Why this blog?

AAHSL colleagues have urged me to do something more with the list discussion started in February, 2008 about trends in library space planning in academic health sciences libraries. My response is to start with a blog in order to keep the topic of space planning current and usable to colleagues and interested visitors to the AAHSL web site.

This blog will start off with some recent work on space planning and proceed with the actual postings from the AAHSL list discussion. AAHSL members and visitors are encouraged to add their ideas and experiences with space planning.

Library facility planning is likely to be a hot topic for all of us in the years ahead. The appearances of several new medical schools and their libraries will alone spur much interest in facility planning.

However, the biggest impact comes from advances in how we use information technologies. Technology is radically impacting the scope, appearance and operations of libraries, particularly academic health sciences libraries. Keeping current with these changes is important to all of us and this blog will assist us by tracking our ideas about how we are planning for change.

I encourage colleagues to use this blog as a forum for the exchange and promotion of ideas about how best to create the best academic health sciences libraries.