(Just jotting down some thoughts before I forget.. more on the "architecture" later..)
How relevant are books in a world which is increasingly digital... where information is accessible via phones, laptops, tablets, computers, etc. How relevant, then, is a library (essentially a house for collections of books) in the information culture?
A way to look at it is to infuse the library typology with more and more add-on amenities: gallery space, community centre, meeting rooms, workshops, classrooms etc... and oh, btw, we still have some books on shelves if anyone wants to read. What is a library supposed to do?
As academic support, libraries have traditionally been quiet, studious spaces offering self-directed learning and intellectual knowledge through books (literature). Challenging this traditional notion, I want to explore the potentials of gamification within the library typology... gamification as a means of learning. If a library is a place for self-directed learning, a place to borrow/find information, how does self-directed learning through play and games present more relevant information in today's world over words on pages of paper. Importance of library now, then, is to provide access to information, not necessarily the information itself... how do to so through architecture, play, games, digital platforms......
A shift from 2D literature to 3D action-based "play" as learning.. now how does the architecture emerge from this idea.... ???
Some stuff on bookless libraries:
bookless library article
another bookless library article - resistance because of nostalgia of books
dibrary = digital + library - national library in Korea going entirely digital
The idea of creating and building to access to digital information seems potentially direction that me quickly lead to obsolescence given the rapid adoption of interconnectivity among various networks. Invitation in education is not new but the problem may lie in the fact that there is quite a bit of research that would be required to showcase how that new model of pedagogy be manifest in a building appropriately. Now that you have articulated a little bit more about your interest, it might be best to look at the various museums that have showcased video games as a culture medium. Everything from the MOMA to the Ontario science center showcases this empathy with your ideals. Unfortunately your typology selection as a library makes it a bit trickier.
ReplyDeleteThough I would hesitate to have you contemplate designing a video game library, if you were to even start thinking about that very basic model, what would that mean with respect to the building design? That might be an interesting starting point for the design development.
In light of the shifts in what libraries have to offer, you may find that your promise that libraries serve as an information access point may need to change. Inevitably you will be dealing with the disconnect between the virtual and physical access to information. As you mentioned already, access to physical resources is quickly diminishing and becoming obsolete. That said, your description of how one could navigate a building to access information that is already easily available with personal networks becomes a challenge. Perhaps one of the key questions that should be brought up in your discussion would be why people would want to go to a library given the quick and drop it access to information we have within our own ubiquitous computing devices. For a lot of people, the response would be social interactions in the physical realm are critical, but perhaps you can think of something likely be on that cliché.