“The quality of a library, by inspiring a superior faculty and attracting superior students, determines the effectiveness of a school. No longer a mere depository of books and magazines, the modern library becomes a laboratory for research and experimentation, a quiet retreat for study, reading and reflection, the intellectual center of the community.… Fulfilling needs of a school expected eventually to number one thousand students, unpretentious, though in a handsome, inviting contemporary style, such a library would affirm the regard at the Academy for the work of the mind and the hands of man."4
One of the most striking notes in the document is that “the emphasis should not be on housing books but on housing readers using books. It is therefore desirable to seek an environment that would encourage and insure the pleasure of reading and study."5 Following this logic, the committee goes on to recommend a variety of choices of seating areas for students and faculty, including both hard and soft chairs, near windows and in interior areas of the building. A requirement for either a garden or a shaded terrace at another level is also specified.
At the end of the document, discussing spatial relationships, the committee stresses “that a reader as he enters be able to sense at once the building’s plan."6 Kahn admirably accomplished this charge. Entering from the main entrances on the ground floor, and climbing the stairs to the first floor, the visitor can immediately perceive the relationship of reference area, circulation desk, and book stacks.
Supervision of student behavior and security of the collections were not given much prominence in the design document, as the Academy’s experience with both had been good. This led to a specification that the circulation desk be located on the first floor, rather than on the ground floor directly inside the main entrance, as is traditional in most libraries. Placing the circulation desk closer to the center of library activities ensured that service took priority over supervision.
Embracing the committee’s specification on the use of traditional Exeter brick, stone, and slate, Kahn also incorporated extensive use of natural wood (primarily teak and white oak), travertine, and concrete, producing a building that is warm, impressive and highly functional.