Serendipitous spaces: discovery in the contemporary library

Abstract

Contemporary public libraries serve as a conduit between sources of knowledge and the public. They are not only a repository of knowledge but also a community hub that facilitates, creates and disseminates this information. These libraries are democratic institutions that enable and advocate for free access of information for everyone, where ‘information’ goes beyond physical collections to include digital formats, live events (lectures and workshops) and learning through making. In contemporary public libraries, the interaction between people and information is vital to their success, as a library without people is essentially a storage room. This thesis proposes the design of a new public library for Sudbury that encourages discovery and elicits curiosity as a method of improving connections between people and knowledge stored in the library. Through the careful organization of the library’s program, the decentralized approach to stored knowledge, and the removal of spatial barriers, the library’s architecture promotes browsing, wandering and ultimately discovering all the library has to offer