Free university and library layout blocks for AutoCAD (DWG): mobile shelving, study rooms, labs, archives

About the sizes

Library and campus furniture is not standardised, so the blocks use the sizes that suppliers commonly list: shelving ranges 600 mm deep in 1000 mm bays, an open mobile aisle of 900 mm, a map chest 1200 x 900 mm, a study room for one 2000 x 2400 mm, a reading table for 12 at 4800 x 1000 mm. Check them against your supplier's data sheets before you order.

The blocks are our own drawings, not copies of any catalogue, and the library is not certified. They are meant to plan the arrangement and count items, not to show that a building meets floor-load, fire, accessibility or safety rules. Take aisle widths, floor loads for shelving, ceiling heights and occupancy limits from the rules that apply to your site and the equipment makers' guidance.

Frequently asked questions

Which items are in the library?

Stacks and storage, reading and study, service and self-service, teaching spaces, special collections and archives, makerspace and media, student life and campus, 12 room layouts and 3 markers. Ordinary school furniture, lecture halls, single library shelves, circulation desks and canteens are in the school library; offices in the office library; laboratories in the laboratory library.

Can I get a furniture schedule from the drawing?

Yes. Every block carries SIZE, MANUFACTURER, MODEL and QTY as invisible attributes, shelving carries BAYS, CLASS_RANGE and LOAD_KG_M, and powered or networked equipment carries POWER_KW and SUPPLY. Fill them in the attribute editor, export the blocks with BlockSync and count the shelf bays or the seats per room. The sample values are placeholders, not manufacturer data.

Can I use the symbols in commercial projects?

Yes. They are free to use and modify in your own projects, including commercial ones. They are provided as is, without warranty.

How is this different from the school library?

The school library has what any school or campus building needs: desks and chairs, classrooms, lecture halls, single library shelves, circulation desks, canteens and dormitories. This library adds what a university or a larger library also needs: mobile shelving, study rooms, self-service, active learning and computer rooms, special collections and archives, makerspace and media studios, and ready-made room layouts. The two use the same sizes and the same look, so you can mix them in one plan.

Can I change a symbol or add attributes?

Yes. Open the DWG, edit a block with BEDIT to change it or add attributes, and save. To update drawings that already contain the block, run ATTSYNC or replace the block. Make a backup first: attribute values can be lost if ATTSYNC is used carelessly.

Where do I find a ready-made set of these symbols for AutoCAD?

AutoCAD itself ships only a small set of sample blocks, so a full symbol set has to come from a library. Download the ZIP on this page and open the DWG: every symbol is a block. Insert one with INSERT (Blocks palette, Libraries tab, then pick the DWG) or drag it from DesignCenter (ADCENTER). You can also download a single symbol on its own.