Agenda
1. Research-project, purpose, point of departure, research-questions and approach (Henrik Jochumsen).
2. Examples of how the library can contribute to the urban development as a place, as a space and through relations to the surrounding community (Casper Hvenegaard Rasmussen).
3. Introduction to a work-shop concerning how the “next” library can contribute to strategies for urban development (Dorte Skot-Hansen).
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Libraries in Urban DevelopmentResearch-project
The research-project is conducted by The Centre for Cultural Policy Studies at The Royal Danish School of Library and Information Science from 2010-11
The project is funded by The Realdania Fund.
The result will be published in the autumn 2011 (book, international articles etc).
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Libraries in Urban DevelopmentPurpose
To examine how the library can contribute to the city´s visibility and attraction as a creative, innovative experience city and at the same time support the citizens needs for open-minded meeting places, meaningful experiences and creative challenges.
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Libraries in Urban DevelopmentPoint of departure
Urban development•Today’s cities are in a situation of growing global competition and they are to a higher and higher degree planned and designed to attract tourists, inhabitants and businesses.
•A “cultural turn” is happening in the cities where there is a growing trend of re-branding and refurbishing cities through culture in an attempt to revitalize economies.
•As a consequence new strategies for culture-led regeneration are introduced into urban planning.
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Libraries in Urban DevelopmentPoint of departure
Library development• The existence of the physical library have been contested by many
Internet-founded offers but at the same time we are witnessing a renaissance for the physical library as we see new head-line grabbing libraries being built all over the world.
• Among the code words for libraries today are flexibility in space and arrangements, development from collection towards interactive communication of knowledge and culture and a new role as a living room of the local community.
• Today we see a significant focus on the relationship between the public library and the local community which is reflected through partnerships, user-involvement, userdriven innovation, participation in local projects etc.
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Libraries in Urban Development research-questions
•How can the library contribute to cities and urban districts image, attractiveness and identity as part of a strategic urban development?
•How can the library as an urban space support citizens in need of public meeting-places and experiences?
•How can the library contribute to the development of the city's creativity and innovation through new relationships?
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Libraries in Urban Development Approach
Empirical approach•Studies of best practice and cutting edge libraries in the Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, England, USA and Canada
Theoretical approach•Sociology of late-modernity, urban sociology and theories of urban and cultural planning.
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Libraries in Urban Development Approach
Vancouver Public Library
Seattle Public Library
Salt Lake City Public Library
Amstedam Public Library (OBA)
Idea-stores in London
Jubilee Library in Brighton
Library 10 in Helsinki
Dortmund Public Library
The Public Library in Hjørring
Among libraries we have studied are:
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Libraries in Urban Development Approach
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Libraries as places in urban development
Icon and catalyst
Icon: Seattle Public Library Catalyst: Idea Stores in London SHAMIM AKHTAR
Libraries as places in urban developmentPlacemaker
Characteristics of placemakers:
- Active part of urban planning trying to attract people
- Revitalisation of city centres
- Revitalisation of former industrial areas
- Developing new parts of the city The Opera in Oslo
Snøhetta, 2008SHAMIM AKHTAR
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Oppenbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam2007
Libraries as places in urban developmentPlacemaker
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Libraries as spaces in urban development
Public domain and Experiences
Public Domain: The Garage, Malmö, 2008
Experiences: The Cerritos Library, CA, 2002 SHAMIM AKHTAR
Libraries as spaces in urban development
Single-minded and open-minded urban spaces
Single-minded urban spaces Le Corbusiers Radiant city
Open-minded urban spacesHarbour in CopenhangenFrench medieval city
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Libraries as spaces in urban development
Single-minded and open-minded library spaces
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Relations in urban development
Partnerships and hybride cultural arenas
Partnership: Birmingham Library, UK. Hybride arena: Zentrum für Information und Bildung, Unna, Germany. SHAMIM AKHTAR
Relations in urban delvelopment
Creative entrepreneurs
UrbanOffice: Meetingpoint in HelsinkiSHAMIM AKHTAR
Relations in urban delvelopmentCreative entrepreneurs
Swedish logo
Danish logo
Concert arranged by Demoteket, Copenhagen.SHAMIM AKHTAR
Workshop:Strategies for Libraries in Urban
Development
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Libraries in Urban Development Approach
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PLACEThe library’ role in the strategic
development of the city
• How can the “next library” as an icon, a placemaker and a catalyst contribute to the strategic development of the city’s image, attractiveness and regeneration?
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Three themes:
Group A: The library as an icon•How can the library as an icon contribute to the development
of the city’s image?
Group B: The library as a placemaker•How can the library as a placemaker contribute to the city’s
attractiveness?
Group C: The library as a catalyst•How can the library as a catalyst contribute to the city’s (or a
districts) social and economic regeneration? SHAMIM AKHTAR
Process:• Start: The group chooses a chairman• 5 min.: Each member of the group reflects individually on the questions
posed and writes key-words on post-its (as many as you like). • Stick the post-its on the poster• 25 min.: The group discusses the keywords and how they reflect the
question• 15 min.: The group chose three main keywords it sees as relevant in a
formulation a strategic plan for the question – and write them in big letters on the poster
• 3 min.: The chairman shortly presents the keywords in plenum
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