Ayub’s session will look at how libraries at home and abroad are responding to the Coronavirus pandemic and show example strategies for reopening post-lockdown. He will focus on five key areas - Safety, Sanitisation, Spaces, Services and Support - and discuss the most effective ways, and most useful resources, to help reduce infection risks for staff and customers. He will present alongside Thomas Bryans, a director of architecture practice IF_DO, who have developed guidelines for adapting libraries and other social infrastructure to respond to Covid-19.

Ayub Khan MBE

Ayub Khan is Head of Universal Services for Warwickshire County Council and Treasurer for Libraries Connected. Ayub’s interests extends to international development, with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. He has worked on library developments for the British Council in several countries and is a member of the IFLA buildings committee.

Ayub has been working with LC colleagues and architects IF_DO on drafting the upcoming Covid-19 Safer Libraries design guide, for adapting library buildings in response to the coronavirus pandemic. He is also co-editing the special edition of the IFLA journal on COVID19 and supporting colleagues at UCL Qatar preparing a White paper on this topic.

Thomas Bryans RIBA

Thomas Bryans is an architect and co-founder of IF_DO. He is passionate about social infrastructure, and a holistic approach to architecture: creating sustainable, beautiful and useful buildings that will be of long-term value to the communities and environment around them. Thomas has a long-standing interest in the psychological impact of the built environment on peoples quality of life. He has written and lectured on how architecture can combat loneliness and social isolation, and help foster meaningful connections and more resilient communities. The Covid-19 Safer Spaces project is funded by Innovate UK, and builds upon IF_DO’s track record of socially-driven architecture.

The discussion will be chaired by Mark Freeman, Past President of Libraries Connected.

Re-opening libraries - An international and UK perspective