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As spaces that are used by a wide range of people, it is important that libraries be built with the needs of a diverse set of users in mind. Without this focus on usability for individuals with varied needs, libraries become spaces that exclude both potential patrons and employees. In addition, many libraries are subject to laws that set minimum legal accessibility standards to ensure that individuals with disabilities are not excluded from spaces and services. It is therefore both ethically and, potentially, legally imperative that libraries focus on inclusion throughout their design process. Unfortunately, all too frequently, topics of accessibility and inclusivity are sidelined during building projects, limiting the options available when they are finally considered.
Through thoughtful design, it is possible to build spaces that are comfortable, welcoming, and inclusive for users and meet any relevant legal requirements. To achieve this, it is important to understand accessibility requirements and best practices, as well as the principles of Universal Design. Taken together, these offer guidance for successful design projects. This chapter introduces these topics, explains how they can improve library spaces, and suggests best practices for integrating them into building projects.

This article presents interviews with five noteworthy creators of mathematically themed graphic novels in effort to provide insight into how they developed their storylines and visuals to incorporate mathematical concepts. The creators interviewed include Larry Gonick of the educational graphic series The Cartoon Guide to (Gonick and Smith, 1993; Gonick and Huffman, 2008; Gonick, 2012; Gonick, 2015), Robert Lewis and Jennifer Granville of Prime Suspects: The Anatomy of Integers and Permutations (Granville and Granville, 2019), Apostolos Doxiadis of Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth (Doxiadis et al., 2009), and Gene Luen Yang of Secret Coders (Yang and Holmes, 2015). Two of the interviewees created graphic novels for scholastic purposes and were therefore guided by pedagogy, while the others let the story be their guide. Despite these differences, the combination of interviews offers advice and suggestions for writers, illustrators, and educators interested in creating or using mathematical graphic content. The interviews took place between the 5th of June and 31st of December, 2020.