When Evanston, Ill., decided to bui...

When Evanston, Ill., decided to build a modern central library, city officials understood the magnitude of the task they faced. Many citizens believed the existing 30-year-old library could be enlarged. about who favored a just discovered facility thought it should be built at a site other than the downtown location that had been occupied by dint of a library for decades. These conflicting viewpoints were amplified from the activist nature of Evanston's citizenry.

Recognizing their lack of familiarity with the nuances of the design and construction of major buildings - the $23 million facility was the