Jerome Reimagining Your Library

One theme that we’re hoping to develop as part of Jerome is that of linking our online services to the physical form of our 5 campus libraries. To that end, we’re starting to create detailed, 3D maps of all the libraries.

Using a laser measuring device (a Bosch PLR25, if you’re interested), we’ll be plotting accurate scale plans of the GCW (main university library), our three campus libraries, and the Theology Reading Rooms in uphill Lincoln. They’ll include correct dimensions of rooms, placement of support points and computer areas, and each library shelving unit individually marked.

Mr. Jackson will then use these plans to build 3D models using Google SketchUp. For example – and starting small – here’s what we’ve been able to do with Holbeach Campus Library already:

Once the 3D library has been created, it can be viewed from any point in (virtual) space, and even animated.

Apart from the pleasure of having pretty, dolls’-house libraries to play with, we’re going to use Jerome to explore whether it’s possible to use the 3D maps to display the library collections in a more intuitive way. At the minute, the location of a book in our library is communicated to the user like this:

If we could map this information (via a shelving data table) to the likely physical location of the item on  the shelves, and by making intelligent decisions against the user’s borrower status and their current location, and against the status of the book (checked in/checked out), wouldn’t it be nice to be able to supplement the information by giving a visual indication of where the book will be found?

What else could we do with 3D maps of our libraries? If you’re interested, there are some discussions going on over on the Mashed Library wiki.

Tags: 3D, Holbeach, location, mapping, SketchUp