Library Buildings and Construction: Library Building Resources

Including:
-- E.C. Scranton Library. Focus: working from a temporary space while managing a major renovation and expansion.
-- Stonington Free Library. Focus: big changes in a small footprint.
-- Park Street Library @ the Lyric, Hartford. Focus: designing and building a library from scratch.

Presentation by Karin Taylor, Library Services Director, Beardsley Library, Winchester; and Kate Byroade, Library Director, Cragin Memorial Library, Colchester, for the Division of Library Development, September 15, 2021.

Registration is free and required for access to the recordings.

This Webjunction session from November 2020 introduces design principles that can be used to enhance and improve future library services.

In this Webjunction webinar from 2019, hear about the real experiences of two project participants who transformed drab, underused spaces into hubs of activity and energy.

During this 2018 webinar from Webjunction, learn from libraries that have reimagined and reconfigured "smart spaces" for active learning, using a combination of placemaking and design thinking principles and strategies.

Excellent checklist from the New England ADA Center. Find out what your library is lacking.

Directory Search from the Dept. of Administrative Services (DAS)

From Maine State Library.

For library furniture for state agencies, towns and association libraries

Consortium pricing for library supplies and materials. Open to all public and private institutions of higher education, municipalities, schools and educational organizations throughout Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Contracts for furniture, shelving and related accessories, available to CLC members.

Grants for Green Buildings

If the properties are listed on the State Register of Historic Places and owned by non-profit organizations or municipalities, you can apply for a Historic Restoration Fund (HRF) Grants from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Offices of Culture & Tourism. It may be used for the restoration, rehabilitation or purchase of historic buildings, structures, and objects as well as the investigation of archaeological sites.

National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge grants may...provide capital directly supporting the purchase of equipment and software; the design, purchase, construction, restoration, or renovation of facilities needed for humanities activities; and collections sharing.

For energy conservation and other projects

State of CT program.

Provides grants and loans to rural libraries in United States. Community Facilities grants and loans may be used to construct, enlarge or improve public libraries. To see if your library is in a rural community, and to find our more about this program, contact your local RD Service Center

A non-profit 501(c3) organization that seeks to improve the quality of life in Connecticut through the promotion of intelligently designed and constructed high performance energy efficient buildings. It is a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Environmentally Friendly Practices for Libraries and Beyond, a blog.

A website dedicated to documenting the greening of libraries in the United States and beyond.

The institute's mission is to lead the transformation toward a civilization that is socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. They encourage healthy workplaces through their Living Building Challenge.

A 501(c)(3) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings accessible to everyone within a generation. USGBC is dedicated to expanding green building practices and education, and its LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™.LEED Green Building Rating System for New Construction. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.

A good professional source for standards, guidelines, and other technical resources, including their site on High Performing Buildings.

Published January 14, 2021.

Guidance to help you deliver more thoughtful and intentional spaces that enhance human health and well-being. Looks at air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind, and community.

Article from Library Journal, Jul2019, Vol. 144 Issue 6, p30-34.

Article from Library Journal, Jul2018, Vol. 143 Issue 12, p24-29.

Article from Library Journal, Jan2018, Vol. 143 Issue 1, p36-41.

Article from Library Journal, Jan2017, Vol. 142 Issue 1, p42-48.

From CT DEEP.