San Francisco’s new Main Library

San Francisco’s new Main Library opened in 1996 to great acclaim and increased use by the public. Several controversies related to the library system’s management and budget dogged the new building’s first year of operation. This article summarizes the design requirements and organization of the building, the reasons for the controversies and the relationship of the building to the controversies. The successes and failures of the building are enumerated along with mitigation measures under way and planned.