Trends in Library Space Design

Since I usually talk about tech trends and issues I don’t get into this that often, but it often comes up in questions since, as this article notes:

“Many academic planners assumed that the coming of the Internet would lead to the decline of the library as we know it. To the contrary, many academic libraries have experienced significantly increased patron use in recent years.”

Anyway, even if the article’s focus is academic libraries, I don’t see many of these trends that don’t apply to every type of library.

12 Major Trends in Library Design

“Don’t start designing without reviewing this checklist:

1. Envision the library as place.
2. Invite students and other stakeholders to the table.
3.Make collaboration a must.
4. See that technology drives the bus.
5. Plan for change.
6. Use the library to attract and retain top students.
7. Optimize spaces between spaces.
8. Consolidate emerging specialty spaces.
9. Take advantage of the commons.
10. Rethink library programming.
11. Design for environmental sustainability.
12. Get creative with funding.”

Check out the whole article here.

Stephen