The library I work at is an architectural nightmare. Yes, it looks beautiful, impressive, and models the barns of ye old days. But, no one considered the user in this whole thing. The building is confusing and neglects the fact that a library shouldn’t echo, carry sound and smells, or have excessive amounts of sunlight. Don’t get me started. I’ve written a paper on this very subject.
These flaws make working here more interesting, however. My favorite part is the grand staircase, which comes up through the middle of the library (the building is an octagonal shape) onto the second floor–where I work. It is part of the massive atrium that runs from the first to the forth floors. So, when you get start to reach the top of the stairs all you want to do is look up. In combination with the shiny marble stairs, this causes people to trip. A lot. The circulation desk has a perfect view of this nonsense. And the atrium causes it to echo. I giggle.
