Oil November 8, 2013, librarians and architects from around the country gathered at the newly renovated Central Branch of the St. Louis Public Library (SLPL) to discuss the present and future of building libraries at LJ's Design Institute (DI). The watchword of the fall 2013 DI was flexibility, and the emphasis of the event was on creating libraries that can adapt to serve new purposes-some of which librarians and designers can't even yet foresee. As libraries continue to move away from being simply buildings full of books, the consensus among librarians and designers alike is that they are moving, instead, toward becoming multiuse spaces where community members can access information and unlock their creativity, on their own or as a group. That means that design decisions for new construction and renovations must be lithe, with the capacity to host a reading group one night and a community meeting the next. And, of course, there will still need to be someplace to put the books. Above all, though, patience and planning remain key to a successful redesign. Waller McGuire, executive director of the beautifully renovated SLPL, which hosted the event, drove that point home when he recalled that his first dinner with an architect to discuss the renovation took place 15 years ago.
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