Here are a few practical ways to think about approaching a library renovation: Start with a North Star. Before you pick finishes or start talking timelines, take a step back and get clarity on what you want your library to become. I call this the north star—your vision for how the building should function for … Continue reading Refreshing for the Future
More than two-thirds of this year’s 15 selections are renovations or adaptive reuse projects. Libraries of all types are finding ways to acknowledge historical and environmental realities, embrace natural elements and cultural identities, evolve traditions, and build in flexibility to account for the unexpected. Read on for snapshots of these communities in motion. Natural immersion … Continue reading 2026 Library Design Showcase
Academic and school libraries More than 30,000 square feet Jen Library, Savannah (Ga.) College of Art and Design Design Firm and Photo: Savannah College of Art and Design Li Lu Law Library, Columbia University in New York City Design Firm: Perkins Eastman Photo: Andrew Rugge 30,000 square feet and less Confluence Library, Church of Christ … Continue reading 2026 ALA/IIDA Interior Design Awards
Of course, moving a library takes more than a month. Our planning took more than a year and required staff to work under tight deadlines, limited budgets, and high expectations. Here’s how we did it, and what we learned from the process. Choosing a location. It’s essential to consider whether the new location will match, … Continue reading Mall Wonder
Neal shared the story of the initiative in the June 27 “Breaking Barriers, Building Brands: Supporting Beauty Entrepreneurs in Libraries” session at the American Library Association’s 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago. “I’m now the beauty librarian,” Neal declared. “I just made that my thing.” The multi-pronged program included a LibGuide that Neal developed … Continue reading Library Programming Gets a Glow-up
At the “Pokémon Club @ Your Library: Engaging Young Learners Through Play and Community” session, held June 26 at ALA’s 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, TPCi representatives and librarians who offer the clubs in their libraries discussed the first nine months of the partnership—TPCi’s first of this kind—and what the clubs can offer … Continue reading Catch ’Em All
As ICE has raided homes, businesses, and public facilities in communities across the country, public libraries are grappling with how to prepare staff, protect patrons, respond to incidents, and develop resources for in-the-moment de-escalation and long-term recovery. In February, the Public Library Association (PLA) convened a webinar called “Responding to ICE at the Library: Real … Continue reading Encountering ICE
You’ve talked about being a library kid long before you ever worked at the library. How did you start to see it as a career path? It took a lot of failure. It took a lot of mistakes, a lot of careers not panning out. My dream job was to be in the military. Even … Continue reading Newsmaker: Mychal Threets
Traveling alone through Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), a woman wandered the concourse looking to pass the time. Then she spotted a sign for the Airport Library. When she arrived, she sat down, plugged in her devices, and picked up a historical biography she said she never would have chosen under normal circumstances. Before she … Continue reading Airport Libraries Take Off
Within these limitations, though, library workers can develop their legal reference skills and provide appropriate referrals. The American Association of Law Libraries’ (AALL) 2014 report Law Libraries and Access to Justice offers tips for how to do this. In the decade since this report was released, demand for services has remained high, with many low-income … Continue reading The Rules of Law
Uncertainty may be the most notable overarching theme of federal policy in the past year. Legal challenges and other acts of resistance by librarians have prevented, overturned, or at least delayed some of the administration’s most notable attacks on libraries from taking effect. In other cases, policy changes have been announced that may affect libraries … Continue reading One Year of the Trump Administration
It was the winning moment of the inaugural speed puzzling tournament at Mid-Columbia Libraries (MCL) in southeastern Washington last January. Piece Out triumphed over 46 other teams—with names like The Misfits, Separation Anxiety, and Planet Fit This—in the competition, which coincided with National Puzzle Day, January 29. “People really liked to take [a victory] away … Continue reading Racing the Clock
