PRESENTING THE AGA KHAN

ACADEMY LIBRARY IN

MOMBASA, KENYA

By: Shanoor Gulamali April 2006

Senior School Library Objectives:

• To create a more user friendly environment

• To develop a comprehensive collection of resources

• To identify and accommodate student and staff needs and suggestions

• To create a positive atmosphere conducive to using all library facilities by students, staff, administration and members of the community

Proposal for changes

(April 2006)

• A presentation was

put forth to the

administration with

suggestions to make

structural changes in

the library to create a

more user friendly

environment

ENTRANCE

• Entrance needs to be streamlined and narrowed and then have an open vestibule lobby area.

• This can be achieved by two 6 by 4 stub walls.

• These stub walls should be designed to accommodate the RFID security system to be installed.

MEZZANINE FLOOR

• Currently is uninviting and environmentally unfriendly and cannot be adequately supervised.

• It can be converted into a quiet study/reflective area by the introduction of a wooden staircase and a railing instead of the existing wall. This will open up the mezzanine floor and make it easier to supervise

MEZZANINE FLOOR-cont.

• The staircase needs

to be designed to

access the

mezzanine floor

directly from the main

floor as opposed to

currently through the

main staircase.

MEZZANINE FLOOR-cont.

• Access to the

mezzanine from the

existing main

staircases should be

closed off.

MEZZANINE FLOOR-cont • The mezzanine wall

needs to be reworked using a wooden railing so as to: a) create an open airy feeling b) allow the librarian to supervise this area through the main floor.

• In order to achieve this an engineer needs to review the structural drawings and to confirm whether the mezzanine’s front wall is entirely or partially load bearing.

MEZZANINE FLOOR-cont

• The portion of the wall that is not load

bearing can be removed and replaced with

the wooden railing.

• The wooden staircase and railings can be

designed in such a way that they

incorporate the architectural features

currently existing in the library.

MAIN FLOOR

• Currently there are 4

main areas on the ground

floor that are unused:

1) Study desk area at the

right hand side of the

library entrance.

Proposal: is to either

create book shelves or to

create small discussion

groups by placing tables

and chairs.

MAIN FLOOR-cont.

2) Study desk area to

the right or the glass

side door.

Proposal: is to

remove the desks and

to reconfigure space

with shelves. Doing

so will create one

contiguous area for

the library books.

MAIN FLOOR-cont.

3) Side glass door (currently chained and not used)

Proposal: to remove bottom half of the door and replace it with a 5-6 foot wall. This will still provide the library with enough light and will also create a shelving area for past periodicals and magazines.

MAIN FLOOR-cont.

4) Centre space surrounded by columns where concrete benches are located.

Since the benches have been cushioned it becomes an area conducive to reading a magazine or a newspaper.

Proposal: create 4 wooden sandwich shelves to display daily newspapers, current magazines and periodicals.

SECOND FLOOR

• The second floor

should be configured

and a new layout

created in order to

convert this space

into a reference

library. The windows

can be secured so

that no books can be

taken out of this floor.

SECOND FLOOR-cont.

• Doing this will enhance the school’s ability to function as a residential school.

• An option to be considered as an integral part of the reference library is an audiovisual media resource and viewing centre.

SECOND FLOOR-cont.

• This floor can also be

used to accommodate

a language lab and a

teacher’s resource

centre.

• As the library

collection grows an

archive section can

be added in this area. (Structural changes proposed with

input from Ismail Gulamali)

Coordinating the first outreach

program

• Librarians from the Coast

Province were invited to our

library

• One of the pressing issues

was the isolation each

librarian felt, we discussed

ways in which we could

come together as a

professional body and

extend a helping hand to

each other

Our guests were given a tour of the library, had access to

searching on the net, enjoyed some snacks and were able

to take some books for their libraries

Meeting at the Mombasa

Politechnic Library

• Our second meeting

was held at the only

college library in

Mombasa

• Lack of resources and

means to attend the

meetings were among

some of the issues

discussed

An Outreach Program: inviting students and staff

of Mwokoeni, an underpriviledged school, to use

our library facilities

Celebrating the World Book Day

with a book fair

A vendor from Nairobi, Savanis,

was invited to the Academy

Celebrating Swahili Day with

displays and a visiting poet

Celebrating La Francophonie with the visit

from the French ambassador, signing the

visitors book

A Special Library Display

Library Updates and Student Art

Exhibition

Celebrating World Food Day

Visiting Author, Cynthia Salvadori

The Library Club, visiting the

paediatric ward at the Aga Khan

Hospital

Our favourite place to relax with a

comic book

Thank you for visiting the AKAM

Senior School Library “A good library is a place, a palace

where the lofty spirits of all nations and

generations meet”

Samuel Niger (1883-1956)