Margaret Sullivan Studio

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Margaret Sullivan Studio

We are a full-service design firm with a focus on civic and cultural institutions, programming and designing the library of the 21st century.
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The Studio works with the most innovative public librarians in the country to re-envision and transform the public library. A leader in the user-centered approach to design, the Studio utilizes customer-based service design principles, coupled with strategic goals of the institution, to develop programs and interior design concepts to create physical conditions for a community of library users to

flourish. Considering all aspects of public library service design, the Studio’s approach is holistic. In focusing on visioning, programming and interior design, Margaret is with the client form the early stages to the execution of interiors and furnishings, skillfully collaborating with the design team to ensure that the goals of the library are realized through every phase of design. In 2014, Margaret Sullivan founded Margaret Sullivan Studio, and has quickly become a national leader in the visioning, programming and interior design of the future public library. Margaret has been a featured speaker at library conferences, most recently at the NEXT Library Conference in Chicago, leading the interactive session: Design for Creativity, Library as Studio at your Library; and at this year’s annual American Library Association: Teen Spaces 201. Margaret also serves on the Future of Teen Libraries Task Force, and is conducting a series of webinars for the American Library Association on this topic.

06/06/2026

Woo hoo!

05/28/2026

Ground has officially broken on Hartford Public Library’s new Barbour Library!

Margaret Sullivan Studio is proud to be part of the team helping bring this community-shaped branch to life alongside Hartford Public Library, , , , the State of Connecticut, and so many partners, supporters, and community members.

The future Barbour Library will be a welcoming neighborhood hub for learning, gathering, creativity, connection, and opportunity.
Congratulations to Bridget E. Quinn, Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, Speaker Matt Ritter, and everyone who helped bring this exciting milestone to life!

04/24/2026

Community isn’t just part of the process. It drives it.

This National Library Week, we’re celebrating “Find Your Joy” by honoring the voices, stories, and connections that make libraries come alive.

For the Los Angeles Public Library, that meant meeting Los Angeleno where it is : diverse, creative, and constantly evolving. To understand what the library should become, we went directly to the people who shape it every day, its communities.

Over the past year, we listened to more than 20,000 voices across LA, including partners, leaders, staff, and Angelenos who rely on LAPL. We hosted 40 community partners for conversations over breakfast, conducted 13 branch tours, engaged 370 staff participants, facilitated leadership workshops, and held in-depth interviews to uncover both big-picture aspirations and everyday needs.

Together with stakeholders across the system, Margaret Sullivan Studio in collaboration with Gensler LA, helped translate these conversations into a shared vision for the future. These engagements became a vital part of the strategic planning process, revealing the nuances, challenges, and ambitions of the communities LAPL serves. Our human-centered approach puts users first and builds a library system that truly reflects its city and fosters joy.

Joy shows up in many ways. In a welcoming space. In a meaningful conversation. In being heard.

This is what meaningful outreach looks like. Thoughtful, collaborative, and deeply human.

- Sampriti Sheth, MSS

03/31/2026

We are excited to share that Margaret Sullivan Studio will be facilitating a session the Public Library Association (PLA) 2026 Conference in Minneapolis with leading experts in the fields of social justice, inclusive design and future-focused library programming.

The session, “Embedding Anti-Racism Practices into Program Innovations,” will be a dynamic workshop-style session empowering participants with guiding principles of creating more inclusive programs and services.
If you’re attending PLA 2026, please join this dynamic session!

03/29/2026

We can’t wait to celebrate the local artists at the Omaha Public Library Central Library opening! Especially the beautiful work of our collaborator Shelby Sauer!

12/11/2025

We’re thrilled to get a glimpse into the future of what the Chicago Public Library’s programming will look like at the Obama Presidential Center branch opening next summer. We’re also excited to share the Studio’s involvement in this work, so stay tuned!

12/08/2025

Over the past several months, our Staff Early Adopters and Executive Team at have partnered with us in a series of six strategic planning workshops - sharing their time, insight, and bold ideas to help shape the future of the Kansas City Public Library.

In late September, we wrapped up our final combined workshop with this incredible group of about 40 dedicated staff members who leaned in, challenged assumptions, and helped us envision what KCPL can become for the community.

We’re so grateful for their energy and commitment throughout this process.

Next up: presenting the Strategic Plan to the Board of Trustees in the new year. Stay tuned!

11/26/2025

🎉 San José Public Library’s Facilities and Customer Experience Plan has been ADOPTED! 🎉

MSS is incredibly honored and grateful to have partnered with , their incredible leadership team and working group members, 180+ community partners, and thousands of San José residents to create this transformative 20-year vision!

Through an ambitious nine-month co-creation process—including community partner breakfasts, staff workshops, Viva Calle street-level engagement (300 ice pops distributed! 🍦), and close to 3,000 survey responses—we prioritized authentic community voice and equity-driven data to ensure this plan reflects the soul of San José.

This plan isn’t just about buildings—it’s about positioning libraries as essential civic infrastructure that celebrates cultural identity, fosters connection, and empowers communities. From reimagining the iconic King Library as a cultural celebration hub to strengthening all 25 branches as vibrant neighborhood anchors, our recommendations honor San José’s extraordinary diversity and the innovative staff who serve this city with excellence every day.

Key highlights include:
🌟 Placemaking components celebrating San José’s multicultural soul
🌟 Branch-specific profiles that strengthen and honor the local communities in each location
🌟 Partnership activation strategies leveraging community assets
🌟 And so much more!

Here’s to the next chapter of leading the way! 📚

11/21/2025

We’re thrilled to celebrate the construction completion of the new Omaha Central Library! Opening in Spring 2026, this world-class library is an investment in literacy, digital equity, community development, and individual potential.
In 2022-23, Margaret Sullivan Studio collaborated with a client stakeholder group comprised of Omaha Public Library, the Omaha Public Library Foundation, Do Space, Heritage Services, and the City of Omaha to develop a city-wide facilities plan and inform the design of the new Central Library. Working with two architecture firms, HDR and APMA, MSS organized engagements that included the entire OPL staff, a 40-member Building Stakeholder Group, 200+ community and organizational partners, a Community Engagement advisory group, and responses from over 5,000 community members.
Omaha Public Library’s new Central Library will be a cultural and technological landmark that honors the past, celebrates the moment, and imagines the future. A place to connect, dream, discover together! We can’t wait until it opens next spring, congratulations to everyone who participated!

11/20/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined our Core Forum session on embedding equity and anti-racism into program design.

All of your openness and creativity in exploring how anti-racism and equity can enrich program design was truly inspiring.

This work is ever-evolving—and through continued practice and progress toward equity, deep impact and meaningful innovation can emerge.

A huge thank you as well to our incredible guest speakers Edwin Harris Principal and Fabiola Mora IDEA Director !

Address

307 7th Avenue, Suite 504
New York, NY
10001

Website

http://www.margaretsullivanllc.com/

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