bluesyemre

THE LIBRARY AS A COMMUNITY GARDEN, A PUBLIC LIVING ROOM, AND MORE INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM THE AIA/ALA LIBRARY BUILDING AWARDS. As the world becomes ever more digital, the role of libraries is changing. In an age when Google can replace much of the information-gathering duties librarians once shouldered, libraries need to rethink how they can best serve their users. The winners of the 2015 American Institute of Architects Library Awards reflect how libraries are adapting—how they’re investing in technology and trying to reframe themselves as vital community gathering spaces. This year’s winners include a children’s library that teaches kids to grow their own food, a university library that has ditched half its collections to create collaborative work spaces, and libraries that are at the heart of catalyzing redevelopment in their neighborhoods. And they prove that even buildings filled with thousands of objects created from dead trees can be environmentally friendly.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3044594/6-buildings-that-are-redefining-the-library

http://www.aia.org/press/AIAB105944

1. CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY
2. CLAIRE T. CARNEY LIBRARY
3. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CHILDREN’S LIBRARY AND LEARNING CENTER
4. MISSION BRANCH LIBRARY
5. SLOVER LIBRARY
6. VANCOUVER COMMUNITY LIBRARY