The movement of people in a library is inevitably noisy and also creates a visual distraction for the reader. If the provision of quiet areas where readers can work undisturbed is an important criterion of library design, the traffic patterns generated in a library by the disposition of the various facilities - stacks, periodicals, reference…

Discussion of problems and mistakes made in library facility planning highlights overemphasis of dramatic architectural elements; communications between architects and librarians; who is in charge of planning process; lighting (effect of library shelving, appropriate location of light switches); setting a schedule; furniture and equipment; and the…

For many librarians, the selection of furniture for a new building or the major refurbishing of an existing facility is a once-in-a-lifetime task. The furniture selection process now involves much more than considering what products are available. The acquisition of furniture and shelving includes the following steps: look at the existing library…

Now that fewer libraries are being built, it is particularly important to maximize space in the buildings available, and to ensure that library plans are determined by the needs of users. This book introduces the concept of space as a resource available to the library manager, along with stock, staff, and finance, which need managing in the same…