NEWS

While we love so much of what a 21st-century library has become, it’s inevitable that evolution will continue for this beloved institution. After all, as society’s needs shift and change, so, too, will the library that serves them. And in these highly digital, post-pandemic, gig-economy times, the conditions are as ripe as they’ve ever been for change to library design.  

The needs of tomorrow’s library patrons might be different than those they have today, so how can library design offer everything they need? 

In the next 10 years, it’s very likely that your local library will be unrecognizable — largely due to the changing nature of content. As content access moves to digital or online formats, the spatial needs for physical materials are reduced, leaving an opportunity for library designs to focus less on basic book storage and more on user experience.