New! Managing Your Library Construction Project

I love starting a work week with a new book delivery. Just arrived are the advance copies of Managing Your Library Construction Project: A Step-by-Step Guide.

As you might imagine, we usually pull author talent from the library profession. Sometimes, though, a topic calls for outside expertise. Such is the case with library construction. For this topic, we’re pleased to have as author Richard C. McCarthy, an experienced architect with numerous library projects to his credit.

Rick did a great job of summarizing his approach and the content coverage in his preface:

In this book I describe the process of a building project. I take the point of view of an architect—but tempered by the fact that, as of this writing, I am serving my eighteenth year as a library trustee. I try to balance these two roles and present you with as objective a view as is possible. We look at methods that can be used by library boards and directors to aid them in selecting, hiring, and working with architects and other design professionals. I cover what you can expect from an architect in terms of services, offer assistance to help you determine what services you need, and provide examples of documents and graphic presentations. Subjects covered include the parts of a typical architectural project, the evaluation of architectural firms, guidelines for interviewing architects, and advice on coping with common problems and procedures during construction. An understanding of the process boosts the chances of a successful project and helps ensure that you get your money’s worth for the professional services for which you pay.

The book is full of information that you definitely didn’t learn in library school or even in more general management training, and yet is critically important to a successful construction project. For example, try making a list of questions to ask the client references your future short-listed architects have provided. I tried it and came up with five or six pretty good ones. Rick lays out seventeen, just for starters:

1. Did the architect provide all the services specified in the contract?
2. During the programming phase, was the data collected efficiently and were the program requirements met in the end product?
3. Did the architect make appropriate use of materials provided by the library building consultant (if any)?
4. Was the architect responsive when you had questions or needed clarifications?
5. Was the architect willing to modify the design when requested to do so by the board?
6. Was the building produced on a budget and in time? If not, was this attributable to the architect?
7. Did change orders during construction increase the cost of the building by a significant amount? If so, were the changes caused by errors or oversights by the architect?
8. Did the architect provide leadership in the design and build process?
9. Were the architect’s budget estimates realistic?
10. Were the architect’s estimates of the time required for construction realistic?
11. Did the architect adequately represent the library in negotiations with civil and municipal authorities?
12. Did the architect adequately represent the library in negotiations with the contractor?
13. Was the architect easy to work with? Did the architect give due attention to your needs?
14. Was the total of the professional fees paid to the architect consistent with what you were led to expect?
15. Do you feel that you received good value for the money you spent for professional services?
16. Is the building, considering necessary compromises, what you wanted?
17. Would you use this architect again?

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I’m not likely to manage a library construction project in my own career, but next time I hire a residential architect, I’m going to use his list, not mine.