Chapter 14 Making Use of Space

You knew you were at home when you entered Tims dorm room. A little stuffed panda clung to the bedposts while posters portraying both friends and stars alike adorned the walls. Music gently wafted out from all four corners of the room though from the sight of the mixer quietly sitting atop of the fridge you knew the walls could shake if needed. A full array of rigidly organized chaos sat atop his desk, threatening to break out at any instant if one so much as dared to breath the wrong way. People flocked here. It was the rare sight when one knocked and found just Tim. Studying, talking, playing games his room was a hub of life. There were two reasons for this. First was Tim's personality itself. He naturally drew people in and so they enjoyed to be around him. Second was he knew how to organize space.
A ten by fourteen space seems like a large space where any number of people could be stuffed. Yet, there are other factors that must be taken into consideration. Tim's room contains, like many dorm rooms, a desk, chair, closet, and bed. These reduce the available space by over half. Still yet was a mini fridge thus taking up another spot where a person could have sat. Despite all these factors I easily recall at least nine, if not ten people being able to gather in his room. Tim knew how space could arranged. He, more often than not, would sit at his desk and work at his computer and behind him two could stand without any trouble. Three more friends chatted on his bed while to the side in front of the closet four hunkered over a small television playing Super Smash Brothers Melee. Sometimes a person would bring in another chair, more often we'd sit on the floor to play.
Libraries need to make use of space the way Tim did. Make every square inch able to do something for the community. Tim knew his community quite well. He knew how space should be organized and how it would be used by whom. He didn't need to carefully plan out his space, he just created and if improvements could be made the suggestions were taken into consideration. Though during my entire time of knowing Tim his room may have changed locations but very little changed. Friends have come and gone but the image of a crowd gathered in his room, either hanging out, playing games, or doing work is still clear in my mind. His room was a community room very much like libraries. Libraries must have spaces where people can play games, talk, do work, and read. Those spaces must be made clear so that everyone can use them freely.