- Designing libraries in the 21st century
- This important new report by Gemma John is a study of new libraries across Europe and North America and what design means for both user and staff behaviour
- 20 Jan 2017
2017 News
Designing Libraries News Archive 2017
- Too many libraries?
- Western Australia's public library system will be modernised to meet the diverse and evolving needs of communities as part of a State Government overhaul.
- 11 Dec 2017
- Families zone for Chelmsford Library
- Chelmsford Library will soon host a new hub for family services following a £316,000 makeover of the children's zone.
- 27 Nov 2017
- New Royal Holloway library houses 400,000 books
- The Emily Wilding Davison Building at Royal Holloway, University of London's Egham campus opened for the start of the 2017/2018 academic year.
- 20 Nov 2017
- Inspirational refurbishment for Beeston Library
- Beeston Library in Nottinghamshire has reopened the most extensive library refurbishment since Inspire took over the running of the County's libraries.
- 17 Nov 2017
- The Book Stop pop-up library
- The Book Stop Project is a design concept offering a huge potential for community libraries to evolve from monolithic buildings to activated public spaces.
- 14 Nov 2017
- Bisset Adams wins Thamesmead library contest
- Bisset Adams has been selected to design a £5million lakeside library within south-east London’s Thamesmead estate, Bexley.
- 13 Nov 2017
- China's 'giant eye' library opens
- Dutch architect MVRDV has completed a public library that looks like a giant eyeball, as part of a new cultural district in Tianjin, China.
- 11 Nov 2017
- Qatar's new National Library opens
- The new Qatar National Library (QNL) has opened to the public, giving residents access to more than one million books, periodicals and special collections.
- 10 Nov 2017
- Designing academic space that matters
- KSS Architects have been doing some thinking about academic space on campus and have shared a series of principles and diagrams they developed as a result.
- 07 Nov 2017
- Modern design for Marylebone Library
- A modern Scandinavian design, utilising birch faced plywood with hot spots of colour, creates a light interior for this compact library in Marylebone.
- 06 Nov 2017
- Transforming the public library
- In a blog post from KI, a US-based global furniture company, Randy Hoople identifies five design strategies for transforming the public library.
- 30 Oct 2017
- Leiden University's Asian Library
- Leiden University has created one of the foremost Asian libraries and a major international centre for the study of Asia.
- 24 Oct 2017
- £4.2m refit for Edmonton Green library
- Enfield's busiest library is open for business following the bright, modern refurbishment of Edmonton Green library.
- 23 Oct 2017
- Moving Qatar Library into its new home
- Qatar National Library (QNL) carries out its mission through three functions: National Library, University and Research Library, and a Metropolitan Public Library of the digital age.
- 20 Oct 2017
- Inside Halifax Central Library
- A great exterior - now, courtesy of thedesignconcept, we publish the first photos of the stunning interior.
- 18 Oct 2017
- Final phase complete for Teesside University
- Teesside University's £7m library refurbishment is complete - and it's open to members of the public as well as students.
- 13 Oct 2017
- A phenomenal first year for The Word
- Award winning South Tyneside cultural venue The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, is celebrating a phenomenal first year.
- 12 Oct 2017
- Alvar Aalto library wins architecture prize
- Aalto University Harald Herlin Learning Centre, Otaniemi, wins the 2017 Finlandia Prize for Architecture.
- 10 Oct 2017
- SLA Inspiration Award - the winners!
- The School Library Association Inspiration Award 2017 for primary schools has been awarded to Adderley Primary School, Birmingham.
- 02 Oct 2017
- A bigger and better library for Battersea
- Wandsworth council has approved proposals to replace the existing 1960s Northcote library building with a new larger and better library & community centre.
- 27 Sept 2017
- Ealing Central Library to relocate
- Ealing Central Library will benefit from brand-new, modernised facilities and better online and digital services in this major relocation project.
- 19 Sept 2017
- The library runway for kids
- The first of several planned Early Learning Centres at Calgary Public Library is open - and it's not quiet!
- 18 Sept 2017
- 2017 Library Design Showcase
- American Libraries magazine's annual celebration of new and renovated libraries in North America.
- 14 Sept 2017
- SLA Inspiration Award shortlist
- 2017 sees a wonderful selection of inspiring school libraries to reach the shortlist of the SLA Inspiration Award for excellence in school library design.
- 11 Sept 2017
- Halifax opens its new library
- With little fanfare, the new central library in Halifax, Calderdale, opened its doors to visitors on 5th September.
- 08 Sept 2017
- The accessible library website
- Good design is just as important when creating user-focused and accessible websites as it is for physical spaces. Auckland NZ just launched its new site.
- 31 Aug 2017
- Libraries and Makerspaces
- A makerspace is a physical location where people gather to co-create, share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build.
- 29 Aug 2017
- More from less in Newcastle relocation
- The newest library to open its doors in Staffordshire will be inspired by the success of a similar project.
- 16 Aug 2017
- Green Library Award winner
- IFLA has announced the winner and runners up of the 2017 Green Library Award for environment, sustainability and libraries.
- 27 Jul 2017
- Picture this mobile shelving
- Ecospace's mobile shelving for the British Antarctic Survey library in Cambridge combines space-saving storage with stunning graphic design.
- 13 Jul 2017
- Doncaster library plan approved
- Doncaster Council approves plans for an eye-catching new building for its library services, incorporating the frontage of the former Girls Grammar School.
- 10 Jul 2017
- Aberdeen hub gets go-ahead
- Aberdeen City Council has agreed to put out to tender the £6m regeneration project to create a new library and service hub.
- 04 Jul 2017
- Revamp for Walsall Central Library
- Walsall Central Library is to have a £4m renovation as a hub of extended community services.
- 03 Jul 2017
- The self-service device loan revolution
- A new survey has revealed that almost half of UK universities have now automated their laptop or tablet loan service both in and outside the library.
- 29 Jun 2017
- Kingston invests in libraries
- Kingston upon Thames recently celebrated the completion of a £500,000 investment in the refurbishment of its libraries.
- 28 Jun 2017
- Australian Library Design Awards
- The Australian Library and Information Association has announced the five winners of its inaugural Library Design Awards at its conference in Melbourne.
- 20 Jun 2017
- Awards for Dunfermline library
- The redevelopment of Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries has been given two accolades at the RIAS architecture awards.
- 16 Jun 2017
- Competition for Southmere library design
- Peabody and the RIBA have announced the launch of an international design competition for a new library in Southmere Village, Thamesmead.
- 15 Jun 2017
- Vibrant new library for Nottingham
- A new £1 million joint Dales Centre for Sneinton, Nottingham, officially opened its doors at the end of May, bringing a host of benefits for local people.
- 01 Jun 2017
- £2.7m for Wales
- The new Transformation Fund builds on the success of the Community Learning Libraries Programme, extending it now to museums and archives.
- 15 May 2017
- Storyhouse opens
- Storyhouse opens this week with a series of community events and the launch of a diverse summer season of theatre, film and literature events.
- 12 May 2017
- The best of Australian library design
- 2017 will see the presentation of the first ever Australian Library Design Awards. The ALIA has published a gallery of all 33 entrants for the Awards.
- 24 Apr 2017
- Designing the British Library extension
- Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has been appointed to design an extension to the British Library on a 2.8 acre site to the north of its St Pancras building
- 21 Apr 2017
- Library design and the learning experience
- SCONUL Focus has published a collection of views on the importance and impact of library spaces in enhancing students' learning experiences.
- 07 Apr 2017
- Ryerson University's new Student Learning Centre
- Snøhetta has published a 34 page illustrated profile of the book-free Student Learning Centre at Ryerson University, Toronto.
- 06 Apr 2017
- A library is a giant toy
- This new library without corners for children in Shanghai, designed by Muxin Studio, is like a giant toy you can lose yourself in.
- 05 Apr 2017
- New library at the University of Nottingham
- The George Green Library is the subject library for science and engineering, finished late 2016 after a three-and-a-half year, £20m refurbishment project.
- 31 Mar 2017
- Green light for Paisley's High Street library
- Work to build a new £5 million library in an empty High Street unit will start this year - in a push to breathe new life into Paisley's High Street.
- 30 Mar 2017
- Culture Centre for Conwy
- Conwy County Borough Council has been awarded £900,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Conwy Culture Centre project.
- 28 Mar 2017
- Training rooms in libraries
- This new article on the IFLA Library Buildings and Equipment Section blog addresses the challenge of designing the perfect training room in the library.
- 16 Feb 2017
- Refurbishment for the University of Salford
- Working with students, the University of Salford has just completed the first phase of a £6.2m refurbishment of its main library.
- 14 Feb 2017
- A collective living room
- Thionville library and media centre in northeastern France has the ambition to become the new model for media libraries as a 'third place' for the public.
- 13 Feb 2017
- The Connect Experience
- A London-based event run by the Frem Group (home of FG Library). Discover how seamless communication can be when people and spaces connect with integrated technologies.
- 01 Jan 0001
- Wandsworth's libraries - bigger and better
- Plans have been unveiled for a bigger and better Northcote Library - the latest in a series of service improvements and branch upgrades.
- 30 Jan 2017
- Shelving and storage at University of Birmingham
- Ecospace supplied and installed shelving including the basement storage areas and the upper open access floors at the new University of Birmingham library.
- 25 Jan 2017
- Heritage preserved in Dartford Library
- Dartford Library marks its centenary year with a £650,000 restoration celebrating its heritage and historic roots.
- 18 Jan 2017