The Search: Trials and Tribulations

I consider myself a casual academic. Basically, I love learning and thinking about the kinds of involved, obtuse subjects written up in research journals, but I don't have access to the data or resources to actually conduct my own research. Like I'd love to research supermarket scanning data (what goes into shoppers' carts at the checkout line), but do you really think Nielsen is going to let me have that information for any less than $100,000 and an academic research grant? Yeah, OK. I probably should have gone into a doctorate program to satisfy my lust for information, but it wasn't until recently that I discovered where my Aspergery interests lie (economic and spatial sociology... the study of how economics influences why we live and work the way we live and work in the areas we live and work). Also, the couch is comfy. I like my comfy couch depression. I can't believe I created a rear end depression in the couch in only nine months.




One of the things that routinely ticks me off are library research databases, which I thankfully can access since my husband is a librarian, because otherwise I'd be stuck with just reading the atrociously-written material in trade journals. I take my Dewey decimal system very, very seriously. I also take my library catalogs very, very seriously. It's not that most of these systems are necessarily poorly designed (although some of them are), but it can be quite difficult to narrow down search terms effectively.

My most recent Aspergery interest is the history of school building design since 1900 (because poring over zoning codes is so last week). I read over on Detroit Urbex a few weeks ago that many of the school buildings built around 1910-1920 were planned in an E shape. Having worked in 30+ area schools, including some very old schools, this really piqued my interest. Why were these schools designed in an E shape? Who thought open concept schools were a good idea? Why do so many schools look like prisons?

So I started my search.

I typed school design into WorldCat, the library catalog to end all library catalogs (it searches the library catalogs of most of the world's libraries so you can trek over to Tanzania if you really, really want that archival material).

17,208 results. First hit: Modern American Schools of Design.

Geez Louise! An immediate wrench in my plans! A new obstacle in my research!

There were architectural schools, then there was the architecture of schools. WorldCat didn't distinguish.

It was time for subject search!

All books are filed under some kind of subject keyword. If you look in the front pages of a book, it'll list a few keywords. Like:

History - Dallas, Texas - Fruit growers - social aspects

There's just one problem, however. Keywords are not standardized. Keywords don't talk to each other. Some librarian might have put in Texas, Dallas instead of Dallas, Texas and you'll have a really hard time finding that book.

So, unfortunately, the only real way to find books on very obscure topics is to be very creative with your subject search terms.

I tried a bunch.

School buildings history. Prairie School Architecture.

School building design. Building Comprehensive Learning Environments: A Guide For Educators.

American school facilities history 20th century. Little Red Schoolhouse: A History of School Buildings. Ah, success! Oh wait, it was published in 1901. Moving on.

School architecture plans design. LEED Certification for Sustainable Schools.

School facilities history planning. Developing the University Cafeteria: Strategies for Success.

Why is searching so involved. Philosophy and Metaphysics For Your Life, 2nd Edition.

All I want to do is learn about the history of school design. Urban Planning Programs, Graduate Edition, All You Need to Know About The Best Master's Programs Out There.

I hate my life and want to die. Twilight: Breaking Dawn.

I never found what I was looking for. Seriously, one of the most frustrating things about constantly questioning the why of life is when nobody's actually bothered to write the books that give insights into the why of life.

I finally broke down and just tried Google. I love Google. I can find the most random stuff on there simply by using the filetype search. But Google isn't always exactly academic.

This time, however, Google did not fail. While you were eating out with your family and friends last night, I finally stumbled upon the Whole Building Design Guide. It's like the Grace Obsessions Motherlode. They have links to the Veteran's Affairs Guidelines for Ambulatory Surgery Hospital Wing Signage Design! They have maps of suggested foot traffic flows in office buildings! I could go on, but I won't wreck my budding Normal Person facade, yet!

Anyway, I eventually found a link to some historical society's analysis of the stages of Milwaukee Public School design. It answered most of my questions, and it also provided a list of references. Score!

In closing, I'll share a fun fact. Most of the schools built in the 1950's featured lots of windows. The theory at the time was that kids need to be close to sunshine and clean air to do well academically. By the 1970's, planners modified the 1950's sunlight theory to encompass just light in general, which is why many of the schools in that era have rooms without any windows at all. Artificial lighting was good enough by the 1970's.

There's your history lesson of the day in a nutshell. Have a great weekend.