How to plan a library building for library work

About this book

The book is a practical treatise on library architecture, opening with a poetic declaration that a library should be a “prominent public building… a workshop for the future,” followed by a concise credo, tasteful, thrifty, thorough planning guided by a librarian, an architect, and a wise committee. The author, Charles C. Soule, anchors his arguments in his long involvement with the American Library Association, citing his service on committees, publications on library rooms, and the respect of figures such as President Hill and John Dewey. The introductory material outlines the work’s scope: from historical evolution through principles of utility, economy, and style, to detailed discussions of site selection, lighting, ventilation, and the organization of various library departments. Soule positions himself as an editor of professional opinion rather than an original theorist, promising a comprehensive, if concise, guide for anyone tasked with planning a library of any size.

Written in a measured, didactic prose typical of early‑20th‑century professional manuals, the voice combines scholarly citation with a pragmatic tone. Soule’s style is systematic, moving from broad historical surveys to granular technical advice, and his language reflects the era’s reverence for Vitruvian ideals, firmitas, utilitas, venustas. The book will appeal to librarians, architects, and building committees who appreciate a thorough, historically informed approach to library design, as well as to students of library science and architectural history seeking insight into the practical concerns that shaped American public libraries in the decades before modernist trends took hold.