There are many quotations extolling the virtues of libraries of all kinds. Inthis increasingly digital age, and following on from a worldwide pandemicwhere digital communication has taken off across the board, it might bethought that the library as a physical place is now in question.

Nothing could be further from the truth, however. The library is undergoingperhaps the greatest change in its existence: from a place focused onefficiency and time well saved it is transforming into quite the opposite: aplace of time well spent.

This book shows in its fully revised update to the first edition of 2009,that the library as a place within a community not only continues to beessential, but that the design of that library is critical in helping thestaff to serve its community not only with collections – physical andvirtual – but with a place in which to be and do, that is separatefrom home and workplace – a third place.

The design of every library building, be it a national collection, USPresidential Library, academic library or public library in a city or smallvillage, ensures that that place makes a statement to and about itscommunity – its needs and aspirations – and that it isreflecting back the specific features of that population.

Better by Design takes the reader through the key elementsof good library design from a layman's viewpoint, establishing firstof all the teams that must come together to work on a project, be it a newbuild or refurbished library, and detailing the stakeholder and wholecommunity consultation that must take place to ensure the building meetscommunity needs, however diverse these might be.

The book updates on the design imperatives of post-COVID life as well as theneed to incorporate sustainable and ecologically sound energy schemes and touse building materials and fixtures and fittings that minimise harmfulenvironmental effects.

Community engagement is critical, with exposition not only of consultationbefore a build, but ongoing development of the relationship betweencommunity and design team, through post-occupancy evaluation.