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Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Resource Guide Collection

Developing a Library Building Program: Contacts & Resources

Contact Us


Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
90 Canal Street, Suite 500
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
617-725-1860
800-952-7403 (in MA)
617-725-0140 (fax)

Need more information or help along the way?

Andrea Bono-Bunker, Library Building Specialist
617-725-1860 x246
andrea.bunker@mass.gov

Web Resources

Library Space: A Planning Resource for Librarians
This planning guide outlines a set of best practices for library planning. A collaboration between Sasaki, an international architecture and planning firm, and the MBLC, it was released in 2020.

Hundreds of images, ranging from teen spaces to acoustic treatments, are available via Pinterest:
Go to http://www.pinterest.com/laurenstara to browse ideas and share with your designers.

Print Resources

Author Title Pub date Description
Barclay & Scott Library Renovation, Maintenance, and Construction Handbook 2011 Practical, hands-on advice from a knowledgeable architect, from building systems to interiors and signage
Carr The Green Library Planner 2013 How to incorporated sustainability into a construction or renovation project
Cohen Designing and Space Planning for Libraries: a Behavioral Guide 1979 An oldie but a goodie in terms of the behavioral issues involved in planning a good library
Feinberg & Keller Designing Space for Children and Teens in Libraries and Public Places 2010 Designing for these special audiences
Holt Planning Library Buildings and Facilities: From Concept to Completion 1989 A little outdated, but the basic concepts stay the same and there's good stuff here
LLAMA (ALA) Building Blocks for Planning Functional Library Space 2011 [3rd ed] A compilation of information about how much space to allocate for various pieces of equipment and furnishings in a library
Gunnels, Green & Butler Joint Libraries: Models That Work 2012 Case studies of joint library projects, with ideas for management and operation
McCarthy Managing Your Library Construction Project: a Step-by-Step Guide 2007 Working with building professionals and how to deal with all the paperwork required for a construction project
Piotrowicz & Osgood Building Science 101: a Primer for Librarians 2010 The basics of building systems and methods, written for those with no building background
Sannwald Checklist of Library Building Design Considerations 2009 [5th ed] Every checklist you could possibly think of, from space planning to dedication ceremonies
Schlipf Constructing Library Buildings that Work 2020 An updated, abridged version of his other title below
Schlipt & Moorman The Practical Handbook of Library Architecture: Creating Building Spaces that Work 2018 A comprehensive and detailed compendium of library planning and design from the librarian's point of view
Schmidt & Etches Useful, Usable, Desirable 2014 User experience comes to libraries -- at last!
Woodward Countdown to a New Library: Managing the Building Project 2000 Written from a librarian's point of view

 

All these books (and more) are available to borrow from the MBLC's Professional Collection. Place a request through NobleNet or contact Lauren.