SAN JOSÉ PUBLIC LIBRARY – FACILITIES & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE PLAN

Timeline:

9 months

Challenge:

San José Public Library has been a national leader in outcomes-based educational programming and digital equity for nearly two decades. But as the city approaches 1 million residents and continues to evolve as one of the nation's most diverse communities, SJPL needed a comprehensive facilities plan that could guide the next 20 years of growth. The challenge was creating a flexible roadmap that honors each branch's unique neighborhood context and cultural identity while establishing a cohesive systemwide investment strategy—ensuring facilities can adapt and flex to support SJPL's innovative service model and the community's changing needs.

APPROACH:

I led visual design and editorial layout for the comprehensive final plan document, designing a polished, accessible publication that translates complex research into clear visual communication. I created culturally responsive workshop materials and contributed to strategic synthesis—analyzing workshop and interview findings and developing narrative content for the adopted plan. My design work included information design for survey data visualization, formatting and layout for all plan sections, and establishing the overall look and feel of the document.

The plan is guiding bond measure planning for facility investment across the system.

25

Library
BRANCHES

4

CO-DESIGN
SESSIONS

9

FOCUS GROUPS
FACILITATED

6

STAKEHOLDER
INTERVIEWS

2,830

COMMUNITY SURVEY
RESPONSES COLLECTED

1,000+

VIVA CALLE COMMUNITY
MEMBERS ENGAGED

I designed workshop materials and synthesis frameworks for staff and community engagement sessions across all 25 locations.

These materials ranged from community fact sheets and interactive visioning exercises to staff workshop templates and branch profile frameworks. Each tool needed to be accessible, multilingual-friendly, and visually inviting to encourage broad participation while generating actionable insights. I also synthesized findings from these sessions, translating hundreds of sticky notes and responses into thematic patterns that informed the strategic framework of the Master Plan.

I synthesized workshop findings on Miro and co-facilitated the final staff workshop in-person, bringing the engagement process full circle.

Using Miro, I organized and clustered workshop responses to identify patterns across branch needs, community aspirations, and service priorities. This synthesis directly informed the strategic priorities and branch typology frameworks. I then designed materials for and helped facilitate the final in-person staff workshop, where library staff from across the system came together to validate findings and envision implementation.

Reimagining King Library

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library operates as a unique joint-use facility shared between San José Public Library and San José State University. To explore how this partnership could be strengthened and how library spaces could better embody SJPL's strategic roles, I developed a series of illustrated floor plan concepts that reimagine each level with distinct programming focus areas. These explorations were presented to SJPL leadership to demonstrate how cultural placemaking, educational programming, and civic engagement could be spatially activated across the building's multiple floors.

Ground Floor:
Library As Culture

The ground floor activates SJPL's role as cultural anchor through a vibrant Cultural Hub featuring artist-in-residence spaces, a culinary kitchen, and flexible programming areas that celebrate San José's diverse communities. From the Brandenburg Browsing Library and Nirvana Soul Café to the Wee Explore PlaySpace and multicultural performance areas, this floor captures the soul of San José by offering spaces where cultural traditions are preserved, shared, and reimagined.

Floor 2:
Soul of San José

Floor 2 embodies the "Soul of San José" as a vibrant, adaptable hub for connection and collaboration. Designed as a relaxed café and living room where people seamlessly move between independent work, spontaneous collaboration, and community connection, this floor features Youth Commission spaces, community forums, a recording booth, maker cart stations, and cozy nooks—creating a welcoming "third space" that pulses with civic activation, cultural celebration, and cross-generational exchange.

Floor 3:
City As Classroom

Reimagining the third floor as San José's most comprehensive learning laboratory, this vision transforms the space into an intergenerational tapestry of educational experiences—from early childhood play zones and tutoring alcoves to career exploration corners and mock interview desks. The floor demonstrates that "City as Classroom" means more than school support; it positions the library as the city's engine of opportunity where learning journeys unfold seamlessly under one roof.