The 22nd Century Library

Libraries have served society over the millennia, from ancient bastions of knowledge to the free libraries that have supported a democratic society in 20^th century America. In our current century libraries serve as community, technology, and social hubs. How will libraries serve us in the future, and how to we plan our buildings to support that adaptation?

Placework team members Liz Nguyen, AIA and Josh Lacasse, AIA asked that question and more in their recent presentation, “The 22^nd Century Library: Embracing Heritage While Planning for the Next Hundred Years.” They examined the changing role of the public library from the Carnegie Library era through today, and mused on how we might envision the future of libraries a century from now.

How will libraries serve us in the future, and how do we plan our buildings to support that adaptation?

In order to think about the future, it’s helpful to think about the nature of time. Katie Paterson’s Future Library in Oslo and the Long Now Foundation offer new notions on our understanding of time, encouraging us to consider both long-term planning and cyclical time scales that encourage engagement with the natural environment. Paterson’s collaboration with the Oslo Library began with the felling of trees to build an archive in 2014 and will end with 100 books – written in each intervening year – printed on paper produced from the replanted forest when it is harvested 100 years later.

This type of thinking challenges us to consider what we value, how our decisions affect both past and future generations. It helps align priorities in a time when our attention is often pulled in competing directions.

Reimagining the Public Library

Today’s libraries have expanded to serve as technology hubs, cultural and community centers, and often much needed resources for shelter and services. You can go to your public library to have fun, connect with needed information, or to learn a new skill. The popular trend toward a “library of things” deepens the role of the library by meeting new needs and engaging an ever-wider circle of patrons. But it also poses space and management challenges unknown to the traditional library – or the traditional librarian!

Given this ever-expanding civic role, how can public libraries embrace new paradigms without jeopardizing current operations? How do we provide accessibility, modernization, or expanded services while being responsible stewards of historic buildings? And how can we place ourselves in the long now and plan for a future that we can’t foresee?

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Libraries around the world have made some bold moves. The Calgary Cantral Library in Alberta, Canada, demonstrates the ability of the library ability to act as a catalyst for the surrounding area. By uniting two formerly divided neighborhoods, bringing the surrounding ground plane into the building, and introducing a contrasting architectural language to the surrounding neoclassical facades, the library serves as both a physical and metaphorical bridge.

More locally, the recently expanded Peterborough Town Library – the first free tax-support public library in the country – illustrates how buildings can evolve over time to accommodate different social priorities and needs. The library connects with the historic village and waterway, providing vibrant gathering spaces inside and out.

One of our own recent projects in Hampton, New Hampshire illustrates how Placework has engaged new paradigms in our own library planning and design.

Partnerships and Evolution

Placework’s recent conceptual design for the Hampton Hub is the result of an innovative collaboration between the town’s library and recreation department. Noting that both town agencies serve the same people and often require the same type of spaces, the town saw a way to enhance both time and economic efficiency. The intent is to create a welcoming “third place” – a public space which is open to all and separate from one’s home, work, or school. The theory posits that third places are essential to the healthy function of a community.

The design embodies several new library paradigms, prioritizing accessibility and reuse of historic structures as design drivers, leveraging community partnerships, and creating considered places for human connection. Situated in the civic core of Hampton, the project reinforces community connectivity and offers a vibrant resource for the town. It aims to serve as a flexible center that can adapt to changing conditions over time.

The intent is to create a welcoming “third place” – a public space which is open to all and separate from one’s home, work, or school.

Looking Forward

How public libraries will serve us in 100 years will surely differ from today. We can anticipate making both incremental adaptations and big leaps to accommodate our changing needs. Looking forward with curiosity for what is possible – both risks to mitigate and surprising developments to look forward to – is the approach to planning that we find most successful. And fun!

This article is based on a presentation given at the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association conference in May 2024. A full copy of the original presentation slides can be found here.

Resources:

Library Space: A Planning Resource for Librarians

AIA/ALA Library Building Awards