Spaces Unit Principles and Functions

Created by Rachel Burgess
Mar 07, 2022
2 min read

In Fall 2021 the library administration department met with the Library Spaces Unit. The unit moved up into administration not long before the onset of the pandemic and the transition had not been fully realized. The Fall 2021 conversation was a kick off for addressing this gap and brought forth four principles to guide creating a defined purpose within the library organization.
Through the winter our unit updated the workplan and the following framework was created. It was shared with the Administration Department at February's end for feedback and the final product is below. This will be posted as one of the pages in our Spaces wiki for future reference along with our current work plan. I want to take a moment celebrate the hard work! This is a great tool for us to capture the work we do and serve as a decision making matrix - prioritizing, collaborating, and providing support across the library with our efforts. This process was much needed for our little unit and it feels great to have a solid foundation to build on. 

Framework of the work we do:
Guiding Principles: Stewardship, Inclusivity, Accountability, Safety

Building and Maintaining (stewardship, inclusivity)
 Capital Maintenance of Facility (building systems, large scale infrastructure, capital planning)
 Daily Maintenance (work orders, repairs, monitoring, etc)
 Furniture (public and staff)
 Supplies (first aid, masks, maintenance, and cleaning)
 Inventories (capital, art, storage, etc)

Planning and Vision for Spaces (inclusivity, accountability, stewardship)
 Design Principles (Universal, LSRS, SCUP, etc)
 Consistency (finishes, design principles, planning methods)
 Strategic and Long term Vision
 Resources Allocation (time, budget, people)
 Project Management
 Fundraising (future project concepts)
 Assessment (spaces, room use, engaging users for feedback)

Accessibility, Processes, Safety, and Standards (safety, accountability, inclusivity)
 Workspace Support (safety emails, OSUAlerts, Furniture Menu, onboarding)
 Committees (Accessibility, UHSC, Safety Council, etc)
 Forms and Documentation (key requests, telecom requests, project requests)
 Policy and Procedure (access policy, safety policies, camera policy)
Compliance with Standards (ADA, Fire, Safety, etc)

Services and Communication (accountability, inclusivity)
 Reservable Spaces (classrooms, study rooms, quad, etc)
 Messaging Internally and Externally (Safety and Spaces wikis, public website, project updates)
 Wayfinding and signage (updating, refreshing, directing)
 Building Partners
 Campus Relationships (advocacy with decision makers)
 (Campus Planning, Facilities, DPS, ID Center, Sustainability, DAS, Curators, EHS, MU, etc)