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The Floor Plan of a Public Library 20 Years Ago and How It Looks Now -IELTS Task 1 Map Band 9 Sample

Updated: Jun 28

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.


The diagram below shows the floor plan of a public library 20 years ago and how it looks now.


Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.


Write at least 150 words.


Task 1 Map Band 9 Sample Report responding to the prompt "The diagram below shows the floor plan of a public library 20 years ago and how it looks now.  Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant." - ieltsluminary.com

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Model Answer 1

The diagram depicts the evolution in the floor plan of the Central Library, illustrating both its former and current configurations. Overall, the Central Library has been significantly remodeled, now featuring a café, advanced self-service kiosks, and areas designated for community engagement.


Previously, an enquiry desk welcomed visitors to the right of the entrance; this space now houses a café, enhancing the library’s communal offerings. The central area, once occupied by tables and chairs, now features cozy sofas, creating an inviting space for storytelling events, with children’s fiction books within easy reach. The room with sofas now has an area dedicated for storytelling events, along with children’s fiction books. The former children’s fiction books area has been transformed into a lecture room, with all reference books now situated between the computer room and the children’s fiction books.


In addition to the room utilization, the positioning of doors has also been modified, as the diagram illustrates. Particularly noteworthy is the relocation of the computer room's entrance; previously facing the children’s section, it has been repositioned to open onto the main corridor, facilitating better access for library patrons. Furthermore, the construction of the café has been accompanied by the addition of a new entrance, streamlining the flow of foot traffic.


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Model Answer 2

The diagram indicates Central Library before and after the changes were made to its layout. In general, Central Library has undergone significant changes to have a café, self-service facilities and a space dedicated for events.


Twenty years ago, to the right of the entrance, there was an enquiry desk. Now, it has been replaced by a café, and self-service facilities and information desk have been arranged at where used to be an area for adult fiction books instead. Tables and chairs at the centre have been taken away, having two sofas now in the room that was once used for CDs, videos and computer games and leaving spaces in front of the entrance. The room with sofas now has an area dedicated for storytelling events, along with children’s fiction books. The area is for children’s fiction books has become a lecture room, and all reference books have been placed between the computer room and the children’s fiction books.


Not only the use of rooms, but the place of doors has undergone some changes too, as clearly indicated by the diagram. Particularly, the door of the computer room has been moved from the side facing the children’s fiction books to the side of the corridor in front of the entrance. Moreover, a new door has been added when the café was built.


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Model Answer 3

The diagrams furnish an incisive view into the floor plan of a public library over a span of two decades, accentuating a discernible evolution from a bibliocentric paradigm to a more polyfunctional milieu.


In its prior iteration, the library was a quintessential edifice of tactile media, replete with CDs, videos, and computer games. A commodious Reading Room was allocated as a repository for periodicals and broadsheets. Adjacently situated were demarcated zones for adult-centric literary works, both fictional and factual. Concurrently, juvenile literature was sequestered in its enclave, punctuated by rudimentary furnishings like tables and chairs. An Enquiry Desk served as the epicenter for administrative undertakings such as ticketing and bibliophilic returns.


Transitioning to the contemporaneous layout, one cannot eschew noting the library's conscientious recalibration towards a more experiential, holistic user engagement. Sofas, manifesting as languorous seating arrangements, punctuate the reading spaces, obliquely heralding an era of casual bibliophilia. Furthermore, a holistic Computer Room supersedes the earlier diversified media collection, epitomizing the ascendancy of digital culture.


Children’s literary areas now foreground fiction and incorporate storytelling alcoves, accentuating an early literacy agenda. Administrative protocols have been not just updated but revolutionized: Self-service kiosks obviate the need for a manned Enquiry Desk, connoting a shift towards automated efficiency. The introduction of a Lecture Room signifies the library’s metamorphosis into an intellectual nexus, while the Café Corner promulgates an ethos of communal congeniality.



Model Answer 4

The provided diagrams illustrate significant modifications to the layout of a public library over a two-decade span. At first glance, the transformation reflects a shift towards a more dynamic and multifunctional environment, accommodating contemporary needs.


Twenty years ago, the library's heart was anchored by two round tables, each encircled by eight chairs, signifying a communal space for reading and discussion. Flanking this central hub, expansive shelves were strictly segregated into adult fiction and non-fiction categories. The perimeter of the library was utilised for distinct rooms designated for reading, multimedia, children's literature, and administrative inquiries.


In stark contrast, today's floor plan reveals a strategic repurposing of space to foster a diverse range of activities. The former central reading area has been replaced with an open hall, leading to a prominent information desk adjacent to self-service kiosks, symbolising the digitisation trend. The adult book sections have been condensed to integrate an extensive reference collection, indicative of a knowledge-centric approach.


The most substantial development is the children's fiction area, now doubled in size and equipped with comfortable sofas, thus creating an inviting zone for storytelling sessions. Additionally, equal-sized rooms now serve as a lecture hall, computer lab, and café, each illustrating the library's evolution into a versatile community hub.



Model Answer 5

The provided diagrams delineate the tangible transformation of the Central Library over the past two decades, accentuating a palpable transition from a traditional focus to a more contemporary, multi-functional layout.


Twenty years ago, the library adhered to a conventional setup, predominantly featuring tangible media like CDs, videos, and computer games. An expansive reading room allocated space for newspapers and magazines. A delineated space for adult fiction and non-fiction books flanked the reading room, while children’s books had their dedicated section. Tables and chairs for reading were liberally scattered, and an Enquiry Desk served for tickets and book returns.


Fast-forward to the present day, and one is immediately struck by the library’s pivot towards a holistic user experience. The introduction of soft seating options like sofas indicates a push towards casual reading environments. Additionally, the previous adult sections have been consolidated into a single area for adult fiction books, allowing space for a comprehensive computer room, thereby acknowledging the digital age. The dedicated area for storytelling events and the focus on children's fiction books underscore the library’s commitment to early literacy.


One cannot overlook the novel additions aimed at modernizing administrative tasks and fostering a learning environment. Self-service machines have supplanted the traditional Enquiry Desk, a nod to the increasing automation of routine tasks. The Lecture Room serves as a bastion for intellectual discourse, while the Café Corner aims to create a community atmosphere, making the library not just a repository for books but also a hub for social and intellectual engagement.


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