Check-out this Pinterest board which shows pics on various design aspects: Technology, Youth Spaces, Outdoor Librar. http://pinterest.com/amlibraries/library-design-showcase-2012/ If there are going to be outdoor reading spaces, it might be worth considering having a "walled garden" or something to that effect. To give the area some privacy, coziness, quiet haven to read, from the nearby commercial businesses and street traffic. I particularly like the Youth Spaces pics (towards the bottom half of the page). Especially the one with the fake tree in the middle of the children's reading area. I can imagine have some circular ring steps at the bottom of the tree where toddlers could sit and read and babies could climb.

Just wanted to share with the planning team for the Southeast library this wonderful articles that discusses "How To Design Library Space with Kids in Mind" . http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/10/buildings/lbd/how-to-design-library... I really liked the pic of the kid standing up against a wall that was a ruler, with the numbers written in multiple languages. Thanks, Darshana