5 Design Concepts for New York's Branch Library of the Future

New York City has 207 branch libraries across the five boroughs, and their average age is 61 years old. And that's the average; at least 52 branches are old enough to remember World War I. While everyone loves a nice historical building, many of these libraries unfortunately act their age. In September, the Center for an Urban Future estimated that New York's branches need $1.1 billion just to achieve a state of good repair.

The CUF reports describes the situation as being "on the verge of a maintenance crisis." It's not just that the libraries are crumbling—though many do suffer poor ventilation, lack of light, water leaks, and heating or cooling malfunctions. It's also that they're ill-equipped for modern life. Many lack sufficient power outlets for laptops (the McKinley Park branch in Brooklyn, for instance, has no place to plug-in at all) or activity space for community events or continuing education programs.