LibGuides Home: Library Buildings and Construction: Library Space Planning

Library Space Planning Guide and Worksheet

Using this Guide and its accompanying Worksheet, librarians and trustees can obtain a general estimate of their library's space needs and help initiate a larger facilities planning process. The Division of Library Development updated this guide and worksheet in 2021.

The Library Area Work Form provided above is an important concept and tool for use in developing the Building Program, which is a necessary step in library design, These books from the professional development collection at the Middletown Library Service Center have particularly helpful chapters about writing a library Building Program:

Libraries designed for users : a 21st century guide / Nolan Lushington
Managing your library construction project : a step-by-step guide / Richard C. McCarthy
Constructing library buildings that work / Fred Schlipf

A bibliography of additional books and websites related to library design is available in the box below.

We have an extensive collection of books on library design and construction projects in the professional development collection at the Middletown Library Service Center. You can search the state library catalog for these subject headings and place a hold or call the Service Center at 860-704-2200 to have the books sent to you via deliverIT. You can also visit the service center to browse and check out books in person.

2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
ALA's Building Libraries and Library Additions
With information for public, academic, school and joint-use libraries, including resources on specific spaces within the library.
"Designing for the Future — The Post-Pandemic Library"
January 2021 article by David Vinjamuri, author of Library Space Planning: A PLA Guide (ALA, 2019), and Joseph Huberty, Principal Architect with Engberg Anderson Architects
Designing Libraries (UK)
"The centre for library design and innovation: a resource for planning and design, a database of library building projects and a marketplace for services." With lots of photos, examples and ideas from libraries around the world.
IFLA: Section on Library Buildings and Equipment
Information on this committee and its publications including a full text report: Intelligent Library Buildings.
Library Expansion/Renovation Checklist
2009 publication by Ann Hamilton (from Georgia Southern University Library)
Library Space: A Planning Resource for Librarians
From the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. 158 pages, published 2020.
Project for Public Spaces
A non-profit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Be sure to check out all their articles and resources about libraries.
Public Library Space Needs: A Planning Outline
2009 publication by Anders C. Dahlgren (from Wisconsin Department of Public Library Instruction, Public Library Development).
Public Libraries: "Reopening Under COVID-19: A Space Planning Approach"
Published May/June 2020.
Suma from NCSU Libraries
A tablet-based toolkit for collecting, managing, and analyzing data about the usage of physical spaces
Webjuntion: Space Planning Resources
Includes articles, self-paced courses, and recorded webinars.
Webjunction: Toolkit for Creating Smart Spaces
The ten sections of the toolkit explore how to discover community needs, rethink use of existing physical spaces, test ideas with prototyping, create and implement a project plan, activate your space with programming, and more.

Books from the Service Center on Space Planning

You can place a hold on these books in our catalog, or call the Middletown Library Service Center at 860-704-2200. We can send the book to your nearest public library.