Fred Schlipf has been hanging out in library buildings since the early 1940s (at about the age of four, he turned out all the lights in the Detroit Lakes (Minnesota) Public Library one evening—a happy moment that is still both bright and dark in his memory), and has been working for libraries and teaching about libraries and consulting on library buildings since he was 17. He’s been a library school faculty member for over 50 years, and he spent nearly 33 years as director of The Urbana Free Library, the public library of Urbana, Illinois (just down the street from the University of Illinois). He’s done formal building consulting for between 150 and 200 libraries and quick consulting for many more, and he visits library buildings everywhere he goes. He has a BA from Carleton College and an MA and PhD from the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago. He has served on dozens of committees and task forces of the American Library Association, Illinois State Library, Illinois Library Association, local library groups in Illinois, and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. He was Illinois Librarian of the Year in 2000.

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Library directors, board members, and planning professionals will want this newly updated “essential source” (Booklist, starred review) close at hand before, during, and after any library construction project.
“Likely to be among the definitive works on library architecture, this book is exhaustive in covering what one needs to know when taking on a library construction project,” raved Choice about the first edition. Now, with experienced library architect Huberty onboard to contribute his own expertise, the second edition comprises an even more focused and accessible handbook. It covers everything from planning completely new library buildings to small remodeling projects. With a dash of humor the authors point out many common dysfunctional ideas that have managed to permeate library buildings, using them to guide readers towards adhering to functional essentials of library design at every step in the process. Packed with lists and headings to allow for easy scanning, this resource
- offers expanded information on several topics, such as healthy building designs, accessibility for users with disabilities, construction management, and acoustics;
- provides nuts-and-bolts guidance on the entire process of planning, design, and construction, including "snappy rules" summarizing each chapter;
- explains how library buildings actually function as objects, and how that applies to library design;
- shows how to collaborate productively with planners, architects, and contractors;
- discusses the technical needs of basic library spaces, including collection storage, user seating, meeting and conference rooms, craft rooms, study areas, service desks, restrooms, and staff workspaces; and
- includes updated consideration of technical requirements relating to HVAC, lighting, energy conservation, security and insurance, elevators, staircases, and other areas.
Praise for the first edition
"This hefty volume is an essential reference book for every library director or librarian tasked with building a new library or renovating an existing library/space ... The title says it all!"
— ARBA
"The authors write in a clear, approachable style seasoned with wit and practical wisdom (see especially chapter 2, 'More Than Two Hundred Snappy Rules for Good and Evil in Library Architecture'). The book ends with a helpful glossary of architecture and building terms, including this gem: 'Cape—Never trust an architect who wears a cape.' An essential source for current and aspiring library directors, LIS students, and anyone working in a library who needs to improve its space.”
— Booklist (starred review)
"Likely to be among the definitive works on library architecture, this book is exhaustive in covering what one needs to know when taking on a library construction project ... This logical, encyclopedic approach will aid all who are planning or engaged in library building projects, large or small.”
— Choice