Knowledge Library Resources Every Facility Manager Should Bookmark

Facility managers are expected to be experts in everything — from maintaining complex building systems and managing risk to leading teams, justifying budgets and navigating rapid technological change. The challenge isn’t a lack of information; it’s knowing which resources actually move the needle in day-to-day practice and long-term strategy. 

That’s where IFMA’s Knowledge Library comes in. Built by and for facility management professionals, the Knowledge Library curates research, guides and practical tools that support every stage of an FM career and every corner of the built environment. Whether you’re refining operations and maintenance processes, strengthening leadership capabilities, improving financial performance, or preparing your facilities for future risks, these resources are designed to be applied, not just read. 

Below is a curated selection of Knowledge Library resources every facility manager should know about, organized by key areas that shape effective, resilient facility management professionals today. Use this list to deepen your expertise, support smarter decision-making, and stay aligned with how the profession continues to evolve worldwide. 

1. Operations & Maintenance (O&M)

• An Example of an Effective Lockout/Tagout Procedure 
• Defining High-Performance Buildings for Operations and Maintenance 
• Maintenance Costs and Facility Soft Services Practices (EU O&M Benchmarks Report No. 3) 
• Optimizing Building Management with a Lifecycle Approach 
• Pump Sizing in a Distributed Pumping System 
• Defining Facility Condition Assessment Level of Detail 
• Sound Rating Criteria for Buildings 

2. Leadership, Strategy & Organizational Performance

• Employee Engagement: The Crucial Role of the Supervisor 
• Effective Training of Front-Line Service Employees 
• Game-Changing Facilities Team Playbooks 
• Leading Through Uncertainty: The Power of Organizational Resilience 
• The Future of Facility Management  
• Integrated Facility Management vs. Facility Management: What Is the Difference? 

3. Finance, Business & Performance Measurement

• Establishment of KPIs for Facility Performance: Review of Literature 
• Financial Analysis for Facilities Professionals 
• Successful Transition in Outsourcing 
• 7 Ways to Improve Customer Satisfaction in Field Service Organizations 
• U.S. Veterans in Facility Management: A Global Salary and Compensation Supplementary Report 

4. Sustainability, Resilience & Environmental Stewardship

• Adapting to Climate Change for Facility Management Professionals 
• Reduce Operational and Embodied Carbon in Commercial Buildings with Modern Building Controls 
• The Future of Sustainable Building Restoration with Deep Energy Retrofits
• Cool Biz: Energy Conservation Efforts in Japan 
• Wildfires Have Increased Advocacy for Better Indoor Air Quality and Building Codes 

5. Technology, Data & Digital Transformation

• Quantifying the Effect of BIM and COBie for FM 
• Integrating Smart Building Control Systems to Enable Grid-Interactive Buildings (GIB) 
• Data Unlocked: Transforming FM Through Data Literacy 
• Advancing Facilities Management with a Digital Thread 
• Gamechanger: A Facility Manager’s Guide to Building a Relationship with AI 

6. Workplace Strategy, Design & Human Experience

• Space Measurement Standards 
• Design That Works: How Aesthetics Boost Your Team 
• Return-to-Office Planning Guide: Master the Hybrid Workplace 
• Factors Impacting Retention and Advancement of Women in Facility Management 
• Facility Managers’ Reading List 

7. Risk Management, Health, Safety & Emergency Preparedness

• The Importance of CPR: Why Quick Action Saves Lives 
• Disaster Response & Emergency Management in Healthcare 
• How to Select the Best Air Scrubber 
• Guide for Placing Probes to Measure Airflow and Psychrometric Data in Ducts and Plenums