Volumes isn’t a library where you have to be quiet. by Taylor Griggs Michael Ellsworth wants to make the often-opaque world of graphic design accessible and collaborative. The co-founder and creative director of Seattle-born studi o Civilization, Ellsworth has spent his career working to bring design to the masses. His next project, the Volumes Design Library, is a culmination of that work—and it opens in downtown Portland this spring. Ellsworth’s vision for the Volumes Design Library is simple: The library will host a large collection of design-focused books, magazines, and ephemera, running the gamut from graphic design to architecture to fashion. While visitors won’t be able to check out materials—many are rare—guests will be encouraged to take photos or use the library’s scanners. And Volumes isn’t a library where you have to be quiet. Guests will be encouraged to yap. “It’s going to be a little bit of a trial by fire to see how that all works. But I’m up for an experiment,” Ellsworth told the Mercury. Ellsworth moved to Portland in the aftermath of the pandemic, taking part in the remote work revolution. Prior to 2020’s shut down, Civilization hosted an annual lecture series, bringing designers from around the world to speak at the Seattle Public Library. Ellsworth got involved with the Kemeny Lecture Series hosted by the Portland State University (PSU) graphic design program as a way to get out in the world and socialize with other creative, design-minded people. He sees the library as a continuation of that work. An avid collector of design books and magazines, Ellsworth said he has long dreamt of opening a dedicated design library. When he discovered an airy, window-lined space on the second floor of downtown Portland’s historic J.K. Gill Building was available, the pieces started to fall into place. Volumes will be located up a flight of stairs from Design Portland’s digs on the building’s main floor. While Design Portland was previously the umbrella organization in charge of the now-defunct Design Week Portland, the co-directors behind the urban design series City of Possibility recently assumed stewardship of it. Author, educator, and art director Briar Levit may be the most recognizable name on the team working to crack Volumes open for the public. A longstanding professor of graphic design at PSU and co-director of the People’s Graphic Design Archive, among her countless other projects, Levit says the People’s Archive will maintain dedicated space in Volumes, which sounds groundbreaking for the “crowd-sourced virtual archive of inclusive graphic design history.” Levit said she thinks there’s value in browsing through materials in the physical world, which graphic designers don’t always get the opportunity to do. “A lot of folks don’t get to libraries as much anymore,” Levit told the Mercury. “It takes a focused, special space like this for people to remember that there’s a kismet that happens when you’re looking through the stacks that you just don’t get online.” Another Portland graphic designer working with Ellsworth, Quinn Richards, stressed the importance of escaping the online algorithm. “We increasingly live in a world that’s synthesized and algorithmic,” she said. “The hope with the library is that you can get exposed to inspiration that you maybe had no idea even existed.” The founders’ vision for Volumes is stridently inclusive and unpretentious. In Ellsworth’s view, Portland’s design community is open and collaborative—he called it an “all ships rise” culture—so it wouldn’t make sense to make the library stuffy and self-important. “I really want this to be a place of accessibility for this stuff. A lot of these books are expensive, and people don’t want to touch them,” Ellsworth said. “I want people to touch them.” Levit said graphic design isn’t a subject that stays in its lane, opening the door for anyone to get involved or become interested in it. “Graphic design history is like the receipts of history. Everything, every invoice or poster is telling the story of the past. It could relate to war, protest, the social mores of the time,” Levit said. “You can always find the intersection of your interests in graphic design. There’s an entrance for everyone, because it touches everyone.” Those working on the project aren’t concerned about attracting visitors of a certain design pedigree.They want to build a community space that communicates their love of design. “I’m reaching out to the community to help, because I really want [Volumes] to be supported,” Ellsworth said. “I want people to want to be here and be a part of it.” Volumes Design Library is expected to open in late spring 2026 at 426 SW Harvey Milk. Find out more at volumeslibrary.org. ...read more read less