The North Beach Library is one of eight libraries in San Francisco designed by the architecture firm Appleton & Wolfard. It represents a keen understanding of the modern library principles developed and distributed by the American Library Association after World War II. The design is based on a prototype created by Appleton & Wolfard, and the City Librarian, Laurence Clarke that produced a collection of buildings dramatically different from prior libraries and good examples of Mid-Century Modern design in Northern California.