Lauren Johnson, user experience librarian at Nevada State University in Henderson, speaks at the “Bite-Sized Improvements: How to Make Small, Meaningful Changes to Library Space,” session January 20.

Sizing Up Your Space

January 20, 2024

At “Bite-Sized Improvements: How to Make Small, Meaningful Changes to Library Space,” a January 20 session at the American Library Association’s 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore, library specialist Nanci DeLa Cruz Aguayo and user experience librarian Lauren Johnson shared how they took the process one step at a time.  Aguayo and Johnson, both from Nevada … Continue reading Sizing Up Your Space


Cover art for the 2023 Library Design Showcase

2023 Library Design Showcase

September 1, 2023

Living History Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Ohio) Public Library, Walnut Hills branch The oldest branch in its system and the first of several of Cincinnati’s Carnegie libraries, Walnut Hills recently underwent its first significant improvements since its construction in 1906. The branch is now fully accessible. The architects preserved its French Renaissance–style details—red brick, a … Continue reading 2023 Library Design Showcase


2023 ALA/AIA Library Building Awards

September 1, 2023 The following libraries are winners of the 2023 Library Building Awards, sponsored by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures (a division of the American Library Association) and the American Institute of Architects. The awards, recognizing the best in library architecture and design, are open to any architect licensed in the US. Projects may be located anywhere in … Continue reading 2023 ALA/AIA Library Building Awards

Photo of ALA President Emily Drabinski

A Welcoming Space

September 1, 2023

Whether it’s marveling at the dome inside Carnegie-Stout Public Library in Dubuque, Iowa, the vibrant entrepreneurship lab at University of Rhode Island in Kingston, or the bright carpets and colorful student art at P.S. 28 in Manhattan, those first few moments through the door always call home the magic that happens inside our buildings. We … Continue reading A Welcoming Space


Dispatches - Kate Hall and Kathy Parker

Covering Your Bases

January 3, 2023

Public liability insurance. This covers the building and grounds, the contents of the building, library vehicles, and any accidents involving patrons on library property. It’s important to have adequate coverage in the event of a major claim. It’s also important that a library not be under- or overinsured. If underinsured, the library will have to … Continue reading Covering Your Bases


Episode 75: Rethinking Your Space

Call Number Podcast: Rethinking Your Space

September 12, 2022

As any library staffer who has gone through a building renovation knows, significant behind-the-scenes work goes into updating or overhauling a facility. From working with architects to communicating with committees to soliciting community feedback, rethinking a library doesn’t happen overnight. On Episode 75, the podcast team focuses on library design and architecture. First, American Libraries … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Rethinking Your Space


Photo of Fulton County (Georgia) Library System's Central Library in Atlanta

2022 Library Design Showcase

September 1, 2022

Environmentally sound Fulton County (Ga.) Library System, Central Library in Atlanta The interior design of the renovated downtown Central Library prioritizes accessibility, flexibility, and transparency, with large windows, multipurpose collaboration spaces, and a two-story atrium wrapping around a central staircase. The building, which is LEED Gold–certified, also emphasizes sustainability. By renovating instead of building entirely … Continue reading 2022 Library Design Showcase


2022 ALA/AIA Library Building Awards

2022 ALA/AIA Library Building Awards

September 1, 2022 The following libraries are winners of the 2022 Library Building Awards, sponsored by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures (a division of the American Library Association) and the American Institute of Architects. The awards recognize the best in library architecture and design and are open to any architect licensed in the United States. Projects may be located … Continue reading 2022 ALA/AIA Library Building Awards

Show and Tell

September 1, 2022

Interior signage includes identification signs for service points, office room numbers, elevators, stairways, restrooms, entrances, and exits; directional signs; signs for orientation (call number ranges, floor directory); and regulatory signs (fire exits, fire alarm pulls). Exterior signage usually includes signs for site identification, entrances, exits, parking (and accessible parking), and directional signs. At its most … Continue reading Show and Tell


Call Number with American Libraries, Episode 66 - Library Architecture and Design: The Past Meets the Future

Call Number Podcast: Library Architecture and Design

September 21, 2021

First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with Heather Hart, manager of Salt Lake City Public Library’s Sprague branch, about renovations that were made to the 93-year-old, English Tudor–style library after a flood destroyed much of the building in 2017. Next, Morehart talks with Sean Ngo from architecture firm DLR … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Library Architecture and Design


2021 Library Design Showcase

September 1, 2021

Higher learning D. H. Hill Jr. Library at North Carolina State University in Raleigh Lord Aeck Sargent transformed D. H. Hill Jr. Library into an open, light-filled facility with an eye on the future. The removal of stacks on the second and third floors created new areas for study, academic support, and technology immersion. In … Continue reading 2021 Library Design Showcase


2021 ALA/AIA Library Building Awards

September 1, 2021 The following libraries are winners of the 2021 Library Building Awards, sponsored by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures (a division of the American Library Association) and the American Institute of Architects. The awards recognize the best in library architecture and design and are open to any architect licensed in the United States. Projects may be located … Continue reading 2021 ALA/AIA Library Building Awards