Public Library Space Needs: A Planning Outline

Anders C. Dahlgren, President
Library Planning Associates, Inc.

© June 2009 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

This narrative outline and corresponding worksheet can help public library staff and trustees estimate their library's future space needs to determine whether more comprehensive facility planning should be conducted.

Note: The following contents link to corresponding pages within the PDF version of the publication at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/plspace.pdf. The Space Needs Worksheet is available as an Excel worksheet at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/xls/plspace.xls.

Contents

Author's note Introduction Preliminaries: Design Population Step 1 Collection Space Projecting Collection Size Calculating Collection Space Step 2 Reader Seating Space Step 3 Staff Work Space

Step 4 Meeting Room Space Step 5 Special Use Space Step 6 Nonassignable Space Step 7 Putting It All Together Step 8 The Next Steps Appendix A: Selected Bibliography Appendix B: Space Needs Worksheet

For questions about this information, contact John K. DeBacher (608) 266-7270

Last updated on 7/17/2009 2:50:34 PM