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ΒΙΒΛΙΟΘΗΚΕΣ

February 18, 2024
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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Artist Unknown / Image Source: Bilkent Üniversitesi Türkiye

 

“The health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings  of our culture

and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries.”

—Carl Sagan

 

The founding of many educational institutions throughout the world was marked with the building of a place of worship (LEARN MORE: See College & University Chapels).   After the church the library was the second building.  It seems likely that after the library the “Media Center” will emerge as the replacement facility category (occupancy classification) in building codes and standards.   It will be difficult letting go of the memories and the ambiance of these places and spaces.  Who does not have a favorite place in a favorite library?

The original University of Michigan advocacy enterprise presented structural engineering technical committees of the American Society of Civil Engineers with proposals to roll back the live loading criteria for “occupancies formerly known as libraries” — because stacks of books and paper filing cabinets were being replaced with laptop computers.  Not only that, stacks of actual physical books in legacy libraries were being relocated off-site to slab-on-grade book warehouses leaving the space to be renovated as study areas or administrative offices.

Those proposals for Table 1607 of the International Building were rejected for lack of technical substantiation.  Fair enough.  Structural engineering is a fearsome art and you do not want to push too hard on the instincts of structural design professionals even though their risk-aversion instinct is raising cost for new media centers that are mis-characterized as “libraries”.  Most standards developing committees are permitted to set their own criteria for technical substantiation.  After the desire and obligation to design for public safety it is naive to discount their concern for the cost of professional liability insurance, however.  There are times when you are willing to pay for another power of ten safety factor.

The International Building Code Code is deep into its 2021 revision and it appears that some correlation action with ASCE structural engineering codes might have occurred.  Rather than risk inaccuracy, we will archive the technical details to the post linked at the bottom of this page.  It is often necessary to do this when codes and standards relevant to a given education facility develop out of step with one another.

We will continue following other library-related concepts are listed (very) briefly below:

  • Book shelf depth specifications
  • Lighting power densities, more occupancy sensors and daylight responsive controls
  • Inclusion of libraries in the conditions under which education facilities are used as community storm shelters.
  • Metadata (CLICK HERE)

Operating experience, use pattern anecdotes, war stories and such are always gratefully received any day during our colloquia however direct participation in the ICC Code Development Process should always be a first choice.  CLICK HERE to get started.

The image criteria of our WordPress theme does not permit many images of college and university libraries to be shown fully dimensioned on sliders or widget galleries.  We reproduce a few of the outsized images here and leave the complexities of financing, designing, building and maintaining of them in a safe and sustainable manner for another day.   If you need specific information please refer to the links at the bottom on this, very long, page.

 Click on any image for image credit and other information

“Bibliotheque_Sainte-Genevieve” | University of Paris, et al

Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

Johns Hopkins University

Library at Thorildsplans Gymnasium (Thorildsplan upper secondary school) | Stockholm, Sweden

Iowa State University

Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem

University of Oxford

George H.W. Bush Library | Texas A&M University

Bilkent Üniversitesi Kütüphanesi / Türkiye

St. John’s College | University of Cambridge

Tama Art University Library | 多摩美術大学

University of San Diego

Delft University of Technology Library

University of Notre Dame

University of Utrecht

University of Ottawa

University of Derby


Akita International University | Nakajima Library


Dominican University

Erasmus University

The Masters University

The Ohio State University

University of Washington

Vilnius University Library

Biblioteca Centrală a Universității Politehnica Timișoara | Romania

University of Southern California

Københavns Universitet

Roskilde Universitet

Bowling Green State University

Universität Wien

新加坡管理大学 | Singapore Management University

上海大学 | Shanghai University Library

Universidade de Coimbra

University of Michigan Law School

More coming.


Archive / Library Structural Engineering

Codes, Standards, Guidelines, Recommended Practice and Standards of Care for Libraries & Media Centers

The link between a college education and a lasting marriage

February 18, 2024
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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“You shall above all things be glad and young…”

Opening page of “The Prologue of the Wife of Bath’s Tale,” from the Ellesmere manuscript of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, c. 1400.

Researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics estimate that 78% of college-educated women who married for the first time between 2006 and 2010 could expect their marriages to last at least 20 years. But among women who have a high school education or less, the share is only 40%.

The link between a college education and a lasting marriage

Weddings

Inside Gasson Tower

February 16, 2024
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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Boston College Consolidated Financial Statement: $6.509B

Boston College is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.  Gasson Hall is a symbol of Boston College, representing the university’s commitment to academic excellence, spiritual values, and the pursuit of knowledge.  It The hall continues to serve as an important part of the Boston College campus, housing administrative offices, classrooms, and the university’s Honors Program.

 

In “The Social Network,” Gasson Hall was used as a filming location for several scenes that take place at Harvard University, which is where Mark Zuckerberg attended college before he created Facebook. Specifically, Gasson Hall was used as a stand-in for Harvard’s Memorial Hall, which is a large Gothic Revival building that houses a dining hall and a chapel.

The scene in “The Social Network” that was filmed in Gasson Hall shows Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) and Eduardo Saverin (played by Andrew Garfield) attending a disciplinary hearing in front of the Harvard administration. The hearing takes place in a large ornate room with stained glass windows and a high vaulted ceiling, which is actually the Reading Room on the third floor of Gasson Hall. The filmmakers made some minor changes to the room, such as adding a portrait of John Harvard and replacing some of the furniture, but overall, the space is very recognizable as Gasson Hall.

Standards Massachusetts

Boston College Facilities Management

Irish Coffee

February 15, 2024
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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Saint Louis University Facilities Services

 

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons brown sugar or demerara sugar

4-5 ounces coffee (strong, rich; brewed, hot)

1.5 ounces Irish Whiskey (optional)

1-2 ounces heavy cream (lightly whipped)

Nutmeg

Directions:

– Preheat the glass while making the French press coffee

– Place the brown sugar into a warm Irish coffee glass, mug, or other heatproof glass.

– Add the coffee and Irish whiskey, stir until dissolved.

– Float the lightly whipped heavy cream on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon.

– Garnish with shaved nutmeg.

Tips:

– Try using a French press or pour-over methods of brewing and freshly ground dark roasted coffee beans.

– Preheat your glass to keep the drink warm longer. While the coffee is brewing, pour hot water into the glass or mug to heat it up. Dump the water before making the drink.

– Use freshly whipped cream. Avoid the pressurized cans of cream or whipped topping. Instead, begin with a little heavy whipping cream and vigorously whip it with a whisk or fork until it is light and fluffy.

 

Kitchen Planning: Work Centers

February 15, 2024
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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“The Parish Soup Kitchen” 1851 / George Elgar Hicks

Other words for small kitchens:

Petite kitchen
Cozy kitchen
Bijou kitchen
Lilliputian kitchen
Cramped kitchen
Intimate kitchen
Snug kitchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kitchen Planning: Work Centers

Standards Missouri

Food hygiene practices: Ergonomics versus safety

February 15, 2024
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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“Le Coin de Cuisine” | 1883 Edwin Deakin

Kitchen layouts and consumers’ food hygiene practices: Ergonomics versus safety

Dunarea de Jos, et. al

University of Galati, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Domnească Street 111, 800201, Galati, Romania

Abstract: Our paper emphasizes the importance of the kitchen layout in facilitating consumers’ food hygiene practices. A significant correlation was found between the sink placement (inside or outside the kitchen) and hygienic practices during food handling based on a survey performed on consumers from ten European countries, indicating that those who had the sink in the kitchen were more likely to perform proper hygiene practices than those who have not. The self-reported practices were supported by observed practices in 64 households from five European countries. The observational study combined with the examination of kitchen layouts revealed that the kitchen work triangle with its apexes represented by the kitchen sink, cooking stove and refrigerator, which is recommended for ergonomic reasons by architects and designers, did not necessarily support food hygiene practices in kitchens. Cross-contamination events were associated with the sink – countertop distances longer than 1 m. Based on this, a new kitchen triangle with its apexes represented by the kitchen sink, working place (usually countertop) and cooking stove, with the distance between the sink and the working place less than 1 m is proposed to be used as norm in kitchen designs for combining ergonomics with safety. This triangle is proposedly named the food safety triangle and is aimed to mitigate the risks of foodborne illnesses by creating an arrangement that facilitates hygiene practices. This study is the first to highlight the importance of implementing the concept of food safety in the kitchen design based on significant correlations between kitchen equipment placement and consumers’ food safety practices.

Kitchen Fires in High-rise Residential Buildings

February 15, 2024
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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Numerical Study of Kitchen Fires in High-rise Residential Buildings

Jing Liu – Peng Wang – Guangrui Song

Southwest Jiaotong University

 

Abstract:  Open kitchen design is becoming popular in small units in high-rise residential buildings. This design increases the possibility that fires originating in the cooking area would spread beyond its origin. Effect of cabinet properties and wind on the fire hazards of open kitchen is numerically studied. It is found that if there are combustible items adjacent to the cooking area it helps the fire to spread giving a big fire and the wind may cause the fire spread vertically along the building exterior wall.

CLICK HERE to order complete article

“Shibboleth”

February 14, 2024
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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