1. Library Spaces
Rebecca Johnson and
Michael Kaminski
November 4, 2010

3. History
that could have been construed as a prison

4. Seattle Public

5. in recent years
Furnishings, materials, colors, and lighting
are just a few of the design elements in a
building that make it an inviting place to be

6. Low or No Cost Improvements
Interior layout - rearrange
Signage
Display
Add color
Weed

7. Interior Layout
A comfortable library is one in which materials and
services are arranged in a logical manner and there is
clear and consistent sign system.
Carol R. Brown
Interior Design for Libraries
Space should have a clearly defined purpose
There should be clear traffic flow
Resolve conflict in multi-use space

8. One Space Different Needs
Noise
Calm
Popular materials
Study materials
Entertainment
Enlightenment
Self-service
Personal service
Group activities
Solitude
Leisure
Learning
Public libraries must provide a balance between the
different expectations of the users.

9. Different User Expectations
There are different demands for various groups -
materials, ambiance and scale
There can be antagonism between different user
groups
Various groups may need physical separation
Ask yourself: Who are my users? Does my
library space meet their needs?

10. Layout Considerations
User groups Are large print items near audio
books for seniors? Are holds near the self-checkout
machines for self-serve users?
Security Does the staff have the ability to easily
areas? Are audiovisual materials in an area that can
be monitored?
Noise
area, circulation desk, and audio visual section
together. Children should not have to walk through
areas should be located away from noisy areas.

11. Self-Serve Users

12. Teen Spaces
In a series of focus groups held in communities across the United States
between October 2006 and January 2008, teens were asked what they
would like to see in libraries. The top ten common responses were:
1. More space for teens
2. A separate, distinct teen area
3. Comfortable furniture
4. Warm, welcoming environment
5. More technology such as computers and gaming equipment
6. Teen-only computers
7. Areas for talking and socializing as well as quiet study
8. More natural light and better, cooler artificial light
9. More up-to-date materials such as graphic novels, music,
DVDs, popular books, magazines, and video games
10. Good signs that look nice and make it easy to find things

13. North Village Branch Library, Austin Texas

14. Seating in the Library
Are you serving groups, single users, or both?
Do you need study tables, lounge, or single user
stations?
There is increased awareness of and demand for
learning spaces within libraries. Seating numbers
must be increased and seating for collaborative
technologies and interactive learning must be
made available

15. Signage
Good signage is simple, positive, and non-
judgmental
Staff should not post a sign out of frustration
An insulting sign does more damage than good and
can make library staff look out of touch
Too much signage is visual clutter. There are many
messages that libraries need to communicate to
their patrons, libraries need to be pay special
attention to this idea.
No sign is better than a bad sign!

16. Library Signage on Flickr
St. Joseph County
Public Library
South Bend, Indiana
Estes Park Library
Trail Sign
Estes Park, Colorado

17. Hand written sign No DVDs?
Do Not Reshelve
(see footnotes 1 and 2)
Keep it simple!

18. Library staff should proofread misspellings and
unclear message
(What will not longer be provided - the children or
the headphones?)

19. Displays
Toronto Public Library - Dufferton St. Clair Branch Library
Eyes tire after scanning a shelf and need a visual "break" every 18 inches
and less full shelves are more attractive and easier to view than fully
loaded shelving. - Tish Murphy

20. Flexible Use of Space
libraries conceived in the 20th century were not designed
for the mixed and flexible uses of the 21st
Henry Myerberg
Keep Excitement High, Costs Low

21. Future of Library Spaces
places, people friendly, communal spaces, places to
hang out, to get away from the solitude of computer use,
Michael Dewe
Planning Public Library Buildings
Flexible use of spaces
Better amenities cafe, gallery space,
theater, and shop.

22. Flexible Use of Space
Few load bearing walls to accommodate unknown
technologies of the future
The new infrastructures allow for movement of
computers, stacks, and furniture colorful partitions,
partial walls, and shelving are used to separate spaces
Furnishings include mobile work stations, task chairs,
mobile shelving, interactive tables.

23. Side Note:
Changing Discourse of the Library
Digital technologies should not be seen as a
threat to libraries
Retooling library spaces to incorporate new
ways of using technologies legitimizes
libraries as purveyors of knowledge in the
information age
its relevance and reposition itself

24. Better Amenities

25. Other Recurring Themes
Natural lighting or LED lighting (great reading
lights, long life, low heat, low voltage fixtures,
does not require hardwiring)
LEED certified buildings

26. Bibliography
Impact Library Access with Bold Use of Color and Space. Clark, Rosey. Library Media Connection, Oct 2008, Vol. 27
Issue 2, p16-18.
Planning Public Library Buildings: Concepts and Issues for the Librarian. Micheal Dewe
Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2006
Interior Design for Libraries: Drawing on Function & Appeal. Carol R. Brown
ALA Editions, 2002
Keep Excitement High, Costs Low Myerberg, Henry. Library Journal, Fall 2009 Library by Design Supplement, p14-15
Designing Space for Children and Teens in Libraries and Public Spaces. Feinberg, Sandra; Keller, James R. American
Libraries, Apr2010, Vol. 41 Issue 4, p34-37
Signage: Better None Than Bad. Leah L. White. Amerian Libraries Magazine Online. 07/12/2010
Remodeling on a Budget American Libraries Magazine. Paul Signorell. Amerian Libraries Magazine Online.
04/12/2010
Managing Facilities for Results: Optimizing Space for Services. Cheryl Bryan. Public Library Association. American
Library Association, 2007.
Library By Design Spring 2010 Library Journal Supplement
Library by Design Fall 2010 Library Journal Supplement
Teen Spaces, Second Ed. Kimberly Bolan 2008 ALA Editions, 2008
Lessons for Libraries from Retail Space Planners http://webjunction.org/space-planning. Tish Murphy. Accessed
11/1/10.
Information, Architecture, and Hybridity: The Changing Discourse of the Public Library. Teena A. M. Carnegie; John
Abell Technical Communication Quarterly, 1542-7625, Volume 18, Issue 3, 2009.

27. Bibliography Cont.
Esprit de Place, Demas, Sam. Scherer, Jeffrey. American Libraries April 2002. Vol. 33. issue 4 p.65-69.
Three Perspectives on Libraries as Public Space. Leckie, Gloria J. Feliciter. 2004 Issue 6 p.233-6.
In the Interims Cooper, Ginnie Library by Design Fall 2010 Supplement p.1-6.
Library Space, the Next Frontier Crawford, Walt Online March/Apr 1999 p61-66
These Lavish Edifices Marsh Catherine. American Libraries Jan2007 Vol.38 Issue 1 p.50-53