Trends in Library Design and Technology

Here's a taster of Ayub's article. You can read the full article in the Winter Digital 2025 edition of Information Professional 

Not so many years ago, digital and physical libraries were seen as two separate services. Nowadays they are two parts of the same whole, fully integrated and interdependent, offering customers enhanced experiences and more choice, says Designing Libraries Director Ayub Khan.

OVER the past decade or so, new libraries have featured in cultural regeneration projects worldwide. Think of bold architectural statements of the new Library of Birmingham or the waterfront Dokk1 in Denmark with its own automated, driverless car park.

The COVID pandemic accelerated the take-up of digital library services and they haven’t looked back. The digital offer – and usage figures – continue to grow. However, the virtual library is not the only story.

Tech, in many forms, now pervades every aspect of library provision, eroding any remaining demarcations between online and physical services and blending tradition with innovation to meet the needs of modern-day users. Current trends suggest technology will continue to shape the bricks-and-mortar offer. This applies not only to shiny new libraries but also to sensitively refurbished older buildings.