A thriving public library is a hub of community life. It brings people together and provides vibrant opportunities for education, entertainment and enrichment. However, how well a library can fulfill its role depends largely on its design. This guide offers tips for planning a public library that serves the community’s needs — inside and out.
The Role and Benefits of a Public Library
Planning a community-minded public library requires a clear vision. A public library can serve the community’s needs by:
- Offering community services: Along with lending books, public libraries are ideal multiuse locations for community services. These services could include professional-led seminars, workshops, exercise classes and tutoring programs.
- Fostering communication: Libraries can encourage meaningful dialogue. A community library could host book clubs, movie screenings, literacy programs, community meetings and more.
- Showcasing history: Public libraries can house historical books, archives, settlement records, maps and other windows into local and broader history. This can help educate and unite people around a shared ownership of the community’s past and the lessons it teaches.
- Supporting businesses: Public libraries can host brainstorming sessions, entrepreneurial training sessions, networking and capital-raising events, job fairs and more. Ensure the bookshelves are well-stoked with business literature to cultivate these sharp entrepreneurial minds.
- Providing amenities: Libraries can offer amenities like desktop computers, Wi-Fi, printers, work and study spaces, conference rooms, an outdoor playground, indoor and outdoor areas to eat and socialize, a community art gallery, and more.
- Rallying community action: A public library can host community fundraisers, church outreach events, sobriety support groups and other initiatives to help community members in need.
- Welcoming everyone: A community library can be a diverse and accessible space. Ways to achieve this include walkable paths, bicycle facilities and accessible entrances. Beyond physical access, ensure the bookshelves reflect diverse cultures and perspectives. The library could also host seminars on the importance of diverse storytelling.
These are only a few roles a well-designed public library can play in a community. Considering the ideal functions during the design stage will ensure the library can accommodate a broad range of meaningful functions.
Public Library Architecture Design
Public library architecture must balance aesthetics and functionality. An attractive building can draw visitors and may even improve the value of local real estate. At the same time, practical structures support book lending, reading, and other community programs and activities. Balancing these considerations shapes the art and science of library architecture.
Trends in modern public library design include:
- Organic and fluid shapes: Modern public libraries are moving away from boxy shapes and stark lines toward flowing structures that mimic nature. This softer, curvier approach promotes a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere that harmonizes with the surrounding environment.
- Open and interconnected spaces: Instead of compartmentalized zones, modern libraries embrace open plans and pathways that invite exploration, engagement with the facilities and interaction with others.
- Sustainable materials: Architects are prioritizing eco-friendly materials and construction methods. These include using locally sourced and recycled materials and installing renewable energy systems like solar panels.
- Glass and natural light: Extensive use of glass, especially when combined with open-plan designs, takes advantage of natural light to make a space appear brighter and bigger. Glass windows, doors, domes and skylights help maximize natural light in libraries. This creates a warm atmosphere and enhances people’s mental health and productivity while using the space. To ensure a comfortable temperature and minimize glare, combine natural lighting with strategic window placement and shade structures.
- Technology integration: Modern libraries may feature self-checkout options, interactive displays, digital media zones, extended reality (XR) spaces and artificial intelligence librarians.
- Multilevel and layered areas: Cutting-edge libraries are embracing vertical designs to optimize space, especially in densely populated urban communities. It’s easy to organize multilevel spaces. For example, one floor might be for quiet reading, and another might be dedicated to children’s books and young adult reads. Use elevators or ramps to ensure these level changes are accessible to all visitors.
- Community and culture: Modern public libraries make design choices to enhance community spirit and belonging. These could include local cultural symbols, native plants, art created by community members and designs inspired by surrounding topographical features. For example, the Arabian Library in Scottsdale, Arizona, uses prerusted steel facades to evoke the nearby slot canyons.
- Incorporating outdoor spaces: Outdoor reading areas, courtyards and terrace gardens invite visitors to enjoy a grounding experience and reconnect with nature.
Public Library Interior Design
Notable features of modern public library interior design include:
- Bookcases: Look for sturdy bookcases that complement the library’s interior aesthetic. Consider movable bookcases that can be easily reconfigured to accommodate various programs and events.
- Workspaces: Free access to computers and Wi-Fi is becoming a standard feature of modern public libraries. Extra technological features include 2D and 3D printing facilities, e-sports spaces and XR rooms.
- Indoor plants: Indoor plants can add visual interest to tables, walls, counters and shelves. Some modern libraries even have a whole wall full of lush green life. Indoor plants can improve the mental health and productivity of people using the library. They can also benefit physical health by improving air quality.
- Flexible spaces: Not every indoor library space needs a predefined function. Prepare spaces around broader activity categories like quiet individual work, productive collaborative work and social-recreational spaces. Use signs to highlight essential guidelines, such as whether complete quiet is necessary, but let visitors make the space their own from there.
- Comfortable seating: Reading and social areas can benefit from bean bags, cozy armchairs and other movable furniture pieces that allow them to connect.
- Cafe: A cafe, coffee shop or restaurant within the library building creates a relaxed atmosphere where people can choose to socialize, work or take a refreshing break on their own. Aim to cater to a variety of preferences so everyone feels included. For example, vegetarian options in a cafe or dairy alternatives in a coffee shop can appeal to people who avoid meat or dairy.
Public Library Outdoor Spaces
A public library’s design extends beyond its walls to encompass the outdoor spaces around it. Outdoor space design considerations for public libraries include:
- Reading areas: Provide designated outdoor reading areas with comfortable seating for those who prefer fresh air and sunshine while reading.
- Event spaces: Set up one or more event areas with a platform and shaded seating. These spaces could host live music, poetry readings, community presentations and other events.
- Playgrounds: Playgrounds and other child-friendly outdoor recreation areas ensure a public library is a healthy, welcoming space for the whole family.
- Refreshment areas: A patio restaurant or coffee bar can attract visitors and encourage people to take a break and meet new people.
- Landscaping: Gardens outside the library provide a relaxing space for visitors to calm their minds and enjoy natural beauty. Trees and flower beds celebrate local biodiversity while delighting the eyes, and open grassy areas can accommodate picnics, social gatherings and recreational activities.
- Rooftop gardens: In addition to providing an extra space to enjoy nature, green roofs help reduce heat islands and can help save on energy-related costs.
- Shade structures: Shade structures allow visitors to make the most of the outdoor areas. Whether reading, enjoying a performance or socializing with friends, a well-designed structure can help them beat the heat and avoid harmful UV exposure. High-quality custom shade structures suit the library’s aesthetic and enhance curb appeal.
Library Design Case Studies
One of the best ways to enhance library design is to draw inspiration from existing libraries. Here’s how three modern libraries bring the design principles in this guide to life.
1. Calgary Central Library
This library in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, prioritizes community connection. Its arched entryway is inspired by the arched cloud formations the local Chinook winds produce. This expansive entrance welcomes community members from all walks of life.
Inside, flexible spaces invite patrons to make the library their own as they read, work and interact. Outside, amphitheaters and terraces support community programs beyond the library’s walls. The landscaping emphasizes indigenous plants, drawing the surrounding prairies and mountains into the heart of the cityscape.
2. The Community Library in Ketchum
The redesigned Community Library in Ketchum, Idaho, combines community tradition with vibrant engagement. The stone fireplace is as at home here as the diagonal beams that evoke Idaho’s forested landscape. Reclaimed redwood panels and reused structures from the original library reflect a commitment to sustainable design.
Folding glass walls support flexibility and allow the space to adapt to dynamic community needs. Mobile service stations replace the old, authoritative circulation desk to enhance interactions between staff and patrons.
3. Winthrop Library
The Winthrop Library in Winthrop, Washington, is a charming hub of community life that demonstrates the importance of community involvement in the design process. Its barn-like structure with exposed trusses pays homage to the region’s agricultural character, but the space is still modern and versatile. Computers, internet access and 3D printing facilities help bridge the digital divide and serve this close community.
10 Tips for Designing a Public Library
When planning a public library for the community, these tips will help navigate the design process.
1. Engage the Community
Include community members, businesses and other stakeholders in the process from the beginning. Their needs, preferences and priorities can help guide the project and ensure it serves the community as intended. Consider sending email surveys, hosting focus groups or holding open houses.
2. Define Functions
People-oriented design asks what a space is for. Whether designing the kids’ section, a technological workspace or a conference room, the intended uses shape the area’s structure and amenities. This is true even with flexible spaces — are they conducive to all of the required activities?
3. Research Case Studies
With a clear vision of the people and purposes the library and its sections will serve, it’s time to translate that vision into a tangible design plan. One way to start is to note the features of existing public libraries to incorporate or avoid. Research libraries in comparable communities with similar budgets to collect actionable public library design ideas.
4. Think Thematic
Ensure the library has a cohesive design with strong themes and motifs. Thematic design motifs could include light woods, glass, curves and a distinctive local flavor. Color is another important consideration.
5. Emphasize Accessibility and Inclusivity
A public library welcomes every member of the community. Putting people first and fostering an inclusive environment involves meeting and exceeding standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. This involves prioritizing seamless navigation throughout the library and considering people with diverse abilities and needs. An accessible and inclusive library includes:
- Wide pathways and entrances.
- Ramps outside the entrance, if applicable.
- Automatic doors.
- Accessible restrooms.
- Accessible parking.
- Elevators.
- Shelves marked with Braille labels.
- Screen readers in technology areas.
- Large print books.
- Digital audiobooks.
6. Consider Safety
Safety features help keep library users secure. These include a layout with good visibility, emergency exits and safe spaces to access during a crisis. Aim to balance security with an open, friendly atmosphere.
7. Prioritize Sustainability
To build a more sustainable library, consider:
- Using recycled and locally sourced materials.
- Harnessing natural light and solar power to help reduce the library’s carbon footprint.
- Purchasing supplies from local businesses to reduce the project’s transportation needs and the resulting emissions.
- Installing a green roof to reduce energy costs.
8. Plan for the Future
Establish feedback mechanisms and a strategy for continual improvement. This could involve posting an anonymous feedback form on the library’s website or placing a suggestion box near the entrance. As the community library grows, new programs arise or fresh technologies emerge, it may be time to adjust the design, and community input can help.
9. Choose Partners Wisely
Completing the library will require cooperation with service providers and suppliers. Choose reputable partners who can deliver quality products to suit the library’s design.
10. Don’t Neglect the Outdoors
While the books are inside, that doesn’t mean the library design stops at the front door. Outdoor reading areas, playgrounds, gardens and eating areas allow visitors to take their new reads outside, breathe fresh air and get healthy movement. To enhance outdoor areas further, consider shading them with reliable and aesthetically pleasing shade structures.
Choose USA SHADE for Library Shade Structures
A well-designed public library provides comfortable spaces to learn, work and socialize. At USA SHADE, we supply shade structures to keep community members cool as they enjoy the library’s outdoor facilities. Sheltering library patrons from the sun’s rays will encourage them to stay longer and keep coming back.
We are the industry leader in fabric structures, and our designs can enhance the library’s appearance and functionality. Browse our extensive range of structures, experiment with our shade builder tool or speak to our shade experts to find the ideal structures for your library’s design!
