Take a look at this year's best new libraries in Canada and the U.S.

Four new public libraries in Alberta, California, and Illinois have been recognized with the 2020 AIA/ALA Library Building Award. The annual program is jointly organized by the American Institute of Architects in conjunction with the American Library Association.

Billie Jean King Main Library in Long Beach, California
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM)

Project excerpt: "Connecting the past with the present, the Billie Jean King Main Library in downtown Long Beach, California, welcomes nearly 1,000 patrons each day who engage in learning opportunities that forge new bonds among the community. Adjacent to the city’s new civic center and historic Lincoln Park, the 93,500-square-foot library continues the Long Beach Public Library’s 100-year commitment to equitable access to information and collaboration in a truly innovative space." 

Capilano Library in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Patkau Architects

Project excerpt: "Drawing inspiration from a ravine tucked away in the foliage of its site, Capilano Library makes an ecological argument as it serves a suburban prairie neighborhood of Edmonton. Cut off from the North Saskatchewan River by the intense urbanization of Canada in the 1960s, the ravine is a remnant of the riparian ecosystem that was once a distinguishing characteristic of the region. Bracketed by the ravine and a residential street, the site is both accessible to the community and connected to nature, making it an ideal host for a library."

Independence Library and Apartments in Chicago, Illinois
John Ronan Architects

Project excerpt: "Representing a new hybrid building technology, this project couples a 16,000-square-foot library with 44 units of affordable apartments for seniors above. The project sits in Chicago’s diverse, mixed-income Irving Park neighborhood, which had been without a library since 2015 after a fire shuttered the previous Independence Branch."

Northtown Branch Library and Apartments in Chicago, Illinois
Perkins and Will

Project excerpt: "By maximizing the potential for interaction between residents and patrons in this library and affordable housing project, the design team helped form new connections rather than separations in an emerging building typology. With a transparent lobby and multiple exterior plazas, this building has become a vital amenity for one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods while illustrating the important role libraries play in learning, socialization, and access to technology."