Virus-responsive library design

A floor plan for furniture removal at Hennepin County (Minn.) Library’s
 Eden Prairie branch. (Illustration: MSR Design)

Libraries have always been spaces for discovery. But in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been tasked with transforming themselves into places that allow users to physically distance while being more digitally connected than ever. As some institutions emerge from months of shutdowns, design and architecture experts seek to meet current health and safety challenges as well as safeguard these community spaces against an uncertain future….

American Libraries feature, Sept./Oct.