Anaheim, Calif.—The winners of this year's Library Interior Design Competition were honored on July 1 at the ALA/IIDA Library Interior Design Awards Reception during the American Library Association Annual Conference. Nine winners and two honorable mentions were selected from projects submitted from throughout North America. The biennial awards honor excellence in library interior design, incorporating aesthetics, design creativity, function, and satisfaction of the client's objectives.

Contract's current Designer of the Year, Phil Freelon, and his firm, The Freelon Group, took home an honorable mention, while 2008 Designers of the Year richärd+bauer of Phoenix, earned a number of awards, including the Best of Show prize for the Arabian Library, Scottsdale Public Library in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Judging took place in April and was facilitated by Jennifer Busch, editor of Contract. The panel included: Drew Harrington, director of library services at University of Portland; Steven McCollom, IIDA, AIA associate partner, Gary Lee Partners, San Francisco; Kathryn Page, principal with Page and Moris, San Francisco; and Joseph Rondinelli, associate IIDA, senior associate, Shepley Bulfinch, Boston. Awards were selected in the following categories:

Academic Libraries: 30,000 sq. ft. and Smaller

Project: Brown University Susan P. and Richard A. Friedman Study Center in Providence, R.I.

Firm: Architecture Research Office (ARO), New York, N.Y.

Academic Libraries: Over 30,000 sq. ft.

Project: University of California, Hastings College of Law Library in San Francisco

Firm: SmithGroup, San Francisco

Public Libraries: 30,000 sq. ft. and Smaller

Project: Arabian Public Library in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Firm: richärd+bauer, Phoenix

Public Libraries: Over 30,000 sq. ft.

Project: Ramsey County Library in Maplewood, Minn.

Firm: HGA Architects and Engineers, Milwaukee, Wis.

Single Space:

Project: Evanston Public Library Teen Room, The Loft in Evanston, Ill.

Firm: Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Penney Architects & architectureisfun, Inc., Chicago.

Innovation in Sustainable Design:

Project: University of Toronto Mississauga, Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Center in Toronto

Firm: Shore Tilbe Irwin & Partners, Toronto

Outstanding Historic Renovation Project (historic restoration):

Project: Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, New York Public Library, New York.

Firm: Davis Brody Bond Aedas, New York

Outstanding Historic Renovation Project (adaptive re-use):

Project: Rhode Island School of Design, Fleet Library in Providence, R.I.

Firm: Office dA, Inc., Boston, Mass.

On the Boards:

Project: Prescott Valley Public Library in Prescott Valley, Ariz.

Firm: richärd+bauer, Phoenix

Honorable Mention:

Project: Phoenix Public Library, Harmon Branch in Phoenix

Firm: richärd+bauer, Phoenix

Project: Durham County Regional Library, North Branch in Durham, N.C.

Firm: The Freelon Group Architects, Durham, NC