Sarah BaylissSarah BaylissSarah Bayliss

A renaissance in library architecture is under way in Washington, DC, thanks to the vision of District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) chief librarian and executive director Ginnie Cooper. Since she arrived at DCPL in 2006, Cooper has overseen the construction and renovation of 14 branch libraries, with eight more renovations and reconstructions to go. Collectively, the upgraded branches and new buildings—the latter conceived by world-class architects, including Adjaye Associates, Davis Brody Bond Aedas, and the Freelon Group—have earned an astonishing 26 awards for their design excellence.

“It’s the largest investment in our 90-year history,” says Sari Feldman about Ohio’s Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) plan to renovate or rebuild 18 of its 28 branches. The $110 million spate of rebuilding, led by executive director Feldman and detailed in CCPL’s Facilities Master Plan, will create new and updated library facilities that the library says will save CCPL $4 million a year. Those savings are particularly meaningful, because since 2008 CCPL’s revenues have dropped by $14.9 million owing to state budget cuts, and since 2009 property tax revenues declined by $7 million.