Feature

I chose Shoreditch Library as location for my investigation.
First of all, I picked up fundamental information.

Observation

I tried 5 types of observation, which are mapping, modelling, photograph, recording sound.

In the first week, I made a floor map to see the structure of the library.

I did modelling of shelves which is one of the iconic items of the library.
I found 7 types of shelves for adult area, and 4 types of shelves for kids space.
The main difference between them is that the size and the colours.

I took pictures of the return box for 5 times within a week.
However, I couldn’t find a huge changes during this period of time. So it seems that People seem to use the library for own working, studying and searching by computers.

I also took pictures of materials in the library and see what they have. They have not only books, but also many kinds of learning materials like cd, dvd, audio books, arts, computer and workshops.

 I record sounds on ground floor for three times and compare the tendency of each sounds from visualising of these sounds. There are not big changes every time, but I could sometimes see the big waves which comes from kids’s screaming.

Looking for the context

`While doing observation, I have thought function of library as well as why we are pursuing ‘knowledge’. I tried to combine the materials of my observation to these ideas.

Experiments

I have collected the item that shows piece of citizen’s life and people can feel that library is made of community.
I found many kinds of bookmarks and notes in books.

I connected bookmarks to people in the library randomly. This accidental findings shows similar to the people who borrow books from the library find bookmarks and use it as well.

For explaining the next experiment for connecting me and the knowledge, I’d like to share the vintage books that I bought near by my home. I used these books to show the knowledge inside of my brain.

Feedbacks

What’s working:

• I could do systematic cataloging of the space and it gave many ideas for doing experiments in the library.
• I could see books are not only material for learning at the Shoreditch library.
• I could change my perspective about ‘knowledge’

What’s not working:

• if I could find the big amount of book marks and notes in books, I could look for being crossed the stories of books and the stories of bookmarks and find the deeper context.
• I used a puzzle as metaphor of knowledge, but it did not connect to my observation itself.

To develop this further:

• I can apply architecture method for making maps
• I would like to find the big context which contains both experiments going through additional observation.
• Sound observation has also the possibility to find another small context.