Libraly Journal

Libraly Journal ›› 2025, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (409): 128-135.

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Rethinking Spaces and Services of University Libraries:A Review of the Conference Proceedings on Designing Libraries for the 21st Century

Zheng Xuejun (Harbin Institute of Technology Library)   

  • Online:2025-05-15 Published:2025-05-28
  • About author:Zheng Xuejun (Harbin Institute of Technology Library)

Abstract:

Since 2010, the evolution of libraries has been closely tied to the redesign of their spacesand the related organizational transformation and staffing changes that support them. The series ofconferences on library design for the 21st century comprehensively discussed the development trends ofuniversity library space design and services, and proposed to view the value of library space from a morecomprehensive perspective. To showcase the cutting-edge issues and practical methods discussed at theconferences, a collection of papers titled Designing Libraries for the 21st Century was published in 2022,offering an overview of library architecture from a spatial perspective, and the creative design of libraryspace as well as its process in North American universities. It elucidates the spatial logic of an efficientservice model, explores the potential for space and service design, and brings new insights to the designof the 21st century libraries.