The Westminster Schools Libraries

The Westminster Schools hired McMillan Pazdan Smith to define strategies for changes to their junior high and high school libraries. The design team hosted conversations with administrators, junior high and high school principals, librarians, department heads, faculty and students to understand their thoughts on the evolving needs of traditional library space. They evaluated and documented the existing library space, furniture and technology usage and developed recommended changes for both facilities.

Recommendations for the George Woodruff Junior High Library include expansion and connections to the level below. For the Carlyle Fraser High School Library, the design team recommended a three-story replacement of an inefficient, two-story addition to the original building.

In both libraries, flexible spaces were added to accommodate language, writing and media labs, small and large group study rooms, technology and media rich seminar rooms and classroom space. The design team improved access to faculty and IT assistance, to a variety of interactive social spaces and to quiet study and research areas. McMillan Pazdan Smith tied the recommended changes directly back to the individual priorities set forth in the school’s Strategic Plan and provided detailed cost estimates for the implementation of the work.