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Submissions

2026 ALA/IIDA Library Interior Design Awards

  • Closed
  • Winners Announced
ALA 2026 comp banner
Honoring excellence in library interior design and promoting examples of extraordinary design reflected through innovative concepts across nine categories.

Winners

Jury

  • Linda kopecky ala2026juror HS

    Linda Kopecky

    Librarian III, Associate Dean, University Libraries at University of Nevada

  • Doriani Sarah ala2026juror HS

    Sarah Doriani

    Principal, LJC

  • Emily Stampanato ala2026juror HS

    Emily Stampanato

    Principal, Commercial Market Leader, CannonDesign

Guidelines

Submission Requirements

All submissions must be completed electronically. No hard copy submissions will be accepted. To enter a project into this competition, you will need to prepare and submit the following:

Written Component

  • Your firm's contact information including name, address, phone number, and email

  • Your design project's information including name and location
  • Project description: a brief project summary (50-word maximum)
  • Challenge statement: a description of your design challenge (250-word maximum)
  • Solution statement: a description of specific solutions to project challenges (250-word maximum)

Images

Please submit color images of your completed project, in JPG or JPEG format with a maximum file size of 2MB. You may submit captions to your images, not to exceed 50 words. Take note of the following additional guidelines:

  • Submit 7-10 color images total: only one(1) exterior image is permitted.

  • Use numbers to name your image files, in order of uploads (01, 02, 03, etc)
  • Submit a minimum of one (1) floorplan: A maximum of three (3) floorplans are allowed
  • Please use the following format for floor plans: "floorplan1, floorplan2, floorplan3"
  • No composite images allowed - only one photograph per image upload
  • Do not reference or include your design/architectural firm name/logo in the images
  • Images may be edited to improve contrast ratio, color balance, and composition through cropping only
  • Images may not be edited to add, remove, or alter any aspect or element of the project including its context
  • Images should represent the project as it exists in the built environment
  • Conceptual renderings are only accepted if the project is entered within the “On the Boards” category

Categories

Projects must be submitted in one of the categories below. Categories may be renamed, consolidated, or eliminated (and projects reclassified) at the discretion of IIDA and/or the jurors.

  • Academic Libraries - Small - 30,000 sq. ft. and under

  • Academic Libraries - Large - Over 30,000 sq. ft.
  • On the Boards - a project currently in the design phase and not under construction
  • Outstanding Historic Renovation Project
  • Public Libraries - Small - 30,000 sq. ft. and under
  • Public Libraries - Large - Over 30,000 sq. ft.
  • Special Libraries - Small - 30,000 sq. ft. and under
  • Special Libraries - Large - Over 30,000 sq. ft.
  • Single Space - a small project that focuses on a specific room or area in a library

Judging

A jury of design professionals will select the winning design projects. Submissions are judged on excellence in aesthetics, design, creativity, and function as well as the suitability of the design solution to the project challenge and the successful integration of the elements of design. The jury reserves the right not to select a winner from the entries submitted. A "Best of Competition" winner will be selected from the category winners and revealed at the Winners’ Celebration.

Prize

Winners and their clients will be honored at the Annual ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, June 25-30, 2026. There will be a special Winners’ Celebration on Sunday, June 28, 2026. Winners will be featured on IIDA.org and across ALA/Core media platforms, receive official digital assets, including competition winner logos for self-promotion, featured on IIDA.org and across IIDA’s social media platforms, and coverage in an official press release distributed to leading industry outlets and media partners!

Past Winners