2026 Core Forum

This presentation explores the feasibility and value of outdoor spaces associated with academic campus libraries. We’ll introduce several libraries to show how thoughtfully designed outdoor environments have supported and extended library services. Examples include outdoor study spaces, areas for special events and community programming, intentional gardens, and site strategies that protect and enhance views from library buildings.
The session will focus on three main themes: user experience/community engagement, operations and maintenance, and sustainability. During the pandemic, exterior spaces quickly became essential for safe gathering, studying, and programming. Now, these spaces are established assets, prompting libraries to consider how they can be intentionally managed and improved for long-term impact and use.
As libraries continue shifting emphasis from collections to services and collaboration, outdoor environments offer new opportunities to reimagine the library as more than a building. Sustainable architecture and landscape design remain central to conversations about operational efficiency, environmental stewardship, staff, and visitor wellness. Overall, we’ll explore what this means in practice for libraries looking to connect their spaces with their evolving purpose OR this session will share practical insights and benefits for libraries reimagining how their surroundings support their mission.