Library as Potemkin Village
Since I have erected much of the "new" 40 year old steel shelving in the library, a new perception has arisen. The simple act of erecting new shelving has created the "feeling" that great changes have been made. Although, erecting this shelving was not so simple an act, I don’t consider it a huge change.
At least once a day, someone comments on how nice "all the new books" look. As a result, circulation has gone up considerably. The shelving looks new and modern. It seems that it has created a Potemkin Village effect and makes the books look new and modern as well. I am refering to the apocryphal story of Potemkin, an advisor to Catherine the Great, who created a series of false facades and village experiences to fool Catherine during her visit to the Ukraine. The story, which is probably untrue or embelished, lives on as a wonderful multifaceted phrase in the English language.
Part of what a successful library does, is to create a psychological experience that puts patrons at ease and validates their beliefs as to what an effective library should look and feel like. It is in this sense that a Potemkin village effect can recreate an old library into something new and possibly generate greater circulation and more effective usage.
With more adjustable shelves, it is easier to shift books to make them look neater on the shelves. Many times, I have made simple changes to the libraries arrangement and structure. Each time, the perception of "newness" it creates makes patrons and librarians feel like they are in a more comfortable and aesthetic space more conducive to a library. As librarians with small budgets, we need to master the art of creating the Potemkin village often to continually reinvent our library in the eyes of our patrons.
At least once a day, someone comments on how nice "all the new books" look. As a result, circulation has gone up considerably. The shelving looks new and modern. It seems that it has created a Potemkin Village effect and makes the books look new and modern as well. I am refering to the apocryphal story of Potemkin, an advisor to Catherine the Great, who created a series of false facades and village experiences to fool Catherine during her visit to the Ukraine. The story, which is probably untrue or embelished, lives on as a wonderful multifaceted phrase in the English language.
Part of what a successful library does, is to create a psychological experience that puts patrons at ease and validates their beliefs as to what an effective library should look and feel like. It is in this sense that a Potemkin village effect can recreate an old library into something new and possibly generate greater circulation and more effective usage.
With more adjustable shelves, it is easier to shift books to make them look neater on the shelves. Many times, I have made simple changes to the libraries arrangement and structure. Each time, the perception of "newness" it creates makes patrons and librarians feel like they are in a more comfortable and aesthetic space more conducive to a library. As librarians with small budgets, we need to master the art of creating the Potemkin village often to continually reinvent our library in the eyes of our patrons.
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