Eye-Popping Show-Stopping Libraries starts out by recounting the beginning of the relationship between the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Library Association (ALA) to establish the Library Building awards and traces the development of the program over the following five decades. In the next seven chapters the authors have grouped selected award-winning libraries by big themes, to explore the evolution of service innovations and design trends; most of the selected case studies include exterior and interior photographs, as well as floor plans. The final chapter offers some thoughts on what a half-century of award-winning architecture can tell us about the future of library service and library design. In the afterword the authors review the initial round of seventeen award-winning libraries from 1963, to assess how the designs have held up over time, and to describe the current disposition of the building. Three appendixes offer a chronological list of award recipients, an alphabetical list of awardees by library, and an alphabetical list by architect. The fourth and final appendix is a chronological list of jury members.

This full-color, beautifully illustrated with 141 images book presents these exemplary libraries as an exploration of the evolution of library service and design. It examines the award-winning libraries by big themes to explore how service trends and design trends have evolved. Documentation of featured library buildings (including photographs and plans) is an important element.