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Library construction has contributed a steady stream of projects to the construction industry in the U.S. over the past five years with 350 new libraries built between 2008 and 2013 at a cumulative cost of $2.1 billion according to a Library Journal survey.
Yet today’s library is dramatically different from the library of previous generations, according to Courtney Young, president of the American Library Association.
“Today there is more room being built for computers, areas for wireless information, community and performance spaces, meeting rooms, and also more vibrant and comfortable spaces like coffee bars and coffee shops,” says Young, “as well as designated areas for teens that also have comfortable seating and technology.”
Young adds that while a typical visitor to the library in the 1970′s wanted to read or check out a book, today many library visitors have different needs, such as looking for a job, or finding research to start their own business.
Some of new library construction reflects the needs of small, yet growing communities upgrading from too-small facilities, like the Camp Verde, Arizona community of 11,000, which is currently replacing their old library, in use since 1976, which is only 4500 square feet in size. The current design for the new library, which would also serve as a community hub, would be a LEED certified, two-story, 17,000 square foot structure that could cost anywhere from $3.1 million to $4.1 million.
Today’s libraries also must integrate the latest technology, as well as providing interactive services far beyond simply a good collection of books. The new Library 21c in Colorado Springs is a perfect example of this trend.
Libraries today also incorporate the latest technological advances and creative needs of the community, a trend that is particularly on display with the new Library 21c in Colorado Springs. The 112,000 square foot space, a former call center, will include a business center, computers, and a 400-seat community room and theatre, 3-D printers, vinyl cutters, all the CAD software, and sewing machines. The project has a price tag of $7 million.
Some libraries are even going bookless. See full article here.
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