Kristilyn Vercruysse is a registered architect and MSR Design Senior Associate with more than 20 years of experience. She has worked on more than a dozen library projects and brings both project architecture and management skills to each project founded in a deep knowledge of community engagement and library master planning. She enjoys working closely with clients, consultants, communities, and contractors to ensure the creation and development of well-integrated buildings through all phases of design, from needs assessments through construction administration. Turning design ideas and community goals into reality is the most gratifying part of the profession for her.
Speaking at
Fri 14 Nov
11:45 AM — 12:05 PM (GMT-06:00) Central Time
Fayetteville Town Center, Ozark 3
A Tale of Two Libraries
Along the NWA corridor are many communities with many libraries, each library providing a variety of resources and services. Two of these libraries, Bentonville Public Library and Fayetteville Public Library, recently expanded their facilities as their communities and the regional community grows. While they could simply build a bigger building and grow existing collections, both institutions, who have a heart to truly serve their communities, took great care in building according to their individual communities’ needs. Through intentional design, these public facilities and their environments allow patrons to access resources, create experiences, make connections, and solidify the library as a “third space.” This presentation reviews how the role of the library as an institution is changing, how each library considered their individual communities and successfully incorporated a sense of place through architectural design, and how both institutions continue to consider changing needs in the future.