Library Design and the National Year of Reading
Information Professional February-March 2026 features Designing Libraries Director Ayub Khan discussing if reading is going out of fashion
Introduction
Here's a taster of Ayub's article. You can read the full article in the February March 2026 edition of Information Professional
The Reading Agency has seen a steep decline in reading amongst children, young people and adults which it hopes the 2026 Year of Reading campaign will help to reverse, says Designing Libraries Director Ayub Khan.
THE National Year of Reading 2026
The National Year of Reading 2026 is a Department for Education initiative, delivered by the National Literacy Trust in collaboration with core delivery leads The Reading Agency, BookTrust, World Book Day, Bookmark and the Queen’s Reading Room, and supported by CILIP. It aims to help more people to enjoy reading and make it part of their everyday life. The campaign will place reading for pleasure and literacy development at the heart of the national education agenda.
Libraries of all kinds - school, public, university, prison and workplace - have an essential role in encouraging reading for pleasure, especially as they prepare for the National Year of Reading 2026.
A key factor in revitalising engagement lies in recognising how physical space influences behaviour. When libraries are designed with atmosphere, flow, and discovery in mind, they have the power to shape how people explore books and develop reading habits.
Why does reading matter?
Research has shown positive links between leisure reading and attainment, suggesting that children who read for pleasure have better life prospects - and, furthermore, that the benefits extend into adulthood. Moreover, reading for pleasure doesn’t just help people achieve, researchers have found emotional and social benefits as well.
You can read the full article in the February March 2026 edition of Information Profession