The Year in Architecture 2022

FLEXIBLE

LOW

By Emily Puckett Rodgers

It’s all about flow. Rooms within rooms, nooks, delightful retreats for all ages are designed to seamlessly transition spaces from one function to another in this year’s round up of library renovations and new buildings. While we still see the subdued natural color palettes of last year’s trendsetters, colo r continues to play a meaningful role in these libraries. Color offers connection to the su rrounding landscape, s ignals a meaningful place to rest or congregate, or invites the community into the buildings. 2022’s libraries are joyful celebrations of their communities, reflecting whimsy and delight.

CHOICE BUT NOT CHAOS

Furniture selections across these libraries offer community members plenty of choice. Seating is available in soft, hard, task, and communal options. Tables are large and small. Rather than using different styles or designers for each section of the library, furniture pieces have the same underlying structure but are finished in a variety of fabric choices or other options, providing a cohesive visual and sensory experience, and facilitating the flow of one space into the next. At the Salem Public Library, OR, for example, warm wood-wrapped chairs offer functional seating in both family areas and in sun-filled reading nooks, finished with different colors in each space. In the renovated David Mullins Library, AR, design firm Perry Dean Rogers repeats furniture options that offer cohesion across large floor plates, setting up spaces for students to lounge, focus, and engage in solo or group work.

A SHELF APART

Shelving has become much more responsive and playful in this year’s libraries, especially in children’s areas. Incorporating lighting and graphic or highly finished end caps, these

shelves are configured in different heights to offer varying experiences. Some, like the Roslindale Branch of the Boston Public Library even offer a labyrinth-like experience for community members to wander through. At the newly built 22,000 square foot Norcross Library, GA, custom display shelves are mounted into a brick wall, celebrating new local newspapers and offering integrated seating. At the North Branch of the Clinton Macomb Public Library, MI, curved custom shelving offers seating and materials mimic the oculus at the center of the room. These shelves are not simply in the space but also of the space.

DELIGHTFUL RESPITE

While previous designs have incorporated rooms within rooms, nooks, or small play areas, 2022’s libraries feature bold, whimsical, and delightful spaces that are sure to ignite the imaginations of community members. At the Adams St. Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, a bold and futuristic cave offers a magenta-hued children’s area tucked into the floor. At the Conyers-Rockdale Library System in Georgia, a variety of different spaces and experiences are tucked together to offer a greenscreen performance space, a lounge area, computer stations, and a brainstorming area. Designed by Morris Berg, the Parr Student Success Center and Hagemeyer

EMILY PUCKETT RODGERS IS INTERIM ASSOCIATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN FOR OPERATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR

Furniture echoes architectural elements; places of refuge get playful, and more of the year’s top library design trends

Something to See

Flexible furnishings that echo architectural details, places of refuge, outdoor rooms, and color schemes that let nature take the spotlight top the trends in this year’s new academic and public library buildings . 1. Desert Hot Springs Library, CA. 2. Atlanta Central Library, GA. 3. Peoria Main Library, AZ. 4. Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, Brookfield, IL. 5. Karl Road Branch, Columbus Metropolitan Library, OH. 6. Shaker Heights Public Library, OH.

CREDITS 1. Cannon Design, architect; photo ©2021 Stephen Whalen Photography. 2. Cooper Carry; Moody Nolan, architects; photo ©2021 Jonathan Hillyer. 3. DFDG Architecture, architect; photo ©2022 Landscape Structures Inc. 4. Product Architecture + Design, architect; Product Architecture + Design, photo. 5. Moody Nolan, architect; photo courtesy Columbus Metropolitan Library. 6. Bialosky Cleveland, architect; photo ©2021 Christian Phillips Photography.

LJ ’s 2022 Year in Architecture Survey

This year LJ is reporting on 12 academic library construction and renovation projects completed between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, three of which were completely new buildings with an average total project cost (including construction, furniture, site costs, etc.) of $80 million covering an average of 73,000 s quare feet. Academic library renovations/additions averaged $12 million for 66,000 average square feet of added or remodeled space.

We received forms reporting on 75 public library projects—50 renovation/addition projects and 25 completely new buildings. New public library buildings averaged 25,000 square feet with an average total project cost of $18 million. Renovations/additio ns in public libraries averaged $9 million for 34,000 average square feet of space. Funding for public library construction projec ts came primarily through local government and bond funds (85 percent) or gifts (11 percent). State and federal government accounted fo r less than five percent of total funding.

ACADEMIC NEW BUILDINGS

PROJECT CONSTRUCTION GROSS SQ. FT. FURNITURE/ INSTITUTION COST COST SQ. FT. COST EQUIP. COST ARCHITECT

Solano College Library & Learning $43,800,000 $33,302,345 59,252 $562.05 $2,700,000 Noll & Tam Architects Resource Center, Solano Community College District, Fairfield, CA

Hagemeyer Library, Central Piedmont 113,519,384 81,823,590 66,321 1233.75 4,270,858 Moody Nolan; Morris Berg Architects Community College, Charlotte, NC Chalmers Library, Kenyon College, 81,200,000 62,500,000 93,090 671.39 6,800,000 GUND Partnership Gambier, OH

ADDITIONS AND RENOVATIONS

PROJECT CONSTRUCTION GROSS SQ. FT. FURNITURE/ INSTITUTION COST COST SQ. FT. COST EQUIP. COST ARCHITECT

Main Library, University of $8,000,000 $7,000,000 60,000 $116.67 $1,050,000 The Miller Hull Partnership; Poster Arizona, Tucson, AZ Mirto McDonald

David W. Mullins Library, University 25,000,000 18,989,599 120,560 157.51 2,754,494 Perry Dean Rogers; of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR Miller Boskus Lack Architects

Monroe F. Swilley, Jr. Graduate 2,113,500 1,878,500 62,000 30.30 235,000 Emery & Associates and Professional Library, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA

Lilly Library, Indiana University, 13,000,000 8,000,000 52,285 153.01 n/a TowerPinkster Bloomington, IN

Hayden Library, Massachusetts n/a n/a 148,000 n/a n/a Kennedy and Violich Architecture Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

Joseph Anderson Cook Memorial 12,100,000 n/a n/a n/a n/a Wier Boerner Allin Architecture Library, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS

Leonard Lief Library, Lehman 20,002,000 16,160,000 54,426 296.92 1,637,000 H2M architects + engineers College, Bronx, NY

Syracuse University Libraries’ Facility, 5,700,000 4,700,000 15,000 313.33 1,000,000 VIP Architectural Associates Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

Biotech Commons, University n/a 8,000,000 18,200 439.56 750,000 Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

DESIGN TREND

Choice but not Chaos

Across many library spaces and settings, furnishings, finishes, and fixtures are tightly coordinated, both in shape and in style, to create a cohesive, seamless experience between more public and more private areas in the library.

1. North Branch, Clinton Macomb Public Library, Macomb, MI. An elegant oculus ceiling is reflected in curved light blond wood shelving with room for both collections and displays, customized further with built-in seating.

2. Hyattsville Branch, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, MD. Undulating wood banners serve to anchor the drop ceiling above the check-out and returns desk while, high above, metal ribbons float between a warm wood-paneled ceiling and large, suspended circular LED lights.

3. St. Joseph County Public Library, South Bend, IN. An octagon repeats throughout a meeting room from the skylight through to the suspended LED lighting and tables below.

4. David W. Mullins Library, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR. Muted, matched warm-toned chairs and couches offer an array of comfortable seating, each balanced with suspended warm globe lights throughout an otherwise large open floor.

5. Salem Public Library, OR. Poufs, flowing couches, and brightly colored armchairs anchor an open, visible floor. Many of the same furnishings, finished in a variety of colors, provide cohesion throughout the floors, spaces, and levels of the library.

CREDITS

1. Quinn Evans, architect; Justin Macanochie, photo.

2. Grimm + Parker, architect; ©Sam Kittner, photo. 3. Arkos Design and Robert A.M. Stern Architects, architect; ©MILLER + MILLER Architectural Photography, photo. 4. Perry Dean Rogers, Miller Boskus Lack Architects, architect; Perry Dean Rogers, photo.

5. Hacker, architect; Lara Swimmer, photo.

Library at Central Piedmont Community College, NC, features a statement staircase leading to breakout areas with technology, comfortable seating, and large poufs for collaborating.

ICONIC ENTRANCES, TRANSPARENT FLOORS

These libraries offer their communities grand entrances by creating inspiring, inviting, and transparent lobbies and entryways. At the fully accessible Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians (LAMP), PA, a warm red anchors the entrance pillars, offset by bright LED lighting. Housed in a former Studebaker Factory by GBBN, the same hue is carried into the main lobby of the space, visible from the out-

PUBLIC NEW BUILDINGS

ARIZONA

side through large windows with the word “LIBRARY” emblazoned on the wall in led lighted braille letters. At the Salem Public Library, OR, glass or partial walls offer visibility between the second and first floors. Community members can stay visually connected across floors while occupying age- or activity-appropriate spaces. At the Chalmers Library at Kenyon College, OH, wood slats clad the interior of a glassed-in courtyard that is anchored by balconies within the space, leading to an urban city-like feel.

CREATING CONNECTION

Sahuarita 31 B $8,900,000 $5,657,759 17,700 $319.65 $620,000 Line and Space, LLC

CALIFORNIA

Atherton 12 B 19,300,000 n/a 11,460 n/a n/a WRNS Studio

Brisbane 5 B 9,600,000 n/a 7,670 n/a n/a Siegel & Strain Architects; Karin Payson architecture + design

Desert Hot 30 B 25,914,500 22,198,050 15,000 1,479.87 1,250,000 Cannon Design Springs

Menifee 93 B 34,552,666 29,597,400 20,000 1,479.87 1,666,666 Cannon Design

Winchester 40 B 43,190,833 36,996,750 25,000 1,479.87 2,083,333 Cannon Design

Some illustrate how renovated historic buildings can retain traditional facades while the interior can fully be modernized and contemporary. For example, the addition to the Concord Free Public Library, MA retains the residential vernacular design of the original building but offers a rich, warm wood interior throughout. At the Flint Public Library, MI, the interior offers glass and soft hued textures and metals. While the exterior envelope didn’t change substantially, new glass windows, thoughtful curtain enclosures, and the addition of a comfortable raised greenspace at the entrance invite the city’s residents to enjoy the collection and spaces.

FLORIDA

Marathon 8 B 9,588,954 7,994,929 14,000 571.07 1,068,190 Synalovski Romanik Saye, LLC.

GEORGIA

Norcross 65 B n/a 12,321,000 22,000 560.05 n/a CAS Architecture

ILLINOIS

Brookfield 19 M 11,000,000 8,500,000 21,000 404.76 645,000 Product Architecture + Design

INDIANA

Whiteland 25 B 8,494,317 6,598,059 17,127 385.24 342,594 HBM Architects

MARYLAND

Hyattsville 171 B 32,644,628 28,581,288 40,000 714.53 1,721,420 Grimm + Parker Architects

MASSACHUSETTS

Littleton 11 M 16,470,000 12,206,461 24,000 508.60 548,000 Johnson Roberts Associates

Medford 59 M 31,200,000 20,400,000 44,825 455.10 2,044,000 Schwartz/Silver Architects

MICHIGAN

Macomb 35 B 19,475,000 15,840,000 28,000 565.71 1,663,000 Quinn Evans Architects

MISSOURI

St. Louis n/a S 29,700,000 17,200,000 75,093 229.05 2,600,000 Lamar Johnson Collaborative

NEW YORK

Brooklyn 20 B 7,175,673 5,412,639 6,500 832.71 312,000 WORKac

Staten Island 17 B 17,250,000 13,500,000 10,000 1,350.00 450,000 ikon.5 architects

OHIO

Bay Village 6 B 1,084,966 8,909,278 17,000 524.08 558,662 HBM Architects

Columbus 66 B 18,112,721 14,006,563 41,147 340.40 825,420 Moody Nolan

Dayton 36 B 15,550,000 10,680,000 26,617 401.25 1,210,000 LWC Inc.

TENNESSEE

Martin 15 M 11,960,000 n/a 38,000 n/a n/a TLM Associates

TEXAS

Pearland 150 B 19,820,000 16,202,826 39,000 415.46 1,107,352 PGAL

VERMONT

South 20 M 14,319,828 11,442,597 27,500 416.09 701,351 Wiemann Lamphere

Burlington Architects; RATIO

WASHINGTON

Spokane 200 B 7,729,350 5,179,283 12,500 414.34 535,460 Integrus Architecture

Spokane 200 O 8,444,101 6,642,405 13,700 484.85 549,174 Integrus Architecture

These libraries combine design elements that connect communities, including the visual transparency between and across floors, with intimate and inspiring spaces for people to connect, learn together, explore, or create. Organic and dynamic shapes emerge out of color and pattern but also in configuration, with creative shelving, a variety of spaces and sizes, and anchored color. Our 2022 libraries bring joy into their communities alongside programming, resources, spaces in which to create and collaborate. ■

POP PROJECT CONSTR. GROSS SQ. FT. FURNITURE/ COMMUNITY IN K CODE COST COST SQ. FT. COST EQUIP. COST ARCHITECT

DESIGN TREND

A Shelf Apart

Shelving design continues to evolve to support the visual narrative and personality of library spaces, from whimsical interactive shelves with cubby holes and twists and turns to shelves that offer integrated seating, display, and collections.

1. Roslindale Branch, Boston Public Library, MA. A maze-like configuration of double-sided shelving invites exploration and curiosity while still being low enough to see over.

2. Perry Sippo Branch, Stark County District Library, Canton, OH. Shelving variety, from height to display, both anchors and creates zones of activity while also encouraging community members to move though the space.

3. Hagameyer Library, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC. Graphic endcaps on both tall and low shelving feature photos of alumni, dating back to 1963, celebrating the history of the community college.

CREDITS 1. Leers Weinzapfel Associates, architect; Jane Messenger, photos. 2. HBM Architects, architect; photo ©2022 Hanson Photographic. 3. Moody Nolan, Morris Berg Architects, architect; ©Central Piedmont Community College 2021, photos.

PUBLIC ADDITIONS AND RENOVATIONS

POP PROJECT CONSTR. GROSS SQ. FT. FURNITURE/ COMMUNITY IN K CODE COST COST SQ. FT. COST EQUIP. COST ARCHITECT

ARIZONA

Mesa 430 MS $1,290,860 $981,801 12,285 $79.92 $132,000 EMC2

Peoria 191 M 2,852,363 2,397,365 7,324 327.33 100,000 DFDG Architecture

FLORIDA

Jacksonville 204 B 1,805,695 1,237,656 10,763 114.99 392,807 VRL Architects Inc.; Margaret Sullivan Studio

Tavares 17 M 983,931 720,137 2,594 277.62 97,511 DLR Group

GEORGIA

Atlanta 1,105 MS 57,042,724 41,725,766 170,000 245.45 5,847,688 Cooper Carry; Moody Nolan Conyers 91 MS 978,087 715,899 47,248 15.15 n/a McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

ILLINOIS

Arlington 77 B 1,659,929 934,350 8,000 116.79 165,325 Williams Architects Heights

Bedford Park 1 M 968,583 777,962 6,797 114.46 104,181 StudioGC architecture + interiors

Chicago Ridge 14 M 1,359,000 1,050,000 15,000 70.00 240,000 Product Architecture + Design

East Moline 22 M 8,295,095 4,651,757 21,684 214.52 686,320 HGA, Inc.

Prospect 14 M 5,400,000 4,500,000 26,000 173.08 550,000 Product Architecture Heights + Design

Riverside 9 M 1,162,500 760,500 8,270 91.96 260,600 StudioGC architecture + interiors

Wood Dale 13 M 7,274,434 6,139,323 26,118 235.06 288,346 StudioGC architecture + interiors

INDIANA

Fort Wayne 35 B 2,779,778 2,630,877 12,600 208.80 148,901 MKM architecture + design

South Bend 168 MS 39,135,756 32,710,495 140,457 232.89 1,191,669 Robert. A. M. Stern Architects; Arkos Design, Inc.

MARYLAND

Cooksville 345 B 1,200,000 687,750 30,000 22.93 327,961 Quinn Evans Architects

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston 33 B 8,100,000 7,800,000 14,855 525.08 300,000 Leers Weinzapfel Associates

Concord 19 M 10,750,000 8,350,000 15,500 538.71 550,000 Johnson Roberts Associates

Grafton 20 M 16,600,000 13,300,000 25,212 527.53 1,012,346 Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc

Sandwich 21 M 3,524,937 2,980,804 17,700 168.41 293,274 studioMLA Architects; David L. King Architects

Somerville 79 B designLAB architects

Wellesley 29 M 2,400,000 1,600,000 25,000 64.00 627,000 Johnson Roberts Associates

Worcester 185 M 13,000,000 11,423,500 161,000 70.95 342,000 LLB Architects

MICHIGAN

Flint 81 M 28,000,000 3,000,000 91,250 32.88 3,000,000 OPN Architects

NEW YORK

Blue Point 14 M 18,399,540 12,940,302 28,531 453.55 989,819 BBS Architects, Landscape Architects + Engineers

Bronx 80 B 3,671,000 3,365,000 4,200 801.19 n/a Belmont Freeman Architects

Brooklyn 27 B 23,881,970 19,401,613 26,620 728.84 513,970 Gensler; Marvel Architects

Guilderland 36 M 8,849,592 5,739,364 33,360 172.04 1,483,473 Butler Rowland Mays Architects, LLP

NORTH CAROLINA

Hickory 43 MS 1,371,089 1,140,812 5,660 201.56 150,000 McMillan Pazdan Smith

OHIO

Canton 8 B 856,954 670,354 5,000 134.07 101,800 HBM Architects

Canton 46 B 1,332,994 1,021,273 9,400 108.65 182,530 HBM Architects

Cincinnati 19 B 3,900,000 3,100,000 24,589 126.07 421,000 GBBN

Columbus 45 B 12,919,042 9,506,058 32,252 294.74 694,347 Gresham Smith

East Canton 8 B 661,630 511,471 3,600 142.08 75,861 HBM Architects

Lakewood 51 B 2,662,611 2,178,990 9,134 238.56 120,923 HBM Architects

Shaker Heights 31 M 10,904,275 8,598,953 65,000 132.29 1,023,533 Bialosky Cleveland

Youngstown 227 M 28,283,615 23,721,130 90,085 263.32 1,745,350 Bostwick Design Partnership

OREGON

Salem 167 MS 19,860,000 18,500,000 96,000 192.71 n/a Hacker - Architecture & Interior Design

PENNSYLVANIA

Hellam

DESIGN TREND

Delightful Respite

While peaceful nooks for concentrating, enjoying the scenery, or getting work done are now standards for library design, these libraries feature unique and inspiring spaces within spaces that create a whole new experience within the library for their communities.

1. Deer Park Branch, Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, Cincinnati, OH. Bold blue carpeting, walls, and furniture highlight two multi-purpose rooms within the interior floor of the Deer Park Branch.

2. Adam Street Branch, Brooklyn Public Library, NY. A futuristic, funky children’s space creates a window into the rest of the library and a unique area for children’s imaginations to run free with bright orange carpeting and rich wood paneling.

3. Flint Public Library, MI. Floating glassed-in rooms suspend above the main stairwell, offering a destination within the library in which to work that stays connected to the interior and the exterior of the building.

4. Conyers-Rockdale Library System, Conyers, GA. Layers of open space, designated as distinct by suspended acoustic ceiling panels, furniture, and color, offer a variety of options for activities that can take place side-by-side.

5. Norcross Library, Gwinnett Public Library, Norcross, GA. Highlighted in blue paint, carpeting, and furniture, three booths with built-in power stand out as a landing spot for individuals or pairs.

CREDITS 1. GBBN, architect; Ryan Kurtz, photo. 2. HBM Architects, architect; Gregg Richards, photo. 3. OPN Architects, architect; ©OPN Architects, Inc., photo. 4. McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, architect; photo ©2021 Firewater Photography. 5. CAS Architecture, architect; Gary Gomez Photography, photo.

PUBLIC ADDITIONS AND RENOVATIONS

PENNSYLVANIA ( CONTINUED )

( CONTINUED )

Lewisburg 37 MS $1,338,428 $1,062,415 16,000 $66.40 $196,548 JR Keller LLC Creative Partnerships; Vitetta

Pittsburgh 15 B 2,650,700 2,110,500 11,600 181.94 17,600 GBBN

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charleston 54 B 2,849,000 1,933,000 14,000 138.07 4,888,000 McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

Johns Island 25 B 2,766,000 1,743,000 15,950 109.28 472,000 McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

Lancaster 9 MS 5,746,007 4,454,799 20,390 218.48 346,500 McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

North 146 B 2,945,000 1,931,000 14,000 137.93 457,000 McMillan Pazdan Smith Charleston Architecture

WASHINGTON

Spokane 200 B 11,150,000 10,250,000 30,800 332.79 900,000 Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.; Integrus Architecture

Spokane 200 MS 28,020,000 23,000,000 117,000 196.58 2,320,000 Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.; Integrus Architecture

WEST VIRGINIA

Charleston 181 MS 32,397,874 25,160,776 80,000 314.51 1,325,852 HBM Architects; Silling Architects

WISCONSIN

Lake Geneva 8 M 1,010,176 874,992 4,379 199.82 156,288 FEH Design Watertown 30 M 10,000,000 6,800,000 41,500 163.86 972,500 StudioGC architecture + interiors

DESIGN

TREND

Iconic Entrances and Transparent Floors

You have arrived. This year’s libraries emphasize entrances by visually drawing community members into and through their doors with light, color, height, and plenty of glass or openings throughout their buildings so people can find where they want to go.

11. Hayden Library, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Soft geometric shapes pull the eye from the main floor up through to the suspended stairwell of the upper floors. Warm grey felted sound baffling anchors the shape of the stairs to provide cohesion.

2. Chalmers Library, Kenyon College, Gambler, OH. Double-height windows look both outward and inward, offering visual connectivity between all the spaces, including an interior courtyard housed within a curved glass ceiling.

3. Central Library, Spokane Public Library, WA. Mirrored ceiling tiles reflect activity throughout the main stairwell, featuring a lithe and iridescent art piece that spans three floors.

4. Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians (LAMP), Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA. Bold, illuminated red tile and a wood-slatted awning anchors the entrance to LAMP. The same color is repeated in the interior of the first floor, encouraging movement into and through the building.

5. Liberty Park Library, Spokane Public Library, WA. Breaking from the angular framing of windows and a wide awning, and the vertical cladding, Liberty Park’s entryway is moored by a circular orange room that features a meeting area and seating as you walk into the building.

CREDITS 1. Kennedy and Violich Architecture, architect; John Horner, photo. 2. GUND Partnership, architect; ©James D. DeCamp, photo. 3. Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.; Integrus Architecture, architect; Aileen Allen, photo. 4. GBBN, architect; photos ©2022 Ed Massery Photography. 5. Integrus Architecture, architect; photo ©2022 Lara Swimmer.

ARCHITECTS

A

B

Arkos Design, Inc., Mishawaka, IN, 574-257-0000, arkosdesign.com

BBS Architects, Landscape Architects + Engineers, Patchogue, NY, 631-475-0349, bbsarch.com

Belmont Freeman Architects, New York, NY, 212-382-3311, belmontfreeman.com

Bialosky Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, 216-752-8750, bialosky.com

Bostwick Design Partnership, Cleveland, OH, 216-621-7900, bostwickdesign.com

Butler Rowland Mays Architects, LLP, Ballston Spa, NY, 518-885-1255, brmarchitects.com

C

Cannon Design, Irvine, CA, 949-250-1500, cannondesign.com

CAS Architecture, Lawrenceville, GA, 678-646-7736, casarc.com

Cooper Carry, Atlanta, GA, 404-237-2000, coopercarry.com

D

David L. King Architects, Boston, MA, 617-542-7420, davidkingarchitects.com

designLAB architects, Boston, MA, 617-350-3005, designlabarch.com

DFDG Architecture, Phoenix, AZ, 602-954-9060, dfdg.com

DLR Group, New York, NY, 212-564-8705, dlrgroup.com

Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc., Waltham, MA, 617-964-1700, draws. com

E

EMC2, Mesa, AZ, 480-830-3838, emc2architects.com

Emery & Associates, Atlanta, GA, 770-414-9099, emeryassoc.com

F

G

FEH Design, Oconomowoc, WI, 414-708-0112, fehdesign.com

GBBN, Cincinnati, OH, 513-241-8700, gbbn.com

GBBN, Pittsburgh, PA, 412-345-5005, gbbn.com

Gensler, New York, NY, 212-492-1400, gensler.com

Gresham Smith, Columbus, OH, 614-221-0678, greshamsmith.com

Grimm+Parker Architects, Calverton, MD, 301-595-1000, grimmandparker.com

Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 650-871-0709, g4arch.com

GUND Partnership, Cambridge, MA, 617-250-6800, GUNDPartnership.com

H H2M architects + engineers, Melville, NY, 866-970-6535, h2m.com

Hacker-Architecture & Interior Design, Portland, OR, 503-227-1254, hackerarchitects.com

HBM Architects, Cleveland, OH, 216-241-1100, HBMarchitects.com

HGA, Inc., Milwaukee, WI, 414-278-8200, HGA.com

I

ikon.5 architects, New York, NY, 212-956-2530, ikon5architects.com

The renovated entry of the Madison Branch, Lakewood Public Library, OH.

CREDITS HBM Architects, architects; photo ©2022 Roger Mastroianni.

Integrus Architecture, Spokane, WA, 509-838-8681, integrusarch.com

J Johnson Roberts Associates, Somerville, MA, 617-666-8585, johnson-roberts.com

JR Keller LLC Creative Partnerships, Philadelphia, PA, 267-908-5846, jrkeller.com

K Karin Payson architecture + design, San Francisco, CA, 415-277-9500, kpad.com

Kennedy and Violich Architecture, Boston, MA, 617-442-0800, kvarch.net

L Lamar Johnson Collaborative, St. Louis, MO, 314-429-1010, theljc.com

Leers Weinzapfel Associates, Boston, MA, 617-423-5711, lwa-architects.com

Line and Space, LLC, Tucson, AZ, 520-623-1313, lineandspace.com

LLB Architects, Worcester, MA, 508-556-4648, llbarch.com

LWC Inc., Dayton, OH, 937-223-6500, lwcinspires.com

M Margaret Sullivan Studio, New York, NY, 646-687-7923, margaretsullivanllc.com

Marvel Architects, New York, NY, 212-616-0420, marveldesigns.com

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston, SC, 843-566-0771, mcmillanpazdansmith.com

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Greenville, SC, 864-242-2033, mcmillanpazdansmith.com

Miller Boskus Lack Architects, Fayetteville, AR, 479-443-7121, mbl-arch.com

MKM architecture + design, Fort Wayne, IN, 260-422-0783, mkmdesign.com

Moody Nolan, Atlanta, GA, 470-480-7590, moodynolan.com

Moody Nolan, Columbus, OH, 614-461-4664, moodynolan.com

Morris Berg Architects, Charlotte, NC, 704-552-5800, morrisberg.com

N

O

P

Noll & Tam Architects, Berkeley, CA, 510-542-2200, nollandtam.com

OPN Architects, Cedar Rapids, IA, 319-363-6018, opnarchitects.com

Perry Dean Rogers, Boston, MA, 617-423-0100, perrydean.com

PGAL, Houston, TX, 713-622-1444, PGAL.com

Poster Mirto McDonald, Tucson, AZ, 520-882-6310, pmm.design

Product Architecture + Design, Chicago, IL, 773-837-0447, product-architects.com

Q Quinn Evans Architects, Baltimore, MD, 410-576-0440, quinnevans.com

Quinn Evans Architects, Ann Arbor, MI, 734-663-5888, quinnevans.com

R RATIO, Denver, CO, 303-607-0040, ratiodesign.com

Robert. A. M. Stern Architects, New York City, NY, 212-967-5100, ramsa.com

S Schwartz/Silver Architects, Boston, MA, 617-542-6650, schwartzsilver.com

Siegel & Strain Architects, Emeryville, CA, 510-547-8092, siegelstrain.com

Silling Architects, Charleston, WV, 304-346-0565, silling.com

StudioGC architecture + interiors, Chicago, IL, 312-253-3400, studiogc.com

studioMLA Architects, Brookline, MA, 617-608-1551, studiomla.com

Synalovski Romanik Saye, LLC., Fort Lauderdale, FL, 954-961-6806, synalovski.com

T

The Miller Hull Partnership, Seattle, WA, 206-682-6837, millerhull.com

TLM Associates, Jackson, TN, 731-988-9840, tlmae.com

TowerPinkster, Jeffersonville, IN, 812-282-9554, towerpinkster.com

V

VIP Architectural Associates, Syracuse, NY, 315-471-5338, vipstructures.com/architecture

Vitetta, Leymoyne, PA, 717-233-1105, vitetta.com

Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP, Philadelphia, PA, 215-545-4544, voithandmactavish.com

VRL Architects Inc., Jacksonville, FL, 904-723-3895, vrlarchitects.com

W Warehaus, York, PA, 717-845-8383, warehausae.com

Wiemann Lamphere Architects, Colchester, VT, 802-655-5020, wiemannlamphere.com

Wier Boerner Allin Architecture, Jackson, MS, 601-321-9107, wbaarchitecture.com

Williams Architects, Itaska, IL, 630-221-1212, williams-architects.com

WORKac, New York, NY, 212-228-1333, work.ac

WRNS Studio, San Francisco, CA, 415-489-2224, wrnsstudio.com

FUTUREPROOFING Libraries Through Flexible Design

BY JESSICA LEVINE

“Today’s library is so many things,” says Jennifer Charzewski, principal at the Charleston-based architecture firm Liollio. “It’s library as gathering place, as museum, as park, as school, as community center.” So, library designers are prioritizing flexibility for unforeseen future functions as they embark on both new builds and renovations.

The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, presented a number of new needs—curbside pickup, drive-up windows, outdoor spaces, more indoor space for social distancing—that couldn’t have been anticipated. But a flexibly designed library can adapt.

The Spokane Public Library, which recently refurbished all seven of its branches, including one “bookless library,” has reimagined its identity, as not a library of books or media but “of things.” Patrons can check out everything from a ukelele to gardening seeds to a podcasting studio. All seven

branches have expanded children’s areas with play structures and a variety of dedicated spaces for working, meeting, lounging, and socializing. As library services and functions evolve to meet community needs, so must their spaces.

“We have been embracing the idea that libraries will continue to evolve,” says Peter Bolek, president and director of design at Cleveland-

based HBM Architects. He warns against falling prey to trends. “Trends can be a hurdle in two or three years, once the newness wears off, if you’re not flexible enough. But things will always come around that are new, that need to be incorporated into buildings. So, the best thing that you can do as a library designer is design a very flexible and adaptable building.”

The firms represented here have created new and inventive ways to ensure that the libraries they have built or refurbished will continue to support their communities now and into the future.

Grimm + Parker Architects

Founded 50 years ago, Grimm and Parker Architects is a firm of 100 with its main office in Calverton, MD. As community architects, G+P’s portfolio comprises civic and public architecture. Between standalone libraries and education projects, about 75 percent of the firm’s

From Integrus + YGH Architecture

From Group 4

work incorporates library design. “We strive to be good stewards of public funds,” says Partner and Director of Design Antonio Rebelo. To do that, G+P aims for durability and sustainability. In fact, all of the firm’s projects qualify for at

art as seating, and of course, the beloved saucer, serving as a shade pavilion and primary focal point.

“All of a sudden we got the entire community behind this project,” Rebelo says. “Because now we are celebrating something

the new Leonardtown Library near Chesapeake Bay. The 45,500-squarefoot Leonardtown facility co-locates a 15,000-square-foot active adult center with a 23,000-square-foot library and some shared public space. The Leonardtown design revolves around resource sharing between the library and senior center. “They have this symbiotic relationship. There’s one meeting room that opens to the lobby from the library, and they share all kinds of spaces, including outdoor ones. There’s synergy that comes with that. There are always challenges, but none that we can’t solve through design.”

least LEED silver certification.

One recent project, the midcentury Hyattsville Library in Hyattsville, MD, was lacking meeting rooms and restrooms, and was not up to current building codes. A facility assessment determined the building had to go, but the community wasn’t happy about it. “It was designed in the era when the United States was going into space, and there was all this hype about space travel,” Rebelo says. The library’s defining feature was a flying saucer-like canopy entrance, which became a public rallying point. “As we started our community engagement process, we found out it was not really about the building but the canopy and what it represented,” Rebelo says.

So, G+P used the saucer as the genesis of the new design. The old building was replaced with a simple one-story structure with an open, flexible floor plan that includes a children’s area, a teen zone, a café, and a local history room. A main spine running through the library leads patrons to an outdoor terrace featuring a glass mosaic constellation, planetary public

that’s uniquely theirs.”

Rebelo says co-location is a major trend in library design. “The majority of the libraries we’ve done recently have been co located— sharing a lobby with a senior center, a recreation center, or a

G+P’s design prioritized flexibility by locating rooms along one side of the library and keeping the majority of the floor plan adaptable for future needs with modular furnishings, shelving on casters, and light fixtures independent of the stacks. “In a sense, we’re future-proofing the library for whatever space rearrangements may be necessary in the future,” says Julia Crawford, vice president and director of interior design.

daycare,” he says, pointing out that multigenerational civic buildings can double door counts. “We did one that is a recreation center, senior center, and library combined. You see entire families going in there. There’s a cafe that unifies everything in the lobby.”

Exemplifying this trend is another recent Grimm + Parker project,

Noll & Tam Architects

Architects Janet Tam and Christopher Noll teamed up in Berkeley, CA, 30 years ago through the pursuit of library projects. “Our very first project was a renovation of a library at UC Berkeley,” says Noll, founding principal. “The firm has been focusing on

We got the entire community behind this project, because we were celebrating something that’s uniquely theirs.

Antonio Rebelo, partner and director of design, Grimm + Parker Architects

From Grimm + Parker Architects

all kinds of public work with this particular specialization in libraries from the beginning.”

The firm prides itself on its extensive experience solving library planning issues by helping analyze and identify communityspecific needs. “Every library is specifically rooted in its community, and the place, and what people want to do with it,” Noll says. One recent project, the Half Moon Bay Library, on the coast south of San Francisco, posed interesting challenges for the firm. Serving a large, diverse coastal community, the library—the only one for 30 miles around—needed to fulfill many different needs. But the community couldn’t come to any agreement on size, budget, or function.

“The key thing at the beginning was scale,” says Noll. A block off Main Street, the site was surrounded by

modest one-story homes. To fit the footprint, the library would need two floors. But the community’s one point of consensus was that no one wanted the new structure to stick out in their small beach town. They wanted quaint and cozy, not a modern eyesore.

Noll & Tam’s solution was an unobtrusive single-story community space slipped in next to singlefamily homes. Behind it, at a significant remove from the street, the two-story library rises, making efficient use of space without overwhelming the neighborhood. The second story reading room boasts 22-foot-high ceilings and glass on four sides, affording patrons views of the hills, the Pacific, and the rest of Half Moon Bay.

The agreed-upon size didn’t allow for all the specialized spaces desired, but the firm maximized

usable space with indoor-outdoor flow incorporating a wind-protected garden and courtyard, and a multifunctional meeting room with removable walls to serve both small and large groups.

The final design used natural materials such as solid cedar wood siding, patinated copper, and black granite stone that would weather attractively in the coastal location with minimal maintenance. Solar panels, radiant heating, thickened walls, drought-resistant landscaping, and a green roof were also utilized for sustainability.

The end product won an AIA/ALA Library Building Award in 2019 and LEED platinum certification. Most impressively, it won over the whole community. “In the end, everybody said, ‘this doesn’t look like anything else in Half Moon Bay, but it perfectly fits in Half Moon Bay,’” Noll says.

Liollio Architecture

Founded in Charleston, SC, in 1956, Liollio Architecture focuses on work in the public sphere. Libraries are an important part of Liollio’s community-focused work, and community engagement is at the heart of each of their projects. “As a civic building, a library should support a community’s needs and also represent that community’s identity, aspirations, or unique sense of place,” says Principal Jennifer Charzewski.

Liollio recently renovated the existing 34,000-squarefoot South County Library in Charlotte, NC. Built in 1998, the facility had few windows, a single meeting room, and just two small windowless study rooms that had to be restricted to patrons 18 and older. It wasn’t meeting the community’s needs at all.

Through community engagement, Liollio determined the library needed more meeting and collaboration spaces, openness, and transparency inside. “The library had a fixed footprint, a fixed budget, and a fixed collection,” Charzewski says. “And we had to reorganize within that box to create all the missing collaborative spaces. There were some creative solutions.”

Because much of the budget was dedicated to replacing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire-protection, technology, and security systems, Liollio capitalized on the existing building’s assets. They played up the library’s bay window reading nooks with pops of color, raised and opened ceilings to take greater advantage of existing skylights, and replaced interior walls with glass and openings to brighten the space.

Liollio also added a bit of square

footage by filling in a double-height entrance vestibule with floor space above for a bonus learning studio. That also solved the library’s acoustic problem of noise traveling upstairs from the entryway. Big, underused tables and bulky PC stations were replaced with new, lighter furniture and smallerfootprint technology. “Even just through modern furniture solutions, you can get a lot more bang out of your space,” says Charzewski.

The reconfigured floor plan made space for a new children’s programming room, much larger main meeting room, additional second-floor meeting room, plus a teen lounge, computer lab, multiple study rooms, learning studio, café, outdoor program areas, automated materials handling, and driveup book drop—all without losing any of their cherished books.

“There is a lot of inherent sustainability in working on a renovation versus a new build,” Charzewski says. “It’s important to give buildings that exist a new life. You can really transform them.”

LaptopsAnytime

LaptopsAnytime has been providing libraries with innovative technology-dispensing kiosk systems since 2011. With hundreds of public library and university clients all over the world, libraries make up about two-thirds of the company’s client base. The ILS and LDAP/Active Directory-interfacing kiosks were originally designed to automate the laptop checkout process, so library staff could focus on books. The kiosk system not only dispenses the devices but also collects, recharges, resets, and securely stores them. Using RFID technology, the kiosk can also track each dispensed computer.

While LaptopsAnytime began with laptops, the company’s kiosks can now do much more. Vice President and Cofounder Jonathan Ruttenberg says their new products always start with library clients looking for greater flexibility and new ways to serve their patrons. “Libraries are pushing us into these new areas,” he says. And flexibility is really the driving force behind Laptops’ business.

“With all of our products, everything is 100 percent mobility, 100 percent flexibility. We just say, here are the tools, you can design your library any way you want. In the old days, you had to decide where the desktops went. But with laptop dispensing, patrons check out a laptop and go anywhere they want in the library,” says Ruttenberg.

In 2017, portable chargers joined the lineup of laptops, Chromebooks, and tablets being dispensed through the kiosks. Portable chargers can problemsolve for old facility infrastructures without outlets in the quantity

or locations needed. Patrons can check out chargers along with their devices and use them anywhere in the library, no outlet necessary.

“The Extend-It Kit” is LaptopAnytime’s latest addition to the fleet. The kit includes a 24-inch monitor, keyboard, and mouse that can be used in tandem

By the end of this year, LaptopsAnytime will add yet another product to their offerings—virtual reality headsets, specifically the Oculus Quest 2 headsets. “We are currently in the final design stages of providing a system for VR headsets,” Ruttenberg says. Available VR applications are endless and experiential including fitness, mental health therapy, education and elearning, gaming, and cultural events, to name a few. Democratizing access to the headsets could open a multitude of new opportunities for patrons.

But managing VR systems is even more time-consuming than managing other technology. Libraries that have tried offering them have struggled with it. LaptopsAnytime’s kiosks will facilitate that process by charging the headsets and managing the applications on the device via a

Jonathan Ruttenberg, vice president and cofounder, LaptopsAnytime

with one of the kiosk laptops or the patron’s own laptop. The kit gives users the desktop experience without a desktop computer.

“With mix-n-match systems, now libraries can redefine and repurpose their library space,” says National Sales Manager John Kormanik. “Where they used to have a row or two of desktops, now they might have some lounge chairs, some cubicles in a corner, maybe even a roundtable. It gives them so much more flexibility in what they can do with their space. Most importantly, they can change their space anytime.”

provided third-party system. “We’re taking something that libraries have been doing manually and we’re going to automate it,” he says.

“A lot of what we do is taking very sophisticated technology and making it easy to use and simple to implement by nontechnical people. You don’t have to be a tech expert to use these systems,” says Ruttenberg.

Integrus + YGH Architecture

Integrus and YGH, two Pacific Northwest firms, joined forces earlier this year. Fittingly, the firm’s Spokane office is located in

With all of our products, everything is 100 percent mobility, 100 percent flexibility.”

From Laptops Anytime

a former Andrew Carnegie library. With a long history of K–12, higher education, and civic projects, both firms have extensive experience in library design. Mark Dailey, Integrus president and principal in charge of design, estimates that libraries comprise about 15 percent of the firm’s projects.

Recently, Integrus collaborated with Group 4 on building, renovating, or restoring seven libraries for the Spokane Public Library System. The firm also served as design lead on perhaps the most innovative of the seven projects. “The Hive,” opened in 2021 and was a joint project between Spokane Public Libraries and Spokane Public Schools.

This bookless library—yes, you read that right!—includes open meeting rooms and a training center for the school district, plus four artist-in-residence studios and gallery space. Artists can “check out” a studio space for six months at a time in exchange for providing art education for the community by participating in Spokane’s First Friday art walks or public workshops. The Hive is set on a main thoroughfare surrounded by neon signs, pawn shops, body shops, and used car lots. Its design was inspired by its site. “Rather than ignoring the context or creating a context,

we said, let’s embrace the color and the architecture for 40 miles an hour,” Dailey says. The building’s 12-foot-tall sign announcing itself in neon yellow not only catches the eye of drivers but also lights the site around the clock for artists, who have 24/7 access to the studios.

Other contextual design choices for The Hive included plywood walls, garage doors, polished concrete floors, and a prominent perforated metal screen to buffer noise from the busy arterial road outside. “It was easy to justify corrugated metal and concrete block

within the Spokane system. Liberty Park, designed by the Olmsted Brothers of New York City’s Central Park fame, was Spokane’s signature park in the early 1900s. But it was in serious need of revival. And the planned new library to serve East Central Spokane needed a site. The underused tennis courts of Liberty Park provided the perfect footprint for the library-to-be.

Like The Hive, the design of the library was all about place and context. Nestled amid mature trees adjacent to a public pool and at the convergence of bike/ walking paths, the structure that Integrus envisioned enhances the neighborhood’s experience of the existing park. “We came up with this idea of giving Liberty Park its very own front porch,” Dailey says. “It was inspired by the old picnic shelters where we all had baloney sandwiches when we were kids. They were simple, but there was a lot of structural clarity.”

and using everyday materials in innovative ways,” Dailey says. “It was a really cost-effective building.”

Integrus also led the design on the ground-up build of another library

The point was to provide shelter from the Pacific Northwest elements—rain, snow, and sun— while taking advantage of the views. The resulting library design is characterized by a dramatic roof overhang and walls of glass that give patrons inside ample light and the sense of sitting among the trees with books.

From Integrus and YGH Architecture

From Integrus and YGH Architecture

LLB Architects

Based in Pawtucket, RI, LLB Architects was founded in 1936 and focuses primarily on municipal and higher-education projects. The firm’s work runs the gamut from new builds to renovation of existing historic buildings. Principal

the middle that kids can play on. Harvey Ball, who designed the original smiley face, was also from Worcester, so projectors in the ceiling project smiley faces onto the floor. And we reinterpreted different landmarks and Worcester icons.”

The children’s area also features

Libraries are re-envisioning their interior spaces to accommodate advancing technology and new ways that public libraries are being used.

R. Drayton Fair, principal, LLB Architects

R. Drayton Fair says he’s seen a lot of libraries redesigning individual spaces recently. “When interiors start to show their age, libraries are reenvisioning their interior spaces to accommodate advancing technology and new ways that public libraries are being used,” he says.

Recently, the Worcester (MA) Public Library wanted to reorient its entrance from a parking lot to the newly revitalized town common on the building’s opposite side. To achieve that, LLB needed to relocate the children’s library. In moving the children’s area from the first to the third floor of the 140,000-squarefoot mid-century modern building, other areas would need to shift too. LLB renovated the entire first floor and much of the third—about 52,000 square feet in total.

LLB added new study rooms, quiet reading rooms, an A/V department, teen area, and makerspace to the first floor. But the new children’s library became the building’s crown jewel. “It’s got a lot of Worcestercentric components,” Fair says. “Robert Goddard, the founder of modern rocketry, was from Worcester. So, there’s a rocket in

an LED-lit space-themed ceiling to go with the rocket, a new program room, a computer area, and an interactive video wall.

HBM Architects

HBM Architects’ first project, in 1976, was for the Cleveland Public Library System. And in the last five decades, the firm has completed over 700 library projects—from small, interior redesigns, to largerscale renovations, to ground-up construction. “Our emphasis was always libraries,” says Peter Bolek, president and director of design. “But in the last decade, libraries have been 100 percent of our work.”

Today, the firm designs libraries nationwide, taking special pride in its interiors. “Even though our architecture is award winning,” Bolek says, “our interiors are what make a library really function and be that comfortable, treasured element in a community.” The firm has six interior designers on staff.

One recent HBM project, the Bay Village Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library on the west side of Cleveland, needed to be not only multifunctional like any

modern library but also the final piece in the city’s plan for a largescale park “destination.” The library was slated to be built right between the big blue slides of a new water park and the red brick Town Hall.

“The city wanted us to recreate the town hall look,” Bolek says. “But a library is quite different from a city hall structure. It’s a civic building, but we wanted it to be that place that people were familiar with—a destination but also like their home, with a comfortable living-room feel.”

The firm researched the history of Bay Village back to the mid1800s, looking at the vernacular buildings, finding common threads, and gaining an understanding of the visual impact of the buildings in the community. In the end, they designed a white clapboard-sided structure with a pitched roof and a turret entrance—a welcoming

edifice not unlike a home. “Even though it is a brand-new building from the ground up, it blends a lot of the attributes of different buildings across the community,” Bolek says.

The interior of the Bay Village Branch is also designed to appeal to all ages, from toddlers to teens to adults. It features three fireplaces and many different social-gathering and

soft-seating areas to suit the needs of various groups and individuals. There is a dedicated children’s area, where kids can read, play, and create; a teen center; a large, flexible meeting room that can be subdivided for smaller groups; and an outdoor terrace that overlooks the park.

“Everybody can find their space in the library,” Bolek says.

From HBM Architects

Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning,

Inc.

South San Francisco-based Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc. (Group 4) is a public architecture firm comprised of 30 people. “We are all about using design to create social and environmental positive impacts,” says Partner David Schnee. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion is in our DNA. The strategic planning, master planning, programming, design, furniture, interiors—all of that is the sandbox we play in to create thriving communities.”

With over 500 library projects in 10 states, Group 4 highlighted this specialty with the launch two years ago of Library Forward, a division focused on library architecture, planning, and interiors.

The firm recently undertook a massive soup-to-nuts project, overhauling the Spokane Public Library’s seven-branch system to provide more flexible spaces for patrons to meet diverse needs.

Beginning with the master plan in early 2016, Group 4 assessed the system’s assets and initiated a community-based collaborative process to identify its aspirations and needs. The process relied heavily

the view while their kids play,” Schnee says. “There's a rubbing of shoulders by all generations here.”

The third floor features a community gathering room for up to 300 people, bookended by

on a community advisory committee with representatives from the local school district, Indigenous tribes, the business community, and nonprofits.

The biggest of the seven projects was the gut renovation of the 90,000-square-foot Spokane Central Library, located downtown overlooking Spokane Falls. “It’s the most spectacular site,” Schnee says. “It probably has the best view of any library in America.” But it had been designed for an older model of library service. “One of the things we talked about a lot in design was how to get more places in the library for people and programs,” says Partner Jill Eyres.

Group 4 reimagined how to best use the space and amplify the library’s connection with its surroundings. The firm’s design devoted the first floor to general services for the greatest number of people, including a nonprofit café and improved plaza spaces on both sides of the building to draw pedestrians in from downtown. The second floor now houses the majority of the collections, quiet reading areas, and an expanded children’s play space overlooking the falls. “Adults can sit and watch

Jill Eyres, partner, Group 4

reservable creation suites and studios for live community theater, radio broadcasting, and video and audio recording space for podcasting. Group 4 also improved the connection between the three floors of the library by adding a dramatic central atrium, designed to metaphorically mimic the falls. “Instead of water cascading,” Schnee says, “it’s light cascading down and people cascading up.”

A second major undertaking was doubling the size of the Shadle Park Library. Set on the edge of a neighborhood park in the north of the city, the original edifice was a small, arc-shaped brick building with just one small meeting room, a small staff room, and a small space for stacks. By mirroring the existing arc, Group 4 created a voluminous, light-filled central atrium and reoriented the building for improved flow, sightlines, and connection to the park.

The new floor plan made space for two large program spaces—one a studio/classroom/makerspace and the other a traditional community meeting room with a retractable wall—plus an expanded children’s play area with a local food theme.

Through the master planning process, we talked a lot about how to get more places in the library for people and programs.”

From Group 4

RESPONSIVE AND RESILIENT

By Meredith Schwartz

LJ ’s recent Design Institute took place in Missoula Public Library’s (MPL) newly constructed home nestled between rolling hills. The beautiful top-floor event space featured dramatic views and was filled with a crowd of librarians and architects eager to engage with the changing challenges of designing a truly great library.

PLANNING WITH PARTNERS

BY KEVIN HENEGAN

Following welcome remarks from LJ and MPL Director Slaven Lee, the day kicked off with a panel on the first fundamental of building: how to pay for it. Traci Engel Lesneski, CEO and principal of MSR Design, and Dennis Humphries, consulting principal of RATIO Design, were led by moderator Honore Bray, retired director of MPL.

The panel took as its touchstone the IFLA/Systematic Public Library of the Year Award 2022–winning MPL building designed by MSR. Bray cited her inspiration: Danish and Swedish “cultural houses.” She and Karl Olson, development coordinator for the MPL Foundation, sought organizations interested in sharing a new building with the library. “A long and grueling six months of interviews” assessing community needs followed, Bray said. They learned the town wanted kindergarten readiness, hands-on experiences, and STEM learning. This led to partnerships with SpectrUM, the University of Montana’s science center; Families First Learning Lab; and Missoula Community Access Television.

When the library went to county commissioners for a

Meredith Schwartz is Editor-in-Chief of Library Journal

$30 million bond issue, said Bray, they were fairly certain it wouldn’t happen. But “two hours later, commissioners were crying because of the stories of what the library has done for people in their lives. It was a yes vote.”

The library wanted local architects to partner with a national library specialist. A team of 27 community representatives, including a high school student, assessed seven national firms before choosing MSR, in part because the team spent a week in Missoula getting to know what community members liked and wanted.

Lesneski explained that while interviewing community members, many conversations centered on making the most of the partnerships, such as siting “collections next to exhibits, engaging learning in multiple ways.” That didn’t align with the partners’ first vision of how to share the space. They had concerns about “being together in an immersive environment instead of multiple storefronts, and what that would mean for their donors and the experience” as distinct organizations, Lesneski explained. But they worked through it, and Lesneski said, “as you walk around today to experience…the container for the partners it feels like a cohesive family, but each personality shines through.”

Humphries shared his experience convening possible partners in communities where the library does not start with such a vision. He often “asks for a coalition of all the local nonprofits to come in and see what the common themes are; you don’t want to compete, you want to complement.”

LJ ’s Design Institute in Missoula, MT, tackled new needs, tools, and techniques for library design in inspiring surroundings

Partnerships are a major source of alternative funding, said Lesneski. And they enable libraries to expand services. “You rely on those partners, so the library staff doesn’t have to own that knowledge to extend that knowledge.”

The downside is potential watering down of the library’s brand. That, in turn, can hamper support. Missoula brought in a consultant and came up with a new name for the shared space— The Link—only to find that funders and voters said, “we are funding a library,” according to Bray. It took several weeks to get all the partners on board.

LEADING THE CONVERSATION Architects, librarians, partners, and vendor sponsors co-created a deep dive into how to create a truly community-driven library space. 1,2: the award-winning Missoula Library, an inspiring setting. 3. Lively discussion in the top-floor event space, surrounded by mountain views. Vendors interacted with attendees, including Kristin LeRoy from Short Editions (4, r.) and Kenji Chicott from Lyngsoe Systems (5, r.). 6. Attendees checked in and signed up for challenge sessions. 7. LJ Editor in Chief Meredith Schwartz (l.) with Missoula Library Director Slaven Lee (c.) and Jesse HerbertMeny, library partner and DI moderator. 8. Retired Missoula Director Honore Bray, who sheperded the library to completion. 9. MSR’s Traci Engel Lesneski (lead architect on Missoula’s new library) talked funding. 10. RATIO Design’s Dennis Humphries shared thoughts on partnerships with Lesneski. 11. Noll & Tam’s Chris Noll (l.) and OPN’s Toby Olsen gave insights on community catalyzers. A panel on planning featured RATIO’s Joel Miller (12) and OPN’s Mindy Sorg (13). 14. Discussing tech-responsive design were Johnston Architects’ Mona Johnston Zellers (l.) and Noll & Tam’s Jane Catalano. 15. Illuminating the notion of libraries as resilient places were (l.-r.) Johnston Architects’ Ray Johnston, MSR’s Dagmara Larsen, and moderator Emily Puckett Rodgers

Partnerships can also create legal complications. MPL had been told they couldn’t use a general obligation bond to fund space housing nonprofits. An intensive process with multiple attorneys and finance experts eventually came up with a workable model: bond money was used only for library spaces, while the Foundation funded the partners.

Regardless of who is footing the bill, a dollar won’t stretch as far as it used to, reminded Humphries. Most library construction projects take five to seven years. Said Humphries, “Five years ago we didn’t have a pandemic or cost inflation. We are trying to build buildings costed out when it was half [the cost it is now], and it’s a real struggle.” He cited a library in McCall, ID, which had a

$6 million bond approved. The cost is now $11 million. How to reconcile those two numbers? “The easiest way is to cut square footage, but you can’t cut small into smaller,” said Humphries. Instead, the city found an inventive way to use future capital funding.

Lesneski said she faced similar issues in Bozeman, including labor shortages. She advised talking about costs from the beginning of a project and “always have some safety valves in your pocket. What are the first things that can go?”

PLANNING FOR PEOPLE

In “Planning for a People-Centered Future,” Jessie HerbertMeny, director of the spectrum Discovery Area, one of

MPL’s partners, moderated panelists Mindy Sorg, senior registered interior designer at OPN Architects, and Joel Miller, associate AIA, RATIO Design. Sorg kicked off by stating that modern library design starts with “immersing ourselves in the community”—not just the portions that already use the library. To reach those that don’t, Sorg says she frequently works with the United Way. Sorg’s team goes to events like “touch a truck” to ask kids what activities they want and adults what obstacles keep them away.

Miller noted that “We are sometimes preaching to the choir at community events, people who are already strong supporters of the library. This touches on inclusivity: We have to think really hard about the demographics we are serving and how to reach those folks.”

Sometimes increased use of technology can engage community members, said Miller. Virtual reality, for example, enables them to walk through floor plans—something Herbert-Many said kids found compelling during MPL’s design.

But one of Sorg’s most successful feedback gathering sessions was extremely low tech—unexpectedly faced with an audience that didn’t speak English and no interpreter, she abandoned her PowerPoint and broke out markers, encouraging kids by example to draw what they wanted.

Sorg noted, however, that not all feedback is going to be implemented. It must be evaluated to see whether it aligns with the priorities, funding, and master plan. Architects,

DESIGN CHALLENGES

Hailey Public Library ID

ARCHITECT Ratio Design

THE CHALLENGE Hailey is a fastgrowing, vibrant community. The population of 9,500, 30 percent of whom have Hispanic heritage, includes recent retirees, young families, and professionals who relocated during the pandemic. The library wants to create a warm and inviting flexible space to serve as a civic and cultural destination in the downtown and support renewal efforts. The library currently occupies 8,000 square feet in a historic building shared with City Hall, and the city recently purchased an adjacent building. These spaces, joined by an outdoor area, offer the opportunity to fill the need for programming and meeting spaces, an improved layout, and new shelving design. The project will require major fundraising, a thoughtful renovation of a historic landmark, and close coordination with the city.

THE BRAINSTORM The group went through two exercises, focusing on changes to the current interior and how to incorporate the adjacent annex. Ideas for the main library’s remodel included removing interior walls for better access, openness, and flexibility;

Sorg said, can not only help librarians “make those tough decisions” but also “convey those messages.”

Miller added, “Sometimes the constraints of a project can push ideas into innovation.”

Sorg named other considerations of human-centered design: “How is it biophilic, how can we create spaces of refuge, journey, opportunity, a little bit of risk?” She urged considering sound as well as sight to create spaces that feel separate while still preserving staff sightlines. “You feel the sound, it just gets nice and quiet with a different ceiling element: a little nook, still safe, not isolated.”

Miller added the importance of simple intuitive design for wayfinding that doesn’t rely on language—including reliance on glass, which also promotes a relationship to nature and human wellness.

Sorg also suggested letting that connection to nature— and of course the books and programs—provide the decoration, keeping finishes simple.

Miller said that holds true even for teen and children’s spaces. While they “have been very colorful and bright in the past, in some of the focus groups we have been finding the opposite. Maybe as a reaction to distance learning,” he said, participants want to “step away from technology, a place to reconnect to nature.”

Because “we’re trying to design very specific solutions for a very broad range of people,” Miller notes, “diversity

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installing a curved circulation desk in the center; moving to mobile stacks to better accommodate change; repositioning study rooms, offices, and storage; adding quiet seating and carrels; and replacing some PC stations with a laptop bar and checkout.

To link the main library to the annex, folding glass walls were suggested for the sides of the library and the annex that face each other. The alley between the two would become a plaza with public art installations, performance space, planters and water features, a bike tune-up station, strung lights, and market stalls or food trucks. Ratio architects shared three concepts: Main Street, which would move city offices from the library’s second floor to the annex, and rehab the main building’s interior with an open

Lincoln County PL: Troy Library and Opportunity Center MT

ARCHITECTS Noll & Tam Architects

THE CHALLENGE Serving an isolated, rural, and dispersed population of 19,440, the library aims to pool resources with 19 partner organizations to address

of space is what makes a really great library.” That means “a variety of thermal comfort, sunny spots where someone can bask on a rock, cooler spots, darker spaces where people can step away from hypersensitivity from patterns, etc.”

COMMUNITY CATALYSTS

On “Community Catalyzers,” Barbara Theroux, president of the Friends of MPL, led Toby Olsen, associate principal, OPN architects, and Chris Noll, principal, Noll & Tam Architects, in a discussion of how libraries can not only reflect the culture of their communities but center equity and inclusion in the design and construction process.

Noll cautioned against trying to be all things to all people. “The array of possibilities is so broad it takes leadership to come up with the subset that is really going to work,” he said, suggesting that trustees and library planners work with other community leaders. Olsen agreed. “These are the groups our community needs to represent better,” he said, and the key is “meeting people as they are where they are.”

Noll is currently working on two libraries in Portland, OR, located in historically Black neighborhoods. Said Noll, “They’re beloved by their communities, but the history of racial discrimination is pretty grim. They have had freeways and huge event centers and hospitals to drive people out of that community in the last 40, 50 years, and now gentrification.” Noll’s firm designed the outreach process for both

around reaching out to the Black community. While there are many other groups in the neighborhoods, and the Black residents are no longer the numerical majority because of that history, Noll and Tam and the library have set a goal to “achieve racial restorative justice, to restore faith in government” by giving something back to a community that has had so much taken. Multnomah County Library “is 100 percent behind this,” said Noll.

The team is going to churches, community centers, homes, and cafés to ask, “What makes a difference to them, what would feel to them like justice?” Among the answers: creating exhibitions, collections, and spaces dedicated to that community, such as the Black Cultural Center; space to meet in small groups; and color palettes, textures, materials, and furnishings that feel welcoming.

Noll noted that the design process can be used to unite community factions that are at odds. In Half Moon Bay, CA, an entrenched anti-tax faction was opposed to the new library. Noll and Tam “devised a pretty intense community process for four months to bring these people together.” They made participants work at tables and refused to let members of the same faction sit together. It was contentious, but ended in consensus. Said Noll, “Everyone who was fighting the library is now claiming this is their success.”

Olsen noted that divisions can also arise in multibranch systems over disparities between branches. “Often you have

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community risk factors including substance abuse, a need for human connectivity, poverty, and access to quality mental health care. Currently 1,768 square feet, the project will increase to at least 4,268 via the acquistion of an adjacent ambulance barn. There is community appetite for programming, specialized spaces like a community kitchen, and job service classes. The library sits on a superfund site, so remediation of contamination and asbestos will be necessary. The County Commissioners support the project but will not raise taxes to fund the anticipated $4 million cost. The project has secured grant funding and plans a major capital campaign.

THE BRAINSTORM

Architects Chris Noll and Jane Catalano asked groups of attendees to prioritize

ACTIVE LEARNING 1. Attendees used various elements to construct new flexible-space possibilities for Hailey PL. 2, 3. Photos, floor plans, and other materials helped participants conceive of an expansion for Lincoln County PL’s Troy Branch. 4. Group activity led to a variety of Owatonna PL reconfiguring options

spaces and think about adjacencies, using large format drawings, floor plans, and materials to create bubble plans and vision boards.

The first group’s concept, Lifted Library, prioritized ADA accessibility, raising the foundation of one building and using modular furniture to create flexible spaces. The second, Community Bridge, featured a welcoming entrance combining the structures and focused on layering shared spaces including a

modular community kitchen, maker space, and meeting room furniture in the former ambulance barn turned community room. They added a partner space with its own entrance, a coffee nook, and a transitional space for kids to play adjacent to a parent area, plus office space for staff. The third, Recreate, Create, Connect, added a glass connection between the structures and created an outdoor space and sensory area for children and an intergenerational library space. They connected the circulation desk to a staff office, added a flexible community room, and suggested a quiet area with a fireplace. —Slaven Lee

Owatonna Public Library MN ARCHITECTS OPN Architects

THE CHALLENGE With a start date and 100 percent funding in hand for a renovation and expansion, the library seeks to change the perception of what the library can be for the community by reimaging the 1992 addition and original 1901 building with improved circulation, less cavernous shelving with better sightlines, a makerspace, and an overall reconceived layout for collections, staff functions, programming, and meeting spaces. A projected expansion from 4,000 to 6,500 square feet can better support the 30,000 residents, industrial

a have and have not feeling, ‘How come they get all the great stuff over here?’” He suggested that could be somewhat mitigated by creating a consistent feel across branches.

RESPONDING TO CHANGE

Mona Johnston Zellers, partner, Johnston Architects, and Jane Catalano, principal interior designer, Noll & Tam Architects, were moderated by Xavier Kneedler-Shorten, dean’s assistant, Mansfield Library, University of Montana, Missoula, for “Changing Role of Technology and Responsive Design.”

Zellers began by discussing how the building responds to its context, such as taking advantage of daylight yet making it easy to shade, and using prevailing winds for ventilation. On the user side, she mentioned the need to plug in a laptop all over the library.

Catalano agreed, saying libraries “always need more power everywhere.” Catalano urged raised floor systems if possible, noting that low-profile ones are sufficient for power even if there’s not room to handle ventilation, and that if neither is an option, over-carpet systems are available.

As more people work remotely, Zellers noted increased need for acoustically isolated spaces. To preserve staff sightlines, she is using glass walls. Catalano added that pre-made pods are a potentially cheaper, more flexible alternative. They cost $10,000–$40,000, have their own lights and ventilation, and can be moved around. She also raised the possibility of using “acoustic treatments and white noise to

partners, and the region. One challenge is to convince some community members that the function of the library is not only to house books but to serve the learning and skills-building goals of the community.

THE BRAINSTORM Mark Blando, library director, explained the problems the staff and community face in the current building configuration. OPN Architects explained the floor plan and tools available. Then participants dug in, asking questions of Blando. The answers lead to a complete redesign of the first two floors, starting with a welcoming “New Materials” display as patrons enter. A circulation pod can replace the massive circulation desk which blocks the flow of traffic, allowing better sightlines and more flexibility for users. Dual purpose space for staff will let them be available when needed. The youth collection will be weeded, so it can be housed on lower shelving in a smaller footprint. The YA patrons use the entire library and their collection can be intershelved with adult collections. Desktop computers will be removed in favor of alternate self-powered furniture for more private and inviting patron spaces. Moving the elevator to the outside wall will make the space flow and have better sightlines. Adding a materials handling system, DVD dispenser, holds pickup lockers, and laptop vending machines will free

create good spaces for this kind of thing without putting walls around them.” Zellers noted that furniture can be arranged to create semi-enclosed, semi-private spaces.

Catalano noted that it’s not enough to build in tech without also having staff on hand to train patrons to use it. And too much technology can be off-putting. “We might get tempted to say, ‘Ooh, touch screens everywhere, it’s so great,’ but some people are not comfortable using that.” Similarly, she noted, the common trend of replacing desktop computers with laptops may not work for all audiences.

Zellers emphasized the importance of seeing what is working—and not working—in other libraries. KneedlerShorten offered the example of the one-button recording studio. Mansfield Library implemented one because a staffer learned about them at another library, and has now spun off a lightboard studio and podcast room as well.

LIBRARIES AS CENTERS OF RESILIENCY

Wrapping up the day, Ray Johnston, founding partner of Johnston Architects, and Dagmara Larsen, principal, MSR Design, addressed libraries as places of resiliency, moderated by Emily Puckett Rodgers, interim associate university librarian for operations, University of Michigan.

Larsen polled the audience about what natural disasters they face: Drought, fire and smoke, strong winds, tornadoes, floods, blizzards, and extreme heat waves all impacted attendees, and, as Larsen noted, are getting more severe and

space to create a makerspace and expanded programming areas and give patrons more privacy in their collection choices. Family restrooms and comfort rooms will be added. Study spaces will be created using furniture, not walls, so the library can ebb and flow as needs change.—Honore Bray

Sweet

Home Public Library OR ARCHITECT MSR Design

THE CHALLENGE The library seeks to offer a right-sized building that reflects both the future and the timber industry heritage of the area. The 10,000-strong town has outgrown its current 1969 building. With $1 million from donations and a local bond, the library seeks to expand from 5,757 square feet to around 14,000 and to create a building that supports distinct teen and children’s spaces for programming; offers an open, welcoming, and modern space for the community; and possibly shares space with the Chamber of Commerce, local community college, or low income housing for older adults.

THE BRAINSTORM Director Megan Dazey explained that many locals don’t have high school diplomas. They’re

used to going into logging without needing one, but that’s less viable as the industry changes. The community also suffers from lack of internet access, owing to location as much as money. She outlined the library’s goals: find effective partners and choose among several sites.

The MSR team split attendees into three groups, after sharing similar-sized case studies. Among suggestions from participants: offer Career Online High School; look into COVID and grant funding for telehealth; and bring in fiber and become a local broadband provider, with Wi-Fi hotspot lending for those too far out.

Partner suggestions included the community college, a teen pregnancy center, a new pharmacy and/or coffee

In addition to the architects, vendor sponsors Cultural Surroundings , Lyngsoe Systems, Short Édition, and Tech Logic, shared information on how to incorporate automated materials handling into library designs, round them out with furnishings, and offer unique short stories on demand both inside the library and out.

frequent. Johnston added social issues such as homelessness, poverty, and economic downturns, raising the concept of social resilience.

Larsen noted that the host library faces a smoke season so severe that you can’t see out of the windows. MSR built in filtration and air distribution so the library can serve as “a place of respite when your home is smokey and you need a place to hang out with your kids.”

Johnston said that in one area, fires spurred local nonprofits to band together and realize they could achieve more. “That social resiliency formed the foundation of the fundraising for a new facility that would be a place of refuge.”

Larsen added an example from Idaho. Facing drought and heat, increasing temperatures, power outages, and rising energy prices, the library aimed to serve as a cooling place. That’s as much about knowing the site as it is about technology, Johnston noted: analyzing glare and heat gain from sunlight. The solution can be as simple as a sunscreen system or the form of the building, he said, as well as using “solar panels and other alternative energy sources to feed very efficient heating and cooling systems.”

Larsen noted that high- and low-tech solutions can be used together or as alternatives. At MPL, MSR used fresh air

sensors. “When there is smoke, the building shuts down, so it is self-circulating.” But, she noted, that won’t work during a power outage. “If we didn’t have tech and power, what would we do?” Such “passive solutions” include thicker walls, black roofs to absorb heat, or towers to create a chimney effect.

Johnston said he kicks off design projects with an ecocharette including the owner, city officials, and contractor to discuss how to make a building more sustainable. This is required for LEED certification, he said, but worth doing even if a library doesn’t plan to apply. “You can often think of several things that are going to be sustainable and reduce your operating costs.” Daylight, for instance, not only decreases power bills, but makes a building more resilient to power loss. Larsen added, “Don’t think of the outside space as an accessory that you cut first” if the budget needs trimming. “Shady things outside the building are a working passive strategy that is cheaper than cooling.”

As a step toward social resilience, Larsen suggested designing libraries that allow for taking in children in the summer or for an overnight stay and feeding them. She urged, “if you don’t have a kitchen, have one, it’s the heart of survival.”

Larsen closed the program with inspiring words: “The resilience of your community is because of you.” ■

space dedicated to people rather than materials.

shop, senior housing, a daycare, the farmers market, and for local timber employers to seek workforce development grants and become a training center. Attendees noted that partners don’t have to have money if they would attract additional supporters for government funding. For site selection, a privately held lot between the two main streets was favored, with closing a street to connect the library’s current site to the abandoned city hall a second choice. —Meredith Schwartz

Yolo County Law Library

Woodland, CA

ARCHITECTS Johnston Architects

THE CHALLENGE Serving Yolo County’s population of over 221,000, the 2,099 square foot public law library is dreaming of a more functional and people-friendly space for users and employees. Designed over 20 years ago to house the maximum number of print materials possible, the space is now bisected by 14 banks of compact shelving that cut the front and rear off from each other. Serving the research needs of residents and legal professionals, the library needs more

THE BRAINSTORM Because the library serves a diverse constituency of legal professionals and individuals researching their own legal needs, access to varying levels of privacy is a must. Mona Johnston Zellers of Johnston Architects led participants through a discussion of the needs of the community and opportunities to reimagine the layout, including expansion into an exterior courtyard. The library sits on a lot that is mostly fenced in, making the space opaque and foreboding. Currently many individuals come into the space, find the resources they need, and leave quickly, but they have expressed an interest in holding meetings, workshops, and depositions there.

Participants discussed adding soundproof booths with future flexibility to move them if needs change. Zellers improvised a rubric to help the library prioritize what options were most compelling based on cost, impact, efficiency, and viability. Ideas shared included creating a small training room, adding a welcome desk, vastly decreasing the collection size and offering it on smaller shelving, and increasing the natural light in the building by removing some walls and adding glass to make the space more inviting and visible.—Emily Puckett Rodgers

SEEING THE POSSIBILITIES 1. Traci Engel Lesneski from MSR (standing) listened in on brainstorming for Sweet Home PL. 2. Johnston Architects’ Ray Johnston (top c.) led a discussion with the group for Yolo County Law Library’s planned expansion

PHOTO BY EDWIN TAN

Ongoing engagement with disabled patrons and staff is key

CREATING ACCESSIBILITY IN LIBRARIES

By JJ Pionke

What do accessible spaces/programs/services look like in libraries? Keep in mind that when we talk about accessible spaces or facilities, we aren’t talking about Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliance. ADA compliance is a bare minimum standard and, more often than not, does not create actual accessibility. For instance, having a ramp at the back of the building by the dumpsters does technically

JJ Pionke is the applied health sciences librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is an accessibility advocate and a 2020 LJ Mover & Shaker.

mean that an entrance into the building is ADA compliant. However, the back of the building is often harder to actually access. In practice, this is not only an inaccessible entrance but also creates a second, and lesser, class of library users and employees: people with mobility disabilities have to enter the library through the back and everyone else can go through the front door. Accessibility is about creating access equity for all people, regardless of their ability status, age, etc.

ASK AND ASSESS

A key question that often comes up is, if we are going to

go beyond ADA compliance for our libraries, how do we accomplish that? That’s a great question. The answer, in part, is: Ask people with disabilities! The experience of disability, even for those with the same condition, varies from person to person based on an entire list of factors: what the condition is, when they were diagnosed, how severe is the condition, are there other conditions that also play a role in that person’s life, how have people reacted to the condition in the past, what experiences has the person with a disability had, etc. Accessibility will look different for everyone.

For libraries, this may seem overwhelming. If people with disabilities all have different experiences of their disabilities and different accommodation needs, wouldn’t the library just become a huge polyglot mess of assistive technologies that no one can navigate? Well, no. Most people with disabilities need very few actual accommodations and most of those are fairly common assistive technologies like screen readers, magnifiers, fidget toys, and other low-cost options.

The most important thing a library can do, especially when creating or redeveloping a facility, service, or program, is to ask patrons with disabilities about their experiences using what is already available and what they would like to have, or to have improved upon. More often than not, patrons with disabilities will tell you that having a greater number of available options will suffice in making the facility/service/program more accessible to them. This also applies to library employees with disabilities. Libraries are generally patron focused to the point where we forget about the needs of the people who work there. Just as patrons with disabilities come to the library, so, too, do employees with disabilities work in the library. Gathering input from employees with disabilities is as important as getting patron with disabilities’ feedback.

The library has two groups of people with disabilities: patrons and employees. How does the library determine what is developed or remodeled first? Start with a topdown assessment of the library for accessibility: assess policies, spaces, programs, and services.

Ask patrons and employees with disabilities where their largest frustration or pain points are. Their answers may surprise you—from replacing doorknobs with door handles so getting into study rooms and bathrooms is easier, to having a different lighting option available in a study room or work space. These are relatively small, fast, easy, and inexpensive fixes. If larger fixes or remodeling is going to be done, there are other considerations to take into account.

While there are several accessibility theories to consider when developing or remodeling a facility, space, service, or program, such as Universal Design for Learning, accessible design, and Universal Design for facilities and spaces, one of the best things a library can do is to conduct both user studies and interviews during the development phase of a project and then assess the outcomes of the project focusing on users with disabilities. Let’s take a look at two case studies to illustrate the importance of both kinds of input.

MAKING ROOM FOR WHAT’S NEEDED

Years before the pandemic, the Main Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I work, decided that at least one of the meeting rooms would be remodeled as an accessible study room to be used by patrons. To that end, the library sent out a survey to students who were registered with Disability Resources & Educational Services (DRES) to determine what students with disabilities would like to see in an accessible study room. The library also held focused conversations with DRES case workers about what they saw a need for in an accessible study room based on their interactions with students with disabilities, and where the students’ frustration points were. Once the room was remodeled, we added a computer workstation with not only the standard disability software that all public use computers get, but also more specialized software like Dragon Naturally Speaking, to accommodate a broader range of patrons with disabilities. We also made sure to add a variety of seating to accommodate different body types, such as chairs with and without arms, with and without wheels. The room is bookable, quiet, and private. Quiet and privacy were both highly rated as desirable by students who took the survey. The study room was ready for launch in early 2020 and we had developed marketing materials and an assessment for users, complete with Institutional Review Board approval. Then the pandemic shutdown happened the week we were going to launch. The accessible study room sat unused for a year while we all worked and learned from home and the library’s doors were closed to everyone but maintenance workers. However, once we started to open the library back up after vaccinations were rolled out, we proceeded with marketing and assessment as patrons with disabilities returned to campus. Reception to the accessible study room has been positive and usage has steadily climbed as learning life at the university returns to something similar to pre-pandemic standards. Getting feedback dur-

ing the planning phase and then assessing the room after it launched definitely influenced decisions that were made about furniture and software, as well as future changes to the room.

Getting input and feedback from patrons with disabilities is a critical step in creating/remodeling/rejuvenating facilities/services/programs, largely because what the library thinks patrons with disabilities need and what patrons with disabilities actually want and need are often two different things. For example, we were surprised that quiet and privacy were more important than stocking the room with assistive technologies. In retrospect, it should not have been a surprising finding, because people with disabilities have usually figured out what assistive technologies, or ways of moving through the world, work best for them. For patrons with visible disabilities, always being visible as having a disability is exhausting, so the desire for quiet and privacy makes sense.

DESIGNING FOR DIGITAL

Getting input from patrons with disabilities on digital initiatives is also important, as for many people with disabilities, being able to use digital technologies has revolutionized the ability to communicate and move through the world.

people with disabilities to improve outcomes.

In the case of the digital library, Zarin states, “While we assured people that we drew from Deaf resources, we also had to explain that we really, REALLY did not intend to speak for the Deaf community, but rather viewed [the digital library] as more of a “warehouse” model where we provided information the community would make available. Feedback then came in for basically every aspect of the site, from icons they’d prefer to see removed to sections they wanted expanded and resources they wanted shared—and then we implemented them!”

What the library thinks that patrons with disabilities need and what patrons with disabilities actually want and need are often two different things...we were surprised that quiet and privacy were more important than stocking the room with assistive technologies.”

J.J. PIONKE

We did not want people from outside the community trying to define community culture.”

An excellent example of a digital initiative that incorporated people with disabilities’ feedback is the Virginia Deaf Culture Digital Library. Launched in late 2021, and then formally launched with a marketing campaign in early 2022, it has proved to be a successful digital library for the Deaf community in Virginia.

BABAK ZARIN

Not only did Zarin get feedback from the community, he acted on it, which built more trust within that community toward the library and the project. More important is that for the digital library to continue to thrive, there needs to be continued input from the population it is intended for, Virginia’s Deaf community. Zarin discusses this: “Additionally, the feedback is what directly inspired the idea of forming a steering committee; we did not want people from outside the community trying to define community culture. We also viewed it as a way of helping with buy-in, since the community could say they played an active role in it.” While COVID might have prevented robust user studies during the development phase, the continued incorporation of feedback from users with disabilities and the incorporation of a steering committee based in the Deaf community in Virginia are excellent and thoughtful examples of working with a community of people with disabilities to create something truly useful and needed.

The project leader, Babak Zarin, access librarian at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, made getting feedback a priority. Research and development for the creation of the digital library began in 2020, just as the pandemic was starting. Zarin says, “COVID greatly impacted our ability to interview individuals—we couldn’t really meet any of them!... This meant that while we could do research, and prioritized resources made from/by Deaf individuals, it did hamper some research/steps that [in more ideal scenarios] Deaf individuals would have been more involved with.” While the pandemic hampered efforts to do true usability testing, that did not deter Zarin from moving forward with the project and being thoughtful about how the digital library was developed.

BUILDING TRUST

There is a lot of mistrust and caution within the disability community about working with people who don’t have disabilities who want to create something for people with disabilities. Many people without disabilities have very good intentions, but without the input of people with disabilities, the products of those good intentions are often unusable at best and harmful at worst. While COVID prevented user studies for both the accessible study room and the digital library, both projects used feedback from

In both of these examples, their success was directly related to getting input from patrons with disabilities both in the beginning of the planning process and after the accessible study room and digital library were launched. Because of input from people with disabilities, both of these projects are actively used but and are also actively growing, with continued refinements to enhance the user experience and fit their needs better. For a library to be truly accessible, it needs to both thoughtfully consider the facilities/spaces/services/programs that are created, and to incorporate the voice of the end user, in this case patrons with disabilities, into the development, creation, and assessment processes. It is only when patrons with disabilities are included in these processes that libraries develop not only a better understanding of the needs of that patron population, but also better relationships with its members, and therefore become more accessible.

FURTHER READING

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