This handbook is a guide to the complex process of library facility siting and location. It includes relevant research and professionals' siting experiences, as well as actual case studies of closures, openings, mergers, and relocations of library facilities. While the bulk of the volume provides practical information, the work also presents an historical and theoretical context for siting decisions. Chapter 1 examines some of the issues that shape the location of library facilities, such as the growth of electronic access to information and the debate over the library as a place. Chapter 2 offers a review of the spatial development of the American public library and the history of library facility siting. Descriptive literature spanning over 100 years, presented chronologically, takes the reader through ten decades of the considerations and experiences of library managers regarding siting and location strategy for library facilities. Chapter 3 reviews research on library location and chapter 4 discusses statistical modelling for library location. Chapter 5 provides a sample library location model for diverse urban environments. Chapter 6 examines the value of geographic information system software in library siting decisions. This chapter illustrates the importance of collecting specific library statistics and their utility for market analysis and location of facilities. Chapter 7 provides a discussion of location strategy for the public library of the future. An appendix of case studies and an extensive bibliography conclude the volume. (AEF)