Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria (Chapter 400)
Washington, DC 20420
February 2007
Space for Atlas stand, display case, handouts, newspaper rack, paperback book
racks.
4. Seating Space (XXXXX) ....................................................... 125 NSF (11.7 NSM)
Minimum NSF for up to five seats. Provide 25 NSF per seat greater than five.
(Refer to Table 4 for calculation)
5. Electronic Carrels with
Computer / printers (XXXXX) .............................................. 120 NSF (11.9 NSM)
Minimum NSF for up to three Electronic Carrels. Provide an additional 40 NSF per
Electronic Carrel greater than three. (Refer to Table 5 for calculation)
6. Storage (XXXXX) .................................................................... 100 NSF (9.3 NSM)
Provide one per PERC.
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PLANNING AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
A. Department net-to-gross factor (DNTG) for Library Service is 1.20. This number
when multiplied by the programmed net square foot (NSF) area determines the
departmental gross square feet.
B. The PERC/Patient Library should be adjacent to the Health Science Library. This
permits staff access to both through a common circulation area.
C. In order to achieve maximum control over the resources of the library, there should be
one single point of entry and exit from each library. The Circulation Desk Area should
be located at the entrance / exit, in order to provide visual as well as mechanical /
electronic control. Where feasible, consideration should be given to one entrance to
both libraries with a common circulation desk.
D. The card catalog or electronic access to Card Catalogue, because they contain a
record of the library's holdings, should be seen directly upon entering the library and
in proximity to or on the Circulation Desk.
E. Current periodicals are in high demand and should be housed relatively close to the
entrance of the library and be easily identifiable. The current periodicals should be
contiguous to the bound periodical collection.
F. Most material to be copied will come from the current or bound periodical collections,
so the Photocopy Area should be close or contiguous to both. The Photocopy Area
should be a three-sided space with heavy sound attenuation. This area also needs to
include space or a cabinet to hold copier paper and a work area for tools such as
staplers. There also needs to be 8 NSF for a book truck so people can place their
books/journals that will need to be re-shelved there after photocopying.
G. Light levels in the Microform Area should be rheostatically controlled. Windows
should be eliminated from this area.
H. Library seating should be arranged in a manner that offers seating options close to
each of the collection areas.
Library Service (Chapter 400): Page 10 of 13
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