Appendix F - Space Needs Worksheet

Design population

  1. Current population of the municipality / primary service area: ____________
  2. Projected population of the municipality / primary service area: ____________
  3. Estimate of nonresident service population:____________
  4. Design population (b+c) ___________
  1. Step 1: Collection space
    1. Books ________ volumes ÷ 10 __________sq.ft.
    2. Periodical (display) ________ titles ÷ 1 __________sq.ft.
    3. Periodical (back issues)______ titles x 0.50 x __ yrs. retained __________sq.ft.
    4. Nonprint ________ items ÷ 10 __________sq.ft.
    5. Digital resources ________ terminals x 50 __________sq.ft.
    6. Total (a+b+c+d+e) __________sq.ft.
  2. Step 2: Reader seating space
    1. ________ seats x 30 __________sq.ft.
  3. Step 3: Staff work space
    1. ________ stations x 150 __________sq.ft.
  4. Step 4: Meeting room space
    1. General meeting space______ seats x 10 (plus 100 sq.ft. for speaker) __________sq.ft.
    2. Conference room space ______ seats x 25 __________sq.ft.
    3. Storytime space ______ seats x 10 (plus 50 sq.ft. for speaker) __________sq.ft.
    4. Total (a+b+c) __________sq.ft.
  5. Step 5: Special use space
    1. Collection space (from 1.f) __________sq.ft.
      Reader seating space (from 2.a) __________sq.ft.
      Staff work space (from 3.a) __________sq.ft.
      Meeting room space (from 4.d) __________sq.ft.
    2. Subtotal 1 __________sq.ft.
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      Space Needs Worksheet (con’t)
    3. Divide Subtotal 1 by 6 (for a minimum allocation), by 5 (for a __________sq.ft moderate allocation), or by 4 (for an optimum allocation).
  6. Step 6: Nonassignable space
    1. Subtotal 1 (from 5.b) __________sq.ft.
      Special use space (from 5.c) __________sq.ft.
    2. Subtotal 2 __________sq.ft.
    3. Divide Subtotal 2 by 4 (for a minimum allocation, or by 3 __________sq.ft. for an optimum allocation)
  7. Step 7: Putting it all together
    1. Collection space (from 1.f) __________sq.ft.
    2. Reader seating space (from 2.a) __________sq.ft.
    3. Staff work space (from 3.a) __________sq.ft.
    4. Meeting room space (from 4.d) __________sq.ft.
    5. Special use space (from 5.c) __________sq.ft.
    6. Nonassignable space (from 6.c) __________sq.ft.
    7. Gross Area Needed (a+b+c+d+e+f) __________sq.ft

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Public Library Space Needs: a PlanningOutline 1998, by Anders C. Dahlgren