Libraries have undergone an extraordinary transformation over the last twenty years--from glorified book warehouse to interactive learning environment. For an architect they are currently amongst the most exciting projects to be commissioned to design. Innovation and "Next Generation" are the buzz words. However instead of exploring a first…

The Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress is one of the more significant public structures in American architecture, due for the most part to its wealth and quality of decoration, including an extensive sculptural program executed in 1894-97. The architects entrusted the program to a committee of three prominent sculptors, J. Q. A.…

The building and decoration of the Library of Congress in the late nineteenth century were emblematic of America's longing to be regarded as an enlightened nation and to take its rightful place among the great civilizations of the past. The sources for this ambition, illustrated in the paintings, sculptures, and inscriptions in the library's…

Economical design and smooth functioning of libraries require detailed preplanning before the architect begins to draw. This preplanning and coordination can be facilitated by an interior designer deft in communication skills and willing to become acquainted with library functions. Flow charts, spatial analysis, and layouts are useful tools to…

Pictures and brief descriptions of the libraries receiving awards for architectural design are given. (SJ)

Presented is a satirical description of the perfectly designed library that has something for everybody. (SJ)

The new Yeshiva University Library stands as a clear, contemporary architectural statement. (Author)

A discussion of the architectural planning of libraries, with examples of the types of mistakes that have been made in specific libraries in the past and suggestions as to how these mistakes might be avoided in the future. (RM)

A discussion of the design principles that architects and planners call "Office Landscape, which is an attempt to incorporate a management concept into the total environmental system of a library. The goals of the management concept are to effect communication and to allow change. (RM)

Cites a directory of consultants concerned with the design needs of handicapped people and lists the names and addresses given for Arizona. (CWM)

A nontechnical guide to many facets in the design of efficient libraries is presented for everyone concerned with library building planning. The author discusses--(1) the problems involved in planning libraries for the future, (2) the library objectives and their relation to aesthetic problems, quality of construction, function and cost, (3) the…

A personal view which regrets the passing of personal, warm library environments and the ascendancy of "monumental" library architecture. Illustrations of the Bobst Library, Boston Library, Bancroft School. (LS)

The new architectural design and reader accommodation of recently completed libraries and those under construction are described. Plans for present and future depository libraries are presented. (Author/JAB)

Describes a cultural center in Mexico City's University City that includes a concert hall, two theaters, a library, two cinemas, a ballet hall, and an opera hall. (Author/JM)