Public Library: Within This Page
Public Library: Within This Page
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by WBDG Staff
Updated:
05-10-2017
OVERVIEW
WITHIN THIS PAGE
Overview
Building Attributes
Emerging Issues
Relevant Codes and Standards
Major Resources
Public libraries can be differentiated from academic, school, and special libraries because they function to serve the needs of a diverse service
population including small children, students, professionals, and the elderly. In contrast, academic libraries serve college and university faculty and
students; school libraries serve elementary, middle, and high school students and faculty; and special libraries (such as Presidential Libraries) serve
scholars and experts within narrowly defined fields.
Although public libraries serve the public at large, including those who are also served by other types of libraries, they are used primarily by members
of the local community in which they are constructed and secondarily by members in communities in immediately outlying areas. The members of
those communities are the service population of public libraries and their needs affect the design and planning of public library spaces. For example, if
a community has a large population of young children, which can result from a community with a high-quality elementary school system, the public
library design must address the needs of children and how they use libraries, i.e., story-telling spaces, books within easy reach for children, nap areas,
etc. Whereas, a public library that serves the needs of a community with a large population of elderly people will included design criteria to meet their
needs, i.e., easy access into the building, adequate lighting, large-print media, etc.
BUILDING ATTRIBUTES
A. TYPES OF SPACES
Reference desk at Issaquah Public Library, Issaquah, WA by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Photo Credit: James Frederick House
There are seven broad types of public library space:
Careful analysis of the following will allow designers to determine the space needs for the seven general spaces listed above, which are common to
public libraries:
Atlas Stand 35
Bulletin Board 9
Display Case 50
Map File 35
Microfilm Cabinet 10
Newspaper Rack 25
Paperback Rack 35
Photocopier 50
Staff Locker 4
of 75 square feet can be used as a general average for each computer workstation.
Vertical Files 10
*The items listed are for example and are an abbreviated list of items that may be included in the special-use space. Depending on the role of the library as determined in the program, the number of items and the
number of special-use areas may vary.
Calculate Space Needs for Microfilm or Microfiche Workstations—A general rule of thumb is 35 square feet for each microfilm or
microfiche workstation.
The Great Reading Room at Burton Barr Phoenix Central Library, Phoenix, AZ by Will Bruder Architects
Photo Credit: Bill Timmerman
In general, public libraries should provide at least 5 seats for every 1,000 users in its service population. As a guide, public libraries that serve no more
than 10,000 users should accommodate 7 to 10- seats for every 1,000 users. These guides do not include the seats needed in meeting rooms or staff
areas. The number of seats can be adjusted depending on the library. For example, if the library is one that encourages long-term use, i.e., extensive
collections of research materials, then the number of seats should be inflated. If the library encourages browsing, i.e., latest magazines or best sellers,
the number of seats needed may be less.
Calculate Square Footage Needs for User Seating—The square footage needed for user seating varies depending on the type of
seating, i.e., lounge chair, table seating, etc. As a general rule of thumb, for table seating use 25 square feet per seat; for study carrel
seating use 30 square feet per seat; and for seating in lounge chairs use 35 square feet per seat. As a general average, designers can use
30 square feet per seat.
To determine total square footage necessary for user seating, subtract the number of PAC and electronic workstation seats and meeting
and conference room seats (if these rooms are used only for meetings and conferences) from the projected number of total seats. That
number multiplied by 30 is the projected square footage needed for user seating.
Calculate Space Needs for Staff Work Areas—On average, the space needed for staff work areas is approximately 150 square feet per
work area. Some work areas may be larger than others. For example, check-out areas may require more square footage than help-desk
areas. As a general rule of thumb, the square footage allotment for staff work areas equals the number of projected staff areas multiplied by
150.
Calculate the Space Needs for Meeting Rooms—There are two types of seating arrangements common in public library meeting rooms:
theater seating and conference room seating. For theater, or lecture hall, seating arrangements, the projected square footage needed in the
meeting room equals the number of seats multiplied by 10. For conference room seating, the projected square footage needed equals the
number of seats multiplied by 25. The square footage needed in meeting rooms targeted for children's activities will require 10 square feet
per seat. Meeting room space does not include other square footage necessary for other peripheral spaces including a kitchen area in or
nearby the meeting room and storage areas for audiovisual equipment, chairs, tables, etc.
The need for special-use spaces (such as a history or genealogy room, a job center, or a community information area) will vary depending on the
function of the library as determined in its written program.
Calculate Space Needs for Special-Use Areas—Some special-use spaces and their required square footage are included in the table
below.
STEP 8: DETERMINE SPACE NEEDS FOR NON-ASSIGNABLE AREAS (SUCH AS MECHANICAL ROOMS)
Non-assignable spaces are important for the general operation of the library facility but they are not a direct part of the services offered by the library.
These spaces include mechanical rooms, bathrooms, entrance halls, corridors, stairs, security rooms, and elevators. These non-assignable spaces
make up 20% to 30% of gross floor area of the library.
Calculate Space Needs for Non-Assignable Areas—The square footage needed for non-assignable space equals the total square
footage of steps 2 through 7, divided by 4.
EMERGING ISSUES
The Seattle Public Library features wireless communications technologies, allowing staff members to provide support to patrons without being bound to a reference desk.
Computer technology continues to affect the way libraries function and, as a result, the way they are planned and designed. As a result, the electric
and wiring needs of modern-day public libraries must accommodate changing technology. Today, public libraries must be able to support wired and
wireless connections to digital communications from networks within and from outside the library. Outside digital communication systems include the
Internet, area networks, public telephone networks, and networks accessed through digital service providers (such as cable companies) that utilize
copper wire, cable, wireless, or fiber-optic capabilities. See also WBDG Productive—Integrate Technological Tools.
The recommended wiring capability of modern public libraries is Category 5 (CAT 5) wiring optimized for 1,000BASE–T using RJ45 connectors.
Exterior-mounted satellite dishes may also be a consideration in some library programs.
Circuits and electrical outlets should be plentiful so that changing technology can be supported. Dedicated circuits for computers and surge protection
for electronic workstations and PACs should be incorporated into the design of library spaces.
Another emerging technology—radio frequency identification (RFID)—is coming to the library market in the form of charging and security systems that
are easier to configure into patron self-service stations, allowing some libraries to radically reconsider the organization of functions at the entry. Some
public libraries that have adopted RFID-based patron self-charge systems have been able to position circulation functions—traditionally in a prominent
entry location—to the sides, allowing a newly-prominent information desk to become the centerpiece of the library's entry. This in turn changes the
patron's experience of the entry and the character of the space.
Still other libraries-notably the recently—opened Seattle Public Library—are using wireless communications technologies to allow library staff members
to roam through the stacks and reader seating, without being bound to a reference desk, the better to provide support to patrons at the point of contact.
Daylighting employed in the children's area at Des Plaines Public Library, Des Plaines, IL, by Lohan Associates
Photo Credit: Les Boschke
Sustainable design should be a part of every library program so that the building can function efficiently without wasting energy during its lifetime.
Below is a checklist to ensure that public libraries incorporate sustainable design. See WBDG Sustainable Branch for more guidance on sustainable
design.
Is the building designed and constructed in ways that preserve the natural outdoor environment and promote a healthful indoor habitat?
Is the building designed to avoid adversely impacting the natural state of the air, land, and water, by using resources and methods that
minimize pollution and waste?
Is the building designed to maximize passive and natural sources of heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting? See WBDG Passive Solar
Heating, High–Performance HVAC, Natural Ventilation, and Daylighting.
Are innovative strategies and technologies employed such as porous paving to conserve water, reduce effluent and run-off, thus recharging
the water table?
Is the project planned to reduce the need for individual automobiles, use alternative fuels, and encourage public and alternate modes of
transportation?
Is the building constructed and operated using materials, methods, and mechanical and electrical systems that ensure a healthful indoor air
quality while avoiding contamination by carcinogens, volatile organic compounds, fungi, molds, bacteria, and other known toxins?
Are the HVAC system's outdoor air intakes located as high as possible above the ground and far enough away from the exhaust ducts to
reduce the intake of ground level air pollution?
Are stainless-steel-strip bird guards installed over the horizontal rooftop outdoor air intakes to prevent birds from settling on the grating and
polluting the shafts below?
Does the HVAC have an efficiency air filtration system with pre-filters and final filters at 30 % and 85% efficiency respectively?
Are air filters designed to be easy to access and clean and/or replace? See WBDG Sustainable O&M Practices.
Has the exposed fiberglass within the HVAC system been encapsulated to eliminate amplification sites for fungal and bacterial micro-
organisms?
Is the rate of ventilation with outdoor air at least 25 cubic feet per minute?
Are copy rooms and similar spaces that emit possibly toxic substances equipped with their own dedicated air exhaust systems?
Is particleboard that emits formaldehyde emissions prohibited in the building? See Evaluating and Selecting Green Products.
Is furniture constructed without particleboard that emits formaldehyde? See WBDG Evaluating and Selecting Green Products.
Are only solvent-free paints specified for the project? See WBDG Evaluating and Selecting Green Products.
Are low-emitting, solvent-free adhesives specified for the project? See WBDG Evaluating and Selecting Green Products.
RELEVANT CODES AND STANDARDS
Model Building Codes that may apply include the following (check with local building departments for code requirements):
ICC IBC International Building Code
Note: Some states have their own state-written building codes. In addition, some localities have their own local codes. State and local building
departments are the best resource for applicable codes.
MAJOR RESOURCES
WBDG
BUILDING TYPES
SPACE TYPES
Conference / Classroom, General Storage, Library, Lobby, Office
DESIGN OBJECTIVES
Accessible, Aesthetics, Functional / Operational, Historic Preservation, Productive, Secure / Safe, Sustainable
BUILDING COMMISSIONING
Building Commissioning
ASSOCIATIONS
PUBLICATIONS
The Design and Evaluation of Public Library Buildings by Nolan Lushington and James M. Kusack. Hamden, CT: Library Professional
Publications, 1991.
Determining Your Public Library's Future Size: A Needs Assessment Planning Model by Lee B. Brawner and Donald K. Beck. Chicago, IL:
American Library Association, 1996.
Library Facility Siting and Location Handbook by Christine M. Koontz. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
Planning the Small Library Facility, 2nd ed. by Anders C. Dahlgren. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1996.
Public Library Space Needs: A Planning Outline by Anders C. Dahlgren. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Public Library
Development, 2009.