Public Library Buildings

Planning a new or refurbished public library means considering not only facilities for collections, services, staff and users, but examining also the local context, reviewing the library image, and developing relationships with other community facilities and agencies. This book examines the entire gamut of challenges confronting the planning and development of contemporary public libraries; their mission, their roles, and key issues such as lifelong learning, social inclusion, community and cultural needs, regeneration and funding. The helpful presentation and readable style guides the librarian through the preliminary information-gathering and decision-making process that ensures a successful library building for all concerned. Using practical case studies, plans and photographs, the author tackles the critical issues of siting, size, plans and design concepts, and provides a helpful guide to weighing up the alternatives of refurbished, converted and new buildings. Separate chapters focus on the planning, briefing and construction process; security, safety and sustainability; key characteristics of successful buildings; identity, decor and signage; and interior layout and facilities. The text draws together a vast resource of real library examples from all over the world which provide best practice models and lessons to learn. For funding authorities, librarians and architects of public libraries this is a highly informative book that will help to ensure wise decision-making and prevent costly mistakes.

Building new libraries.

Offers insight into current activities in the area of building planning. Written by recognized building experts from the United States and Australia, the essays discuss critical planning issues from a management perspective.

The past twenty years have seen a building boom for downtown public libraries. From Brooklyn to Seattle, architects, civic leaders, and citizens in major U.S. cities have worked to reassert the relevance of the central library. While the libraries’ primary functions—as public spaces where information is gathered, organized, preserved, and made available for use—have not changed over the years, the processes by which they accomplish these goals have. These new processes, and the public debates surrounding them, have radically influenced the utility and design of new library buildings. In The New Downtown Library, Shannon Mattern draws on a diverse range of sources to investigate how libraries serve as multiuse public spaces, anchors in urban redevelopment, civic icons, and showcases of renowned architects like Rem Koolhaas, Cesar Pelli, and Enrique Norton. Mattern’s clear and careful analysis reveals the complexity of contemporary dialogues in library design, highlighting the roles that staff, the public, and other special interest groups play. Mattern also describes how the libraries manifest changing demographics, new ways of organizing collections and delivering media, and current philosophies of librarianship. By identifying unifying themes as well as examining the differences among various design projects, Mattern brings to light the social forces, as well as their architectural expressions, that form the essence of new libraries and their vital place in public life. Featured libraries are located in Brooklyn, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, and Toledo. Shannon Mattern is assistant professor of media studies and film at The New School.

The only comprehensive treatment of American library architecture, this work details the evolution of the modern public library from 1850 to the present. Oehlerts examines the influences on the professions of public architecture and librarianship that shaped America's library buildings.

This book is a vivid reminder of the early days of library development in Ontario. The beautiful buildings which still grace Ontario towns and villages, as illustrated, are a part of our provincial heritage. By the turn of the century, a public library was perceived as an important element in the civic fabric of almost every Ontario community. However, the introduction of the Carnegie grants for library buildings gave impetus to the Ontario government programme for library development, and provided a focus for increased support of library services. Rivalry among neighbouring communities to secure a Carngie library heightened this awareness, as did the publicity – in some instances even controversy – which surrounded each step of the grant seeking, site selection and plan approval process. As well, the hitherto unexplored story of Carnegie grant process in each community has been examined, and the role of one man, James Bertram, secretary to Andrew Carnegie, is revealed in absorbing detail. Library plans and design elements are also discussed, and the influence of a few architects on the building designs is revealed; the fascinating involvement of Frank Lloyd Wright in the Pembroke Carnegie library building is one such example.

Library design in the 21st century has one common theme: collaboration is at the heart of innovation. Designing modern libraries is a complex process involving many stakeholders and participants. Libraries of all types work with an almost limitless range of constituent groups for input, buy-in and successful implementation. Securing support for new library buildings and renovations of libraries engages many people: library clients, community members, faculty, funding agencies, donors, governing authorities, librarians, architects, interior designers and planners. Telling the right story and getting to the end game demand carefully crafted approaches, wide-ranging skills, a unified vision and productive teamwork. The IFLA Library Buildings and Equipment Section has selected the best papers presented by award-winning architects and international thought leaders from the academic and public library sector at our recent satellite conferences and seminars: "Collaborative Strategies for Successful Library Design" (Chicago, Illinois), "What comes after the Third Place?" (Columbus, Ohio); "Key Issues for Library Space: International Perspectives" (Maynooth, Ireland); "Storage, the final frontier" (Munich, Germany) and "Telling and selling the space story" (Wrocław, Poland). The stories by the library and design professionals within this publication illustrate how powerful a role partnerships, outreach and cooperation play in a library project’s success.