Columbus Main Library

Schooley Caldwell collaborated with GUND Partnership for the complete renovation of Columbus’ iconic Main Library, which consists of a 1907 Carnegie building and an addition built in the early 1990’s.

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The Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) is a true community asset and consistently ranks at the top of the nation’s library systems, but the Main Library and the addition had been designed primarily as vaults for books and did not support the library’s mission of being a 21st-century, community-centric library.

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The design successfully addressed all of CML's issues, and the project was completed on time to accommodate the prestigious International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ annual convention, which was held in Columbus in August of 2016.

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CML’s goals for the project included:

• Better connection with the adjacent Topiary Park and with the Discovery District as a whole
• Expanded public, children’s, and community-oriented spaces
• Revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood (the Discovery District)
• Improved patron services and experience
• Upgraded technology