Members of the Temple community are invited to help shape the design of the university’s new library as part of a five-month programming process that launches this week.

During this first phase of the library design process, ideas and data will be gathered, analyzed and prioritized to establish a shared vision for the building. To begin the discussion, students, faculty, staff and alumni are being asked to share their ideas and aspirations for the new structure via the Visualize Temple social site, which started earlier this month as a discussion hub for the university’s new master plan.

Next week has been designated as Library Week on the site to focus on issues and ideas related to the library as a key component of the campus environment and master plan. To provoke creative thinking about the ideal library Temple should have, the site will present questions such as:

• What types of space do we need?
• How should the collections be stored and accessed?
• How should gathering spaces feel?
   

A steering committee as well as a planning team that includes Temple staff and students will guide the process from programming through design. As part of the effort, this summer and early fall library stakeholders will be invited to join day-long workshops focused on issues specific to the library, including learning, research and collections.

Also underlying the library’s programming are the academic priorities that Provost Hai-Lung Dai is now developing with input from faculty and staff. Joseph Lucia, who was recently named dean of Temple University Libraries, said the process will ensure the library is designed to meet the needs of all who will study, research and create knowledge there.

“A great 21st century library facility will be an engine for intellectual and community engagement at Temple, enhancing the environment for learning and inquiry for our students and providing a rich site for scholarly engagement and innovation among our faculty," said Lucia, who will begin his tenure at Temple on July 1.