services for people with special needs are located here. You also notice that many staff are carrying handheld wireless devices, and wonder what they are for. You ask one of the staff members you see walking by. She takes a minute to explain to you the devices are a way for staff to provide continuous customer service without having to remain at a desk. You have heard that the new Central Library is built to handle up to 10,000 visitors a day – 7,500 people more each day than the old building. Strangely, though, even you see many people around, you don’t feel crowded. They must have handled the planning process well, you think.

Level 2

4 - Children’s Services

You have fond memories of the library as a child. How many times did you insist your grandfather read you Green Eggs and Ham? If he got tired of it, you never noticed. You wonder what the children’s area looks like today. Your curiosity leads you to the Children’s Services, on the second floor. It is, you discover, a library within a library.

The transition area to the Children’s Services has been built to create a sense of excitement, of entering a special and enchanted place. To get from the elevators to the Information Commons, visitors cross over a bridge that looks safely down onto the Community Library below. There are similar views from other parts of the children’s section. The entranceway is decorated with strong graphic images from classical children’s fiction, and similar imaginative features and graphics are found all over the place.

Ceiling heights vary considerably and add to a sense of exploration: When the ceiling is high, it creates visual excitement and supports large displays that add character and life to the Children’s Services. Areas with low ceilings, by contrast, feel safe and snug. Part of the floor is open to the Community Library below. Because of that open area, the children’s section is visible from the library entrance down below, making it easy for library users to get oriented.

You can quickly see what fun the Children’s Library must be for children of all ages, with its displays and activity areas. You notice that they interest you, too; there must be a deliberate attempt to attract parents and caregivers as well as kids! You also notice how services have been designed so children of all ages and sizes feel comfortable approaching staff, and how activities are organized by level of activity and amount of noise, not necessarily by the age of the participants.

The children’s area has the widest range of capabilities in the library. This is perhaps not surprising, considering the different abilities of the users. There’s a preschool area with board books; fiction, non-fiction and easy reading books for kids who have just learned to read for themselves, and a tween area for slightly older kids with more skills and broader interests.

There are exhibits, displays, manipulatives, discovery stations and community events, all directed at children. English and French displays have equal prominence, as befits a bilingual library.

There are program activities here too, also directed at all ages: baby time, toddler time, family story time – as well as early literacy programs, arts, crafts, cultural programs, for lectures, and a story room for storytelling with a heated carpeted floor.

5 - City of Ottawa Heritage Gateway

Also on Level 2, but on the other side of the atrium from the Children’s Services, is the Heritage Gateway – a completely new space and function for the City of Ottawa.

Located in the front of the building, it occupies the entire area above the auditorium, retail services and entranceway. Location on the second floor makes it easily accessible – and visible – to casual visitors and non library users. Location across the atrium from the Children’s Library makes the heritage area particularly attractive to children.

What a bright and airy space, you think! So much natural light! You realize that the Heritage Gateway seems very accessible, located as it is at the front of the building and being visible from the plaza and street, as well as the atrium and the library. You also comment to yourself on how the design of the space seems somehow fitting– timeless and memorable is how you’d describe it. You wonder what it contains.

The City of Ottawa Heritage Gateway is a new and unique space: A dynamic combination of archive, museum, discovery laboratory, entertainment centre, think tank and ongoing city planning forum, it is operated as a cultural service by the City of Ottawa, with an administration independent from the library. It is located in the library to take advantage of the critical mass of activity generated by the building.

The City of Ottawa has a number of local museums that are either focused on one individual and his or her community, or a specific period in time, or one geographic district. But no program is mandated to collect, preserve, study and interpret artefacts and information pertaining to the history of the city as a whole. Nor do any museums incorporate elements after the Second World War and the arrival of recent immigrants.

This Heritage Gateway will be mandated to do just that: preserve, present and promote a comprehensive history of Ottawa. Though focused on the past, it will also play a role in discussions about the development of Ottawa as a city, including a vision of what it might become in the future.

This unique civic function complements the library’s civic leadership role in building and maintaining community self-awareness, providing a notable community gathering place, and maintaining a repository of community history. Permanent exhibits combine with temporary exhibits and exploratory and participatory programs to create an immersive experience for the visitor. A visit here is not a passive experience.

You make a mental note to come back to the Heritage Gateway when you have more time to explore.

Level 3

6 - Teen Zone

Directly above the Heritage Gateway, and in the four-storey front building, is the Teen Zone, one of several completely new services being offered in the new Central Library. Its location at the front means it is a bit off on its own. Main access is via a footbridge that crosses the open atrium. Parts of the floor are open to below, creating a feeling of lightness – and apartness.

You realize as you cross the footbridge and enter the Teen Zone that it feels very much like teens have a room of their own in the library. You almost expect to find a sign saying ‘Keep Out.’

The Teen Zone is the noisiest part of the library, and its physical separation from the main core of the building is one element of noise control. Another is the use of good soundproofing – particularly in the study room where the teens are playing their own music. The Teen Zone is a laboratory for adolescent self-expression, and here there are plenty of opportunities to express themselves, starting with the Black Box Innovations Space that forms the core of the area, and a hot topics display for non-fiction.

You see an announcement for an open mike night. You wonder what kind of music they’ll be playing – or whether it’ll be music at all. You realize teens must feel comfortable here: You see displays of their artwork, and announcements for creative writing courses, book discussions groups and music programs. Looking around, you see many kids sprawled out reading, socializing and even gaming – essentially multitasking the way teens do.

The design of the Teen Zone is stimulating and graphically appealing to young adults. The decor has been created to be easily changed and adapted to new fashions. Furniture, too, is easily moved and modified. There is a strong sense of the informal – particularly in the way the teens can approach staff – as well as a feeling of autonomy, comfort, flexibility and safety.

The Teen Zone feels nothing like the Children’s Library – and that’s good, because your 15-year-old niece flatly refuses to have anything to do with kid’s stuff. She also can’t stand anything that looks contrived, and you conclude she would feel at ease here.

The collection here includes many paperbacks and books on CD. It also offers extensive electronic access. It’s no coincidence that the teen area is located next to technology zone: Teens are early adopters of new technology, and can easily stroll over for information.

7 - Technology, Communications and Digital Services

The Technology, Communications and Digital Services section is the brain of Ottawa’s entire public library system. It is the core that provides and supports e-services to all the branches, and connects users at home to the Ottawa Public Library system and through it, in real time, to global information resources. It occupies all of Level Three in the main building.

From the elevators, the visitor enters a Central Information Commons and a media collection area. Behind the elevators, on either side, are closed rooms – one for training, one for meetings. At the back of building are more rooms, including a testing lab, a digitalization lab, an emerging technology lab, a digital design centre and video control centre.

Though projects based on information accessed via computer can be completed in adjacent workspace, this is not a space for reading. This is a work area, the 24/7 nerve centre of the system-wide library computer systems.

You see displays and announcements for programs that offer learning sessions for the public on emerging hardware and software technologies, testing of web applications and podcasts. You see other announcements for public training programs involving computer applications. Finally, you think, a place where you can come to learn about some of the exciting new technology you keep hearing about!

Here, there is access to a central information commons where IT applications, the Internet and reference services converge. This is where the Central Library’s audiovisual collection is stored and displayed. Support for technologies located elsewhere, including the televisions in World News Centre, the building’s wired and wireless capabilities, and the Teen Zone gaming and black box areas, is centralized here.

You notice that monitors and other equipment are not embedded in furniture. That will make it easier to evolve with changing technology.

The emphasis on technology underscores several key concepts in the Central Library. It must plan for both print and digital information, it must blend technology and human interaction, and it must create a central point in the city for technology. Technology is also part and parcel of the Library’s desire to reach out to teens.

The library provides staff and clients with access to the resources of the Internet, in addition to physical reference collections. As the web becomes ubiquitous to the point where it is the most familiar interface for the public, the Library will develop the virtual branch to extend library services and programs to users in their homes.

You’ve heard that since the new Central Library opened, service to the entire system across the city has improved. You figure a good part of the reason for that improvement must lie in this part of the building.

Level 4

8 - Fiction, Newspapers and Magazines

The first thing you notice about Level 4 is how it feels more like a library than what you’ve seen so far. Even so, you decide it’s a modernized library – one for the 21st century, in which technology complements and supplements the printed word in a variety of ways. When you get off the elevator, you see signs pointing to something called the World News Centre. It looks intriguing – you decided to check it out first. You discover it’s an enclosed media room full of TVs tuned to channels from around the world and providing real-time access to TV broadcasts from multiple global locations. The room is full of people of all backgrounds – including a large number of newcomers to Canada – watching news shows not otherwise available.

The rest of the services are in the other direction, toward the core of the building. Again, an Information Commons sits at the centre of everything, very visible and easy to find. And again, bookshelves are positioned in a rough U shape in the centre of the floor, leaving the area along two walls for casual seating, individual tables, and windows.

Level 4 is a popular destination. There are many people here today, browsing, researching, and updating their knowledge of the world and world events. There are many adults, but also schoolchildren and teens doing homework projects about current events. Some are in the magazines and newspapers section, which occupies space off to one side. Some 40 newspapers and 350 magazines are available for reading, on study layout tables or lounge seating. The Fiction Collection is on the opposite side of the building from the periodicals. This area is a celebration of the book.

It’s impressive to see so many works of fiction in one place – and so many people browsing, reading. You remember the year you had joined a book club – how enjoyable it was to meet your friends and discuss the books you were reading – and notice that there are signs saying book clubs meet here. You see a collection of audio books, and it occurs to you that these days, there’s more than one way to enjoy a good book. And you realize, when you see a digital display announcing future readings by authors, why this part of the building is so popular. You notice that here, as all through the Library, are garbage stations that incorporate major recycling components. Obviously they have planned this out well, you think. You notice that lighting has been designed to emphasize and define the central zone of space and activity and the two collection areas. Tables and workstations oriented to print materials have task lighting. As you move toward the back of the floor, you discover another den-like reading area. Here, Library users read next to a cozy gas fireplace. The reading area is flanked by two meeting rooms; one of them, you notice, is for use by book clubs.

There are views in and out; the books are not all lined up against the outside wall. The stacks, you notice, are oriented so they do not form barriers or obstruct sight lines. Their mass is softened by lower stacks on the edges, and seating in the centre and along the periphery. In the fiction section there are topical displays on tables, and a good proportion of bookstore-type shelving. You get the feeling you’d like to linger and just browse.

You read somewhere that the quality of staff space is critically important to the overall efficiency of a library operation. Given the quality of what you’ve seen so far, you anticipate that the staff quarters must be of equal calibre. You find out that the staff members are pleased with their work and rest zones.

Level 5

9 - Learning Centre, Non-Fiction A, Language and Literacy Centre

Level 5, like Level 4, focuses on non-fiction, on reference material, on learning – and on languages and literacy training. This is the home of general reference books, as well as books on self-help, social studies, philosophy, religion, computers, the environment, education and language.

By now, the U-shaped layout is familiar. On Level 5, as on most other floors, the path from the elevator lobby leads, if you go toward the core of the building, to an information commons. Around that, in a U shape, are stacks, and to the back are meeting and study rooms.

Again, the stacks are away from the walls, leaving wall surfaces for display. Nevertheless, all stack space is within three metres of a table to make it easier for users to browse through material. The collections for newcomers to Canada are off to one side. In addition to collections of reading material in languages other than English and French, Level 5 is home to the Library’s Languages and Literacy Centre, which includes a lab for individual language learning activities.

You notice that many of the users here today seem to be new arrivals to Canada. They must be taking advantage of the language labs. You see more meeting rooms toward the back of the building, as well as group study tables. And two walls are lined with individual study tables. Electrical outlets, you notice, are ubiquitous – a good thing, since many people here today are taking notes on their laptops. You realize that everything is easily visible; there are no hidden collections. Overall, you can see that the floor is designed to encourage exploration, collaboration, discussion, experiential learning, while providing oases of solitude for reflection and individual study.

This is the first level that stands alone, without a connection to the front section of the building, since the front section is much lower than the building core. At the front of the building, an outdoor terrace looks down on the roof garden and the urban plaza.

Level 6

10 - Learning Centre, Non-Fiction B, Business and Careers Section

Level 6 is another high-traffic area, but it has a very different clientele from the other floors. Here are books and information on science and mathematics, health and medicine, home and garden, and engineering and manufacturing. The floor also includes a service centre for business and careers that combines career information with small business support, planning and management. This combination makes the floor one of the main research/information destinations in the library.

In most ways, the layout is similar to the floor below, with a central information commons and stacks in a U formation in the core of the building. There are tables along two outer walls, and study and meeting rooms in the back. At the front there are more meeting rooms, as well as computer labs and open seating areas.

The business support area has displays of material and resources, storage, display and access to business, jobs and commerce collection materials.

You see a lot of people in business attire. Some are doing research, others are using facilities than include copiers, scanners and a phone kiosk. You notice announcements for courses teaching upgraded computer skills, and others for seminars on résumé writing. It occurs to you

that this part of the building is a great resource for people who are looking for jobs. You remind yourself to tell your cousin, the one who recently lost a job, about this place.

Users here can be newcomers to the city, or business people, or people looking for a major change involving a shift in careers or starting a new business. As a result, they are motivated, focused and interested in tangible results. Staff is on hand to provide ongoing assistance.

For many small businesses, this is their primary research library.

One thing that strikes you as you explore the building is the ubiquitous presence of daylight inside. It comes from the windows but also from skylights and open areas in each floor and ceiling that allow daylight to flow in easily. You also notice how the interior has been designed with an eye to flexibility. There are no permanent partitions, and both walls and furniture can be moved easily. Overall, you realize the library is a visually stimulating space to explore. Somehow, the layout and design pique your curiosity, drawing you in. You have often been hearing yourself saying: “I wonder what’s over there?” You are surprised by ever-changing points of view and perspectives. Sometimes you find snug corners that create the impression you are in a calm and cozy space, at other times you are stunned by the drama of what you see – the views to outside, or through the full sweep of the atrium, or how in some places you can see many different parts of the library at once. Yet somehow, you realize that traffic patterns in the building have been planned to ensure that movement does not interfere with environments for reading, meeting and technical activities.

Level 7

11 - Learning Centre, Non-Fiction C, Local History and Genealogy Centre

The layout is intuitive by now: From the elevators, visitors go towards the Information Commons in the core of the building. Stacks are in a U shape around the commons, with tables along two outside walls. The far back of this floor is largely open, and features a non-fiction collection area. The open area is flanked by group tables and closed meeting rooms that can also serve as study areas. But though the layout is familiar, the feel of Level 7 is different yet again. Here are found books on art and architecture, music and theatre, general history, travel and geography, as well as sports, literature and biographies. Here, too, is the Local History and Genealogy Centre.

Somehow, this floor feels more formal. It must be the decor – you see more wood mouldings and other design elements that create a more traditional look. You decide that is very appropriate, given that history and genealogy are a main focus here. You realize that this traditional, historical approach is used right from the entrance, which is a gateway collage of images that reflect the content of the collection and in particular local historical elements. You feel the balance is just right: formal enough to convey a sense of gravitas and history, but not intimidating. You would feel comfortable coming here.

Activities here have a strong focus on individual and group learning, including personalized consultations with staff and tutorials related to research skills, travel, genealogy and building histories. There is comfortable seating with layout space and very good light, and recognition of the fact that may of the users are older people doing historical research.

You wonder how The Local History and Genealogy Centre differs from the Heritage Gateway you saw earlier on. You ask, and are told that the Heritage Gateway is akin to a museum, with displays and services dedicated to the City of Ottawa’s past and – to some degree – its future. The Local History and Genealogy Centre, on the other hand, is geared toward research and researchers.

The most striking characteristic of this floor, after the Local History and Genealogy Centre, is the Carnegie Lounge, a recreation and relaxation space at the front of the building. Designed along traditional lines, and with seniors in mind, it is a dignified, formal space, branding the library as a

focal point for local historical research. Positioned on a formal axis of approach from the arrival area, it features oversize double doors, a view of the city, and an outdoor terrace accessible via French doors that look down on the roof garden and the urban plaza.

When you enter the Carnegie Lounge, you realize that it’s quiet – and it hits you that quiet spots in the library are an exception. Since it attracts so many people of all ages and backgrounds, the new Central Library is very much an active social space rather than an artificially quiet sanctuary.

In the Carnegie Lounge you see lovely artwork, and you remember that a city by-law provides for the allocation of one per cent of construction costs for public art. You ask about the City Archives. You are told that the City Archives are in another building in Centrepointe, sharing space with some of the library’s technical services. It is an efficient arrangement for both services.

Level 8

12 - Library Administration and Leasable Future Expansion Space

The top floor is mostly used for library administration. However, it will also be the venue for a number of civic functions, including board meetings and receptions that involve members of the public. Only the front part of the building is occupied at first; most of the floor space is available to be leased until the library needs to expand. Level 8 includes a Civic Suite that has been designed as a suitably formal space reflecting the professionalism and dignity appropriate to a prestigious public institution. It includes a display of materials related to the library’s history.

As you explore the Civic Suite, you discover that it includes an outdoor terrace that looks down on the roof garden and the urban plaza. You imagine yourself – or the Mayor - showing off the city to visitors from here. The view is splendid. You would certainly be proud to show it off – and to show off the new library, too!

Lower levels

13 – Materials Handling and Operations

The lower levels of most buildings are about functionality. At the new Central Library, there will be three distinct lower levels, each with a distinct function. The lowest level provides a connection to future below-ground transit, including a transit station that will contribute to the popularity of the library as a destination. The middle level functions as a parking garage.

The first lower level has a public portion that includes several meeting rooms (in addition to meeting rooms throughout the building) and the auditorium, and a working portion that includes Materials Handling and Operations. This is the ‘guts’ of the building, where shipping and receiving take place, where materials are sorted, and where building operations and maintenance facilities are located. Even here, technology is at work: New RFID (radio frequency identification) technology will automatically check in materials when they are returned and route them to the right location. You quickly realize that the meeting rooms are flexible, with moveable walls. Yet you also realize that you can’t hear what’s going on next door. Good soundproofing, you think. You also realize that, even though you are exploring what is essentially a technical facility, it still feels welcoming.

As you leave, you realize how well the building functions and how it draws you in: Its components relate well to each other, and the building as a whole relates well to the downtown neighbourhood. You want to come back when you have more time – not to explore, but to begin taking advantage of everything the new Central Library has to offer.

VII. CONSULTATION

Some key stakeholder groups that have been engaged during the development of the functional building program for the new Central Library and/or the review of synergy and co-location opportunities between the new Central Library and the Central Archives include:

a) Ottawa Public Library Board

b) New Central Library Board Committee/Facilities Planning Committee

c) Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

d) Ottawa Public Library Foundation

e) Central Archives Relocation Committee

a) Ottawa Public Library Board

The OPL Board consists of fourteen trustees including six councillors and eight members of the public. The Board participated in the development of the functional building program by providing direction, making decisions and approving recommendations from the new Central Library Board Committee and staff relating to the central library and archives projects and overall planning work for the new Central Library.

Several briefings were provided by the Resource Planning Group’s Project Manager to all of these stakeholder groups.

On June 28, 2007, the Library Board approved (Motion 053-07) in principle three key components for incorporation into the New Central Library Detailed Functional Program:

· Draft Project Parameters

· Draft Master Program

· Draft Ideal Site Selection Criteria

The Project Parameters detailed services, program and collection functions for the first time and became the basis of the detailed functional components that were subsequently developed.

The New Central Library was identified as a priority for the Library Board in 2001 and reconfirmed in the Board’s Strategic Directions and Priorities, 2008-2011.

Meetings of the Library Board are open to the public and agendas are published on both the Library and City websites.

b) New Central Library Board Committee/Facilities Planning Committee

The New Central Library Board Committee was a standing committee of the OPL Board from 2002-January 2009. The mandate of the Committee was to develop the vision and guide the strategic direction for the new central library project including making recommendations to the Board.

In January 2009, the New Central Library Board Committee was re-established as the Facilities Planning Committee. The purpose of the Committee is to guide the strategic direction for the development of new library facilities and the maintenance of current library facilities as prescribed in the Ottawa Public Library Strategic Directions and Priorities 2008-2011. This includes championing the development of, and funding for, the new Central Library.

c) Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA)

FOPLA raises over $300,000 annually to support library programs and services with most funds coming from the operation of bookstores selling used and donated materials and specialty book sales run by local committees. FOPLA is an incorporated not-for-profit organization that has over 500 members. FOPLA has won numerous Canadian and international awards.

d) Ottawa Public Library Foundation

The Ottawa Public Library Foundation is a not-for-profit, charitable corporation mandated to generate new and additional revenue and to allocate funds to the Ottawa Public Library's important needs not met by core funding. Its mission is to provide essential resources for the enrichment of the Ottawa Public Library therefore promoting literacy and life-long learning. The Ottawa Public Library Foundation will be undertaking a large capital campaign for the new Central Library project.

e) Central Archives Re-location Committee

This Committee was created in July 2006 by Council. The Committee was composed of six community heritage stakeholders, two councillors and staff. Its mandate included providing feedback on the synergy and co-location opportunities between the Archives and OPL.

Work of this committee led to Council approval of an Archives and Library Technical Facility (81,363 square feet), and an Archives public presence incorporated into the new Central Library.

VIII. FUNDING SOURCES

The Ottawa Public Library Board is committed to investigating all sources of funding for the new Central Library project, including:

· Fundraising and Sponsorship: Working with the Ottawa Public Library Foundation, OPL will seek support through corporate and grass roots giving. Opportunities will be provided for naming and sponsorships. A fundraising campaign will invite support from all Ottawa citizens: library users, citizens, corporate and community groups. The Functional Building Program provides the Ottawa Public Library Board, the Ottawa Public Library Foundation, and the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library with a detailed and comprehensive rationale for the building that will inspire successful fundraising activities.

· Private Sector Involvement: Where economical and practical, the Ottawa Public Library will secure private sector involvement.

· City of Ottawa: Some funding for the new central library will be from the City of Ottawa. Further support will be requested as details of the project and the financial plan are confirmed.

· Provincial Government: Province of Ontario capital funding will be pursued as granting opportunities become available.

· Federal Government: Government of Canada capital funding will be pursued as granting opportunities become available.

Governments in North America have responded to the economic downturn by increasing spending on major infrastructure projects. A library is a critical component of the city’s infrastructure, supporting its economic, cultural and social development.

Pending receipt of the functional building program by the Board, and approval of the site acquisition by Council, a detailed financial plan for the project (capital and operating costs) will be developed.

IX. APPENDICES

1. Central Library Project Parameters Executive Summary/ Résumé des paramètres du projet de la Bibliothèque centrale.

2. Central Library Functional Program Executive Summary/ Résumé du programme fonctionnel de la Bibliothèque centrale.

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