Purpose: Today, libraries have turned into places that encourage the user to research and work, provide aesthetic satisfaction and create library awareness, along with the developing technological advances, as well as responding to the needs such as studying, reading books, and conducting collaborative work. In this context, the aim of the study is to determine how the libraries built after 2000 are perceived visually by the user and to create a design information for the libraries to be designed from now on. Method: In the study, examples were determined by making a literature review. Then, a survey, including preferences and semantic differentiation scale, was conducted with 50 medical students on how they perceive the libraries visually. The obtained data were analyzed in the form of frequencies and semantic differentiation graphs. Findings: The most preferred libraries in the concrete visual perception components of the questionnaire; Dine College Library, which has oval lines in terms of shape/form, Bangkok Library, which is large and high in human scale in terms of size/proportion, Nanjing Renovation University Library where wood is used in terms of materials. Birmingham Library in terms of color and artificially illuminated. In addition, Doksan Library in terms of lighting were preferred. As a result of the evaluation of the adjective pairs in the abstract visual perception components of the questionnaire, it was found that the libraries that are illuminated by natural light, built with wooden materials, and have light tones are perceived as spacious, bright and orderly. Libraries in which organic forms are used are perceived as inviting and interesting. It has been determined that libraries with dark tones, in which steel and concrete materials are used, appear narrow and high in human scale, are perceived as dark and cramped. In the evaluation of the abstract and concrete visual perception components of the questionnaire, the most important factor in the preference of the library was seen as high ceilings and wide interiors, while forms and facades were seen as the most unimportant factor. Implications: When the study is evaluated in general, although students prefer unusual forms in libraries, they do not find form/form very important; they prefer libraries that use relatively warm materials such as wood or concrete in terms of materials, colors and lighting components, which they evaluate as close to each other in order of importance in library preference, color harmony and natural or artificial well-lit libraries. It has been determined that they see the measure-ratio component as the most important component with wide and spacious library preferences. In addition, although libraries with dark tones in both color and lighting components are not perceived positively, they have become the first preferred libraries. It is obvious that students find dark tones aesthetic. Originality: In the study, a new perspective was brought to the library design by analyzing the spatial effects desired to be created in the library with visual perception, which is the most prominent form of perception and what kind of qualities can affect people positively. An awareness was also raised that libraries are not only places for reading books and studying.
