Carlos Baffigo

Carlos Baffigo is the founder of Building Basics for Libraries, an educational and consulting organization dedicated to helping library professionals better understand, manage, and plan for the buildings that support their communities. With more than 30 years of experience in library leadership, operations, facility management, technology, security, and capital planning, he has become a recognized voice in the emerging field of library facility management.

Throughout his career, Carlos has led and supported major library construction, renovation, adaptive reuse, and infrastructure projects ranging from neighborhood branch improvements to large-scale capital programs. His experience includes facility planning, preventive maintenance, building systems, life safety, security, technology infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and long-range capital planning. He has worked closely with architects, engineers, contractors, municipal agencies, and library leaders to improve the safety, functionality, and sustainability of library facilities.

Carlos is a frequent speaker and educator, presenting webinars, seminars, and workshops for state libraries, regional library systems, library associations, and public libraries throughout the United States. His programs focus on practical facility management, building systems, capital planning, preventive maintenance, emergency preparedness, and helping library leaders become confident stewards of their buildings.

Recognizing that many library professionals unexpectedly inherit responsibility for facilities, Carlos developed the concept of the “Accidental Facility Manager.” His teaching emphasizes practical knowledge over technical jargon, empowering librarians to ask better questions, build stronger relationships with technical professionals, reduce organizational risk, and make informed decisions about one of their library’s most valuable assets.

Through Building Basics for Libraries, Carlos continues to write, teach, consult, and advocate for making facility management an essential component of library leadership. His mission is simple: to help libraries create safe, resilient, and well-managed buildings that support exceptional library service for generations to come.