Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen

The four spaces – a new model for the public library

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present a model for the public library created by the authors.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is divided into three parts. The first part emphasizes considerations regarding todays focus on both the virtual and the physical library. The second part describes the four‐space model, including examples of libraries as illustrations of the different spaces and examples of how the model is being used in the Nordic library‐world. The third part pinpoints some critical questions in relation to the model.Findings – The paper shows how the four‐space model has been used in different ways in the Nordic countries since it was presented for the first time in a Danish report on public libraries in 2010.Practical implications – The four‐space model can be a useful tool in relation to developing, building, designing, arranging and rearranging public libraries. Furthermore the model can be a tool for management and communication in connection with library plans and policy and...

The role of public libraries in culture‐led urban regeneration

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present a research project on public libraries in urban development focusing on how libraries contribute to culture‐led urban regeneration as icons, placemakers and community vitalization.Design/methodology/approach – The research project is based on case studies of new “cutting‐edge” public libraries in Europe and North America. These case studies have been conducted through analysis of documents, observation and qualitative interviews with key informants.Findings – The article finds that new public libraries have re‐conceptualized their design, brand and functions as an answer to strategies of culture‐led urban regeneration, and at the same time they have actively contributed to urban development by changing the image and identity of urban places, contributing to urban diversity and addressing social and economic problems.Practical implications – The article provides a framework for development of strategies and legitimization for public libraries and a point ...

Problems and Possibilities: The Public Library in the Borderline between Modernity and Late Modernity

The public library is a product of modernity that follows in the wake of industrialization, urbanization, and popular movements, while at the same time the public library itself supports the building up and development of the modern. This article will examine the arrival of modernity and the prerequisites for the rise of public libraries, as well as some crucial aspects of the relationship between the public library and modernity. Furthermore, by means of contributions from recent significant sociologists, such as Anthony Giddens, Jean‐François Lyotard, and Scott Lash, we shall discuss the implications of the development of late modern or postmodern society for the present public library.

Strategies for public libraries in the 21st century

Abstract: Taking our reference point from the French cultural sociologist Pierre Bourdieus idea of the Social field, in this paper we will seek to identify and discuss a number of characteristics which define the public library. As changes within the public library system are often instigated by external factors we will place special emphasis on an analysis of the status, which the library holds in society. On the basis of the above we will, while concluding, put forward our idea of strategies needed to make the public library visible in the 21st century.

Towards Culture 3.0 – performative space in the public library

The aim of this article is to analyse and discuss the development of performative spaces in public libraries from a cultural policy perspective. First, a framework of three concepts of culture, 1.0–3.0, is used as a tool to analyse the overall development of public libraries. Against this background, we introduce the notion of performative spaces in public libraries by highlighting Nordic examples. The tendency can also be seen on a broader level in European and North American libraries, where a ‘performative turn’ can be seen as the relationship between the library and its users, especially the younger ‘digital natives’. The rationales behind the emergence of performative spaces in public libraries are analysed and discussed: democratisation, empowerment and economic impact. This article concludes that the performative spaces are legitimized by multiple rationales in the same way as cultural policies and cultural institutions are legitimised today.

Libraries as an infrastructure for a sustainable public sphere in a digital age

This session will focus upon challenges to upholding a sustainable public sphere in a digital age and the potential of libraries to contribute to an infrastructure that might help us cope with these challenges. The workshop can be seen as a continuation of last year’s workshop themed Partnership with society: A social and cultural approach to iSchool research

The participatory public library: the Nordic experience

Purpose From collection to connection has been a buzzword in the library world for more than a decade. This catchy phrase indicates that users are seen not only as borrowers, but as active participants. The aim of this paper is to investigate and analyse three questions in relation to user participation in public libraries in a Nordic perspective. How can participation in public libraries be characterised? Why should libraries deal with user participation? What kinds of different user participation can be identified in public libraries? Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a selection of theoretical approaches and practical examples to obtain a varied understanding of user participation in public libraries. Research fields outside library and information science have developed a wide range of theoretical approaches on user participation. Examples from cultural policy, museum studies and participatory culture are selected to get a deeper understanding on participation in public libraries. The practical examples are chosen to illustrate the richness of different kinds of user participation in libraries. Findings There are six forms of active participation in libraries: volunteer programmes, interactive displays, workshops, co-creation, user-driven innovation and book clubs. Originality/value This paper is an overall synthesis of theoretical and practical aspects of user participation in public libraries. Furthermore, the paper challenges the deeply rooted assumption that participation in libraries takes place almost exclusively within digital contexts.