When it’s time to start planning for a renovation or construction project, you don’t need a book that covers everything from A to Z. Instead you need a concentrated set of tools and techniques that will guide you and your team to find the best solutions for your specific project. That’s exactly what library building expert Schlipf provides in his new book, which will be a key resource for library directors, administrators, board members, trustees, and planning professionals. Pinpointing the elements that make library buildings functional, in this book readers will find a streamlined organization of the text that enables quick consultation and facilitates collaboration; concise coverage of the essentials of the library construction process, including who does what, how things work, and how to stay out of trouble along the way; advice on important planning and workflow considerations such as site selection, schematic design, funding, design development, the bidding process, construction, and post-construction occupancy; discussion of the characteristics of successful library buildings—buildings that are easy to maintain, welcoming to people with disabilities, have less trouble-prone restrooms, and provide security for users, staff, and collections; and an overview of bad ideas in library architecture, with pointed guidance on how to steer clear of them from the very beginning of your project.

Based on the author's experiences, this handy guide offers the kind of information not found in standard texts. You will learn how to get maximum coverage from your local newspaper; how to sustain staff morale during months of dust, noise, and confusion; and how to understand constructionese. Pithy, practical, and full of useful ideas, this is one book every librarian considering or involved in a construction project should read. Floor plans and elevations included.

This go-to guide covers the entire process of building or renovating a public library—from initial planning, to maintaining the completed space, to measuring success. In light of current social and technological shifts, libraries are reinventing themselves. Meeting place, makerspace, community center, cultural hub, multimedia lender—today's public library is all of these and more. Whether your library is undertaking a simple renovation or redesign or looking at a full-blown building project, the voice of the librarian is important to the project, and you need to understand both the processes involved and the questions to ask. Beginning with the development of a pre-construction vision, the book guides you through the entire process. It covers everything from making a case for the project to the authorities and the community through fundraising, budgeting, and site and team selection. You'll read about space programming, the design phase, pre-construction preparation, staff management, and moving the library, as well as about post-construction management and maintenance. Measures of success are included, as are helpful forms and an invaluable glossary of relevant construction terms. With this guide in hand, you and your team can plan efficiently, avoid common pitfalls, and create a library you and your community will love for many years to come.

Gives a history of the public libraries in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and describes the steps and work done to design and build the new Central Library in the city over the period from 2000 to 2006.

This beautifully illustrated book surveys the art of contemporary library design from around the globe.

Despite calls for electronic, virtual, digital libraries without walls, the walled variety are still being built, some of them massive. This book explores the reasons for this contradiction by examining several notable new library facilities around the world to see how modern expectations for libraries are being translated into concrete and steel. More and more libraries are looking at change not as a dreaded hazard but as an opportunity that can itself be seized to strengthen the library in the areas of mission, technologies, facilities, funding, and organizational structure. Thirteen libraries are discussed--by a librarian or administrator who worked on the project. Each author writes about the design and building concerns that were particularly relevant to that library: philosophy, political issues, or any other concerns that affected planning, building, and services in the new facility. Introductory and concluding chapters identify underlying values and themes, tying everything together. The unique combinations of issues, constraints, and opportunities show how libraries are planning to fit into the approaching era of virtual information delivery.