Where to install libraries manually?

I want to install SFML (a free multimedia C++ API) on my Ubuntu system, which basically isn't a problem. But I wanted to know where I should store the files.

I can see, that Ubuntu stores my C++ Standard libraries in /usr/include/c++ and so on.. My problem is, that I don't know where I am supposed to leave the libraries or is there no place which should be used for this and I can move the files wherever I want?

All I am looking for is just some kind of a way "how to do it right" but I can't find an answer. I want my libraries to stay organized.

/usr/local/lib/ should be the right folder for this. It is the normal place for keeping shared library files installed manually from source code (as defined by FHS).

If you build a library by running ./configure, make, and sudo make install, it will usually install there automatically.