Planning and designing library buildings and services

Books, journal articles and online resources on key aspects of library planning, service design, design and building, and designing for inclusion.

Websites

Arts Green Book
We’re living in a climate crisis. The Green Book is an initiative by the cultural sectors – working with sustainability experts Buro Happold, and supported by Arts Council England and the GLA – to work more sustainably. Whether you work in theatre or run a library, operate a gallery, manage a venue, manufacture fashion, lead a museum, direct an archive or head a dance company, the climate emergency is changing what we do and how we do it.
Centre for Accessible Environments
An information provider and a forum for collaborative dialogue between providers and users on how the built environment can best be made or modified to achieve inclusion by design.
Design Council
Demonstrates and promotes the vital role of design in a modern economy – with case studies and practical help in choosing and briefing a designer.
Emotionally Intelligent Signage
Video. Signs for rules of behaviour in public spaces - as well as directional guiding - can benefit from thinking about how to make the right emotional connection with the user. All those library notices that shout 'Don't!' to the library visitor need a new approach... You can learn how.
IFLA library building guidelines
Information and guidelines for the building planning process, whether you are planning a new public or academic library building. The library building process is seen from both the library manager's perspective as well as that of the architect and designer. Issues covered include what to consider when investigating the need for space, library design from a marketing viewpoint, green management and sustainability and a layman's guide to reading plans.
Public Art Online
A public art information site providing guidance and examples of public art practice from around the UK and internationally.
Sign Design Society
The Society's purpose is to inform its members, provide platforms for dialogue, promote better understanding of the importance of signing and wayfinding and to encourage greater focus in the design disciplines, in industry and in education.
UXLIBS
Annual conferences on user experience research in both academic and public libraries, blog posts, year book anthologies.
Wild in Art
Dedicated to the promotion of art through the creation of mass participation public art events which bring art onto the streets for the enjoyment of all. Wild in Art specialises in working in partnership with cities, towns and villages in the creation, promotion and management of popular art events.

Articles, reports, toolkits

Accessibility and Universal Design
Accessibility and UD are two separate, but related, concepts meant to consider the needs of different types of people and users. Accessibility puts an emphasis on supporting users with disabilities, whereas UD is broader, taking into account differences such as users’ gender, age, native language, and learning preferences. ACRL, 2017.
Checklist for new library buildings
A Checklist from the State Library of Queensland, Australia to help with the planning of new library building and to help during the project until opening day. Specific to the State of Queensland but of general interest too.
How to Become an Interior Designer!
The University of the Arts spoke to 11 interior design experts from a range of backgrounds to bring you specialist advice and insights that will help kickstart your career in interior design!
Inclusive design toolkit
A website developed by the University of Cambridge, Engineering Design Centre, and sponsored by BT. The toolkit is also available as a 350 page illustrated book.
ISO/TR 11219:2012
ISO/TR 11219:2012 specifies data for the planning of library buildings. It also provides guidance on the selection of technical building equipment for the different functional areas of libraries.
Post-occupancy library building evaluation
A universally applicable questionnaire produced by IFLA to enable library managers and the design team to identify good practice and learn lessons from the experience of other design teams.
Toolkit for Creating Smart Spaces
WebJunction offers this toolkit to help you re-envision your library’s place as a center of community learning. Get ideas to reconfigure your physical space and reimagine your services to promote active and participatory learning. Jan 2021.
To Flex or Not to Flex? And How to Flex?
Creating flexible spaces in library buildings, what the options are, choice of partitions and mobile walls, solving acoustical problems. A survey by Denelle Wrightson, April, 2017.

Books

Countdown to a new library: managing the building project
ALA Editions, 2nd edition 2010. Librarian Jeannette Woodward draws upon her many years of experience and expertise, continues to be an indispensable instructional guide for anyone charged with the responsibility of building, remodelling or expanding a library to meet the growing demands of the community.
Designing circulation areas
This volume published by Detail, Munich, shows the entire spectrum of interesting options for infrastructure provision, starting with school construction and including a library example.
High quality design on a low budget: new library buildings
This publication brings together a range of building projects from National, Academic and Public Libraries from different countries of the world showing how these libraries are able to continue to provide high quality library space that is affordable in times of difficult economic circumstances. We will hear about the building processes, co-operation with architects and engineers and how librarians and users have reacted to these new buildings. An IFLA publication, March 2016.
Libraries: a design manual
Birkhauser Verlag AG, 2014. A handbook on the design and the planning of libraries. Comprehensive contributions by experts from architecture and library science analyse specific aspects of the building type; a typology of some 40 exemplary international projects provides inspiration and a range of options.
The makerspace librarian's sourcebook
ALA Editions, 2017. Library makerspaces continue to thrive, drawing new patrons in and engaging them as never before. This hands-on sourcebook edited by technology expert Ellyssa Kroski includes everything libraries need to know about the major topics, tools, and technologies.
Improbable libraries
Thames & Hudson, 2015. From the rise of the egalitarian Little Free Library movement to the growth in luxury hotel libraries, Alex Johnson whose parents were both librarians maps out the history and future of the 21st-century library revolution in seven thematic chapters, each consisting of a brief essay followed by illustrated project profiles. Whether by bike in Chicago or by donkey in Colombia, librarians all over the world are coming up with astonishingly ingenious ways of ensuring their books reach the people who need them.
Library architecture + design
Braun, 2010. This volume from the Masterpieces series presents outstanding examples of revolutions in library design and renovation, an 'architectural challenge to strike the finest balance between functionality and aesthetics.'
Libraries designed for users: a 21st century guide
Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2002. How library facilities can be successfully planned, designed, or remodelled with multi-lingual services, coffee house areas, late night services, multimedia programmes, outdoor facilities, day care programmes, electronic classrooms, art galleries, teen centres and more.
Renewing our libraries: case studies in re-planning and refurbishment
Michael Dewe. Ashgate, 2008. The aim of this case-study publication is to provide librarians, architects and others with examples of what has been achieved in library building redesign, extension and refurbishment, and to highlight the policies, processes and design issues leading to successful library projects.
The library book
Thomas R Schiff. Aperture, 2017. A panoramic view of the American library, its history and style.
The library: a world history
James W. P. Campbell. Thames & Hudson, 2013. This spectacular book is the first single volume to tell the story of the library as a distinct building type, all around the world.
The library marketing toolkit
Facet (July 2012). A practical guide covering every element of library marketing and branding for all sectors including archives and academic, public and special libraries, providing innovative and easy-to-implement techniques and ideas. Includes a section on marketing and the library building.
The reader-friendly library service
Published by the Society of Chief Librarians and distributed by Opening the Book, this is an important book on designing public libraries from a reader’s perspective.
Useful, usable, desirable: applying user experience design to your library
ALA, 2014. Every decision you make affects how people experience your library. In this useful primer, user experience (UX) librarians Schmidt and Etches identify 19 crucial touchpoints such as the library website, email, furniture, parking lot, events, and newsletters. They explain why each is important to your library's members and offer guidance on how to make improvements.