Social networks, but analogue
04 November 2024
Libraries are no longer only about books. Instead, the point of public libraries is quite democratic – they are meant to be for everyone, without an entrance fee or need for consumption. "In recent years, libraries have adapted to sharing their spaces with other organisations and institutions," says Fedele Canosa, a designer and architect of libraries, to The European Correspondent. "This shift – partly necessitated and partly organic – arose due to several factors: reduced cultural funding from municipalities, declining visitor numbers, and increasing requests to use library spaces for various activities."
Recently, the European Cultural Foundation brought together 57 library initiatives from 24 countries, showing how they adapt to the challenges of the digital age. Some examples: In Denmark, the Social Librarian project helps people with social vulnerabilities, such as mental illness or homelessness. Other libraries serve as places for face-to-face interactions outside of polarised social media networks that dominate as news sources. In Belgium, the Elections Experience Trail educates students about democracy and citizenship, and the Democratic Library in the United Kingdom tries to increase voter turnout among adults by creating an art exhibition.
 | Tamara Kanuchova Nowadays, access to information might be a secondary function of libraries, with the search for cultural identity and collective memory taking its place. I have seen a post circulating on X saying, "If public libraries were invented today, they'd be decried as radically socialist, economically unfeasible, and the certain end of the book publishing industry." Is this radical individualism the case, or are public spaces intimidating rather than welcoming? Even in my own experience, public places do not often encourage people to actively participate. We are used to go to the library to read and work in silence, avoid eye contact and leave. On top of that, the extra work done by libraries is often voluntary, relying on funding that is complicated to get. Lastly, how we look at design needs to break the cycle of being a static, beautiful place into a rather adaptive environment for visitors. An example is the Birmingham library. "After [it] opened, users began to fill this space with public activities that we had never anticipated. They brought their own creativity to it, transforming it beyond our original intentions," said architect Canosa. |
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