DESIGNING LIBRARIES
Library design and the Year of Reading Is reading for pleasure going out of fashion?
The Reading Agency has seen a steep decline in reading amongst children, young people and adults which it hopes the 2026 Year of Reading campaign will help to reverse, says Designing Libraries Director Ayub Khan.
THE National Year of Reading 2026 is a Department for Education initiative, delivered by the National Literacy Trust in collaboration with core delivery leads The Reading Agency, BookTrust, World Book Day, Bookmark and the Queen’s Reading Room, and supported by CILIP. It aims to help more people to enjoy reading and make it part of their everyday life. The campaign will place reading for pleasure and literacy development at the heart of the national edu- cation agenda. Libraries of all kinds – school, public, university, prison and workplace – have an essential role in encouraging reading for pleasure, especially as they prepare for the National Year of Reading 2026. A key factor in revitalising engagement lies in recognising how physical space influences behaviour. When libraries are designed with atmosphere, flow, and dis- covery in mind, they have the power to shape how people explore books and develop reading habits.
Why does reading matter? Research has shown positive links between leisure read- ing and attainment, suggesting that children who read for pleasure have better life prospects – and, furthermore, that the benefits extend into adulthood. Moreover, reading for pleasure doesn’t just help people achieve, researchers have found emotional and social benefits as well. Scientific research conducted by the Queen’s Reading Room, published in 2023, found that just five minutes of reading fiction reduced stress by nearly 20 per cent whilst boosting concentration and focus and reducing feelings of loneliness. Further research by Queen Camilla’s charity, which works to celebrate and promote the power and benefits of reading, revealed that only one in two UK adults reads a book a year – reporting reading rates to be the lowest on record. Her Majesty the Queen speaks of the extraordinary power of books to educate and inspire and wants to “connect more people with that special magic that can only be found in the leaves of a book”. There is another key question: what role does library design
play in promoting reading? Can presentation, layout, choice of furniture – interior design generally – make a difference? The short answer is ‘yes’ but it’s multi-faceted.
Retail mindset The first factor to mention is that making a library attractive to all-comers requires a more retail approach to displaying
10 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
the goods – or books in our case – that you want customers to find irresistible. It goes without saying that publishers put a lot of time, money and effort into front cover designs yet library convention has books shelved with only the spines showing. Sure, you can’t have them all front-facing in limit- ed shelf space – but you can turn some frontwards and keep changing the selection. Book promotion and library interiors specialists Opening the Book focus on reader-centred design. OTB Director Rachel Van Riel said: “Our research shows that the majority of library users borrow from library displays. We don’t need the massive collections of years gone by but we do need a smaller selection of books displayed well – the location, the angle of approach, the height, the touchability all affect how many are borrowed. “Those are physical factors but psychological factors also come into play – small manageable choices, curated to intrigue and tempt, will have the most appeal. This should be part of staff training in every library. Well-displayed books bring warmth and character to any space.” Retail principles have wider implications. Does the route around the library make sense from the customer view- point, drawing them into discovery? Does the signage make it clear what they are looking at, and do ‘end-of-aisle’ dis- plays suggest why they might want to explore a previously overlooked section? Most of us succumb to ‘impulse buys’ when we visit the supermarket – the things we didn’t know we needed until we saw them temptingly or prominently displayed. Widening people’s reading horizons requires a similar, retail mindset. In the library setting, temptation – beyond one’s usual read- ing habits – should be an integral part of stock presentation.
Relaxed reading
Once you’ve found a book you need somewhere to read it. At home we read wherever we are most comfortable – in our favourite armchair, stretched out on the sofa, in bed, or even in the bath. Reading in a public space is, of course, different but comfort is still the key. Experts suggest there are two types of library reading – sol- itary and communal. Spaces for both are essential – nooks and crannies where readers can tuck themselves away and larger areas where comfortable seating and good lighting encourage others to enjoy their books in a more communal setting. Book clubs, for example, might meet in these areas. Lighting is an often overlooked factor in creating the right reading ambiance. Libraries should be designed to take ad-
February-March 2026
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