SCONUL Library Design Award

History of the Award

The SCONUL Library Design Award was introduced in the 1970s to draw attention to the importance of designing libraries in national and university institutions in ways which would benefit both library users and staff. Over the years, the awards are considered to have contributed to the improvement of standards of library design and functionality. The awards are made retrospectively by the SCONUL Executive Board on the recommendation of a small panel drawn from its Working Group on Space Planning.

SCONUL Library Design Award 2007
Library Design Award

Winner: Universty of Bournemouth
Highly Commended Status: Glasgow Caledonian University and Open University

Smaller Buildings Award

Winner: Girton College, Cambridge
Highly Commended Status: University College London, SSEES Library and University of Warwick Learning Grid

Previous awards

1996-2000: SCONUL Library Design Award 2002
Frederick Lanchester Library, Coventry University
John and Aileen O'Reilly Library, Dublin City University
Adsetts Centre, Sheffield Hallam University
Hatfield Campus LRC, University of Hertfordshire

1990-1995: Aytoun Library, Manchester Metropolitan University
(and Two ‘highly commended’ St George's Library, University of Sheffield
and Brotherton West Library, University of Leeds)

1986-1989: SCONUL Library Design Award 1992
Queen Mary and Westfield College Library, University of London
The National Library of Scotland, Causewayside Building (Phase 1)
The Joule Library, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology

1982-1985: Durham University Library,
Robinson Library, University of Newcastle
St. Patrick’s College Library, Maynooth

1977-1981: No awards made

1975-1976: Hugh Owen Library, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
University College Cardiff Library
Arts and Social Sciences Library, University of Bristol

1973-1974: Arts Library, Nottingham University

1971-1972: British Library Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa (main building)