Advancing indoor environmental quality, accessibility, and visitor experience. 

Health considerations at LHL include air quality, filtration, thermal comfort, and equitable access. Initial discussions highlighted the potential for integrating WELL-aligned strategies, borrowing from NAMA’s WELL Silver certification work. 

Sections:

Long-Term Opportunities Include: 

  • Tracking indoor air quality (IAQ) with low-cost sensors 
  • Improving filtration and humidity stability 
  • Reviewing ADA and universal design opportunities 
  • Enhancing access to daylight and quiet study environments 
  • Deploying staff comfort surveys to build baseline metrics 

These strategies strengthen the Library’s role as a healthy, accessible learning environment. 

Creating Environments That Support Accessibility, Comfort, and Belonging 

The Health lens explores how the physical environment influences human comfort, accessibility, and long term wellbeing. This includes air quality, daylight and glare, acoustics, thermal comfort, ADA access, and the psychological experience of moving through public buildings. For cultural institutions, health and wellbeing also includes a sense of belonging and equitable access for all audiences. 

The project team spent limited but focused time on this lens before the grant was canceled. The intent was not to certify the institutions, but to create a framework that would allow each institution and the broader EcoDistrict to measure and improve wellbeing outcomes over time. 

Current Conditions and Recent Progress 

Both institutions have active efforts underway that already support the health and wellbeing goals of this lens. 

Recent Progress 

  • Completed an ADA accessibility assessment identifying physical barriers in circulation routes, restrooms, stair conditions, and vertical transportation. 
  • Improvements have been made to entry path accessibility over the past decade, though gaps remain. 
  • Air quality improvements through equipment upgrades and filter replacements have helped stabilize staff work areas. 
  • Staff wellness and ergonomics initiatives are emerging as institutional priorities. 

Current Gaps 

  • Variability in HVAC performance results in localized thermal discomfort. 
  • Older lighting systems cause glare and reduced visual comfort in specific stacks and reading rooms. 
  • Limited outdoor seating and shade reduce opportunities for restorative breaks. 
  • ADA study results have not yet been translated into an actionable long term accessibility plan. 

Benchmarks and Reference Systems 

The project referenced several established frameworks during assessment. These act as measuring sticks for future progress without requiring immediate certification. 

Reference Systems 

  • WELL Building Standard 
  • Fitwel 
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (2010 Standards) 
  • ASHRAE comfort guidelines 
  • EPA Indoor Air Quality guidelines 
  • Local public health recommendations 

Early comparison showed that both institutions perform strongest in indoor air quality and water quality. Physical accessibility and user experience require more attention and represent high impact, achievable improvements. 

Findings From Staff Workshops 

During initial staff conversations across both institutions, several themes emerged that shaped this lens. 

LHL Specific Themes 

  • ADA access was a major focus. Staff described a need for clearer wayfinding, ramp access, restroom upgrades, and improved accessibility to special collections areas. 
  • Some reading rooms experience glare or low lighting levels during parts of the day. 
  • Staff want places for restorative breaks, greenery, and access to fresh air.  

Shared Themes 

  • Staff desire more consistent thermal comfort, especially during extreme weather events. 
  • Certain workspaces lack appropriate noise control or acoustic separation. 
  • Many users find older circulation pathways confusing or difficult to navigate. 
  • Outdoor comfort and safety vary significantly across the district. 
  • Staff are interested in clearer health protocols during climate emergencies, such as poor air quality days or heat waves. 

Opportunity Areas for Improvement 

This section identifies actionable opportunity areas that can be assessed and implemented over time. 

Indoor Environment 

  • Establish continuous IAQ monitoring in select spaces for both institutions to align with WELL performance tracking. 
  • Create seasonal thermal comfort maps that identify hot and cold zones. 
  • Complete lighting audits to address glare, low level lighting, and unbalanced color temperature. 

Accessibility 

  • Translate ADA study findings into a phased improvement plan that supports long term capital budgeting. 
  • Improve wayfinding through clearer signage, color cues, and consistent visual language. 

Psychological Well Being and Belonging 

  • Incorporate views to nature, planting, or restorative spaces where feasible. 
  • Improve break areas and outdoor seating for staff. 
  • Develop a district wide language for belonging, access, and visitor support that aligns with institutional missions. 
  • Explore partnerships with UMKC and KCAI for wayfinding, placemaking, and user experience research. 

Repeatable Evaluation Method 

To create consistent measurement tools for this lens, the project began outlining a repeatable method that can be used by any district institution. 

  1. Document baseline indoor environment performance including air quality, temperature stability, daylight control, and acoustics. 
  2. Review ADA access conditions and create an annually updated accessibility plan. 
  3. Survey staff and visitor comfort at least once per year to capture seasonal variation.
  4. Map indoor and outdoor hot spots for discomfort or inaccessibility.
  5. Identify low cost interventions such as signage, shading devices, movable seating, or programmatic adjustments. 
  6. Remeasure comfort metrics after improvements and track long term trends. 

District Scale Opportunities 

There is significant benefit to developing shared wellbeing priorities for the EcoDistrict.  

  • Standardized comfort mapping methods to support capital planning. 
  • Shared consultant resources for ADA improvements and user experience design. 
  • Regional air quality alerts with coordinated institutional responses. 
  • Joint outdoor improvements such as shaded seating, walking routes, and lighting upgrades. 
  • Shared language around belonging and visitor support. 

Because several institutions in the district are educational or public facing, these improvements compound across the neighborhood and improve the overall experience for residents, students, and visitors. 

Summary 

The Health and Wellbeing lens was the least developed at the time of grant cancellation, but both institutions have a strong foundation. Linda Hall Library has completed a detailed ADA study, giving them a clear pathway toward greater accessibility. 

By applying repeatable evaluation methods and aligning with district partners, both institutions can continue improving the experience of staff and visitors while strengthening the district’s commitment to health, access, and long term wellbeing.