Green Libraries in the Library Design Showcase

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Coming in the April issue of American Libraries is our annual Library Design Showcase, but we’ve already started posting the much more thorough and much more focused online component.

Why am I noting that here? First off, the section explicitly devoted to green buildings went up this morning. This collection of buildings includes a variety of approaches, including LEED-certification,  environmentally sensitive building materials,  efficient mechanical systems, salvaged or recycled materials, green roofs, skylights, solar panels, and more.

Second, two more sections that will be of interest to environmentalist librarians are on their way. Coming this Friday is a section devoted to library landscaping. Many of the libraries featured opted for landscaping that promotes biodiversity, filters pollution from rainwater, preserves wetlands, and incorporates drought-resistant plants to reduce water consumption.

Then, next Wednesday will see the posting of a section on libraries that are successfully incorporating natural light into their designs, which can help to reduce energy consumption—but which has to be controlled, as too much glare will make the library less usable.

I hope you’ll enjoy the Library Design Showcase and gain valuable ideas from these libraries’ examples.