The Library as a Space for Innovation and Community

THE LIBRARY AS UNITING
FACTOR IN A SOCIETY
OF CHANGE
Potsdam 13. 07 2012

Knud Schulz
Citizens' and Library Services

Knud Schulz
• Manager of the Main Library in Aarhus 25 years
• Librarian and Master of Public Management
• Mentor INELI (International Network of Emerging Library
Innovators) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Member of the client group Urban MediaSpace Aarhus
• Daily work focus – transforming the Main Library to
“Urban Mediaspace”
• ksc@aarhus.dk
• www.slideshare.net
apx.28.500 m2
incl. 17.500 m2
library space

Knud Schulz

Denmark
population 5.5 mill.
5 regions
Aarhus
population 300.000

Knud Schulz

Agenda

The Library
• as a place/spot
• as a space
• as a relation
Example Aarhus
Knud Schulz

Libraries and urban
development
Model of the public library in
urban development

Casper Hvenegaard
Henrik Jochumsen
Dorte Skot-Hansen
IVA – Royal School of Library
and Information Science

Knud Schulz

2015

2014

Client: City of Aarhus
Partner: Realdania, Realdania Byg
Client Advisor: Rambøll DK
Architects: schmidt hammer lassen architects
Co-advisers: Arkitekt Kristine Jensens Tegnestue
Knud Schulz
and Alectia A/S Services
Citizens' and Library

June 2011

Knud Schulz

Project elements
• Mediaspace:
• Main Library
• Citizens’ Services 17.500 m2
• Partners and network 11.000 m2
• Automatic parking space - 1000 cars
• Two new urban harbour squares
• Arrival centre for light rail
• Uncovering of the river
• Traffic regulation
• App.: 255 mill Euro

Transforming the flow
in the center of Aarhus
• reduce car traffic to a Third part in
front of the harbour
• etablish a light rail station
• open the end of the river
• bring acces to 800 m waterfront
• a new bike and walk route
• etablish a new ’mainstreet’ along the
river and up the Schulz
Knud waterfront

Agenda

The Library
• as a place/spot
• as a space
• as a relation

Knud Schulz

Urban Mediaspace
- rethinking library and space

Knud Schulz

The Vision

• A unique space for co-
operation
• A place for dialogue,
knowledge, ideas and
inspiration
• An open and informal
learning space
• A unique place for
children
People is key factor
Knud Schulz

Seven Core Values

The Citizen as Key Factor

Lifelong Learning and Unity

Diversity, co-operation and network

Culture and Experience

Bridging Citizen, Technology and Knowledge

Flexible and Professional Organisation

A Sustainable Icon for Aarhus

The Multimedia House
– a building of many talents
An attractive building of
international quality
• A new main library
• Citizens’ Services
• Partners and networks

Total area: 28.000 m2
incl. 10.000 m2 optional
(partners renting)

Knud Schulz

The library as a space
– in the future?
• The building supports the needs
of the users
• The building interacts with the
surroundings and environment
• The building acts adaptively

Knud Schulz

The Knowledge Society

• From libraries for books/medias -
to libraries for man/human

Knud Schulz

The Change
Ivar Moltke, Create

From To
information that can be found What can only be
anywhere experienced at the library
Space for media Space as a media
On-line On site
Information Meaning
Facts Credibility
Meeting information Meeting people
Knowing Experimenting
Visitors Resource person
Neutrality Sensing
Seriousness Sense of humour
Knud Schulz
Arranged events Things that
Citizens' and Library Services happen

Transformation Lab

• The entrance – the former place
for controlling the users
• 2-300 m2
• New projects every 5-6 month
• Bringing the traditional work
fields of the library into the LAB
• Developing new support of the
users – depending on the room,
the media, the connectivity and
the competencies Knud Schulz

LiteratureLAB

Knud Schulz

iFloor – interactivity between people

• Social interactivity in
the library space
• User to user to staff
• Interactivity depends on
the body
• communication through
– Mobile
– SMS
– PC
• Informal - Competition
• Funny Knud Schulz

iFloor

Knud Schulz

NewsLAB

Knud Schulz

Robots

• Eye catcher
• Social interactivity
• Communication inside
and outside the library
• Interactivity
• Learning
communication

Knud Schulz

Teknomorfose - ExhibitionLAB

Knud Schulz

The Square

Knud Schulz

FictionLAB

NewsLAB

MusicLAB

ExhibitionLAB

DemocracyLAB

The Square
Knud Schulz

The strategy for changing
• The need for rethinking the
library
• The need for a fusion
between physical – virtual
• Focus on development
• Bringing new skills into the
library
• Promoting learning in the
organization
• Force users to dismiss the
Knud Schulz as library brand
book

The Change

From
Transactions – loans, search etc.

Virtual Physical

Relations – new services based on
facilitating relational communication
Knud Schulz

Logistic - the returning system -
transactions

Knud Schulz

Facilitating relations

Knud Schulz

The Innovation
Strategy

“..to generate ideas is to be creative; to
convert ideas to results is to be
innovative. Being innovative in an
organized and user-oriented fashion
is the essential competitive parameter
of the 21st century…”
Steve Jobs, Apple inc.
Knud Schulz

Users as focal point

• Users are the potentiality of change
• Users should be part of the innovation
processes - from the creative phase to
testing and realisation

Knud Schulz

Userdriven process

• From tradition to transcendence – the
users deconstruct ”old knowledge” to
create new sense

Knud Schulz

Development
Process

Knud Schulz

Why the Children’s
Interactive Library??
1940 2005

Knud Schulz

Children’s
participation
• Users
• Design sessions
• Metaphorical starting
points
• Etnoraids

Knud Schulz

The Children’s Interactive Library
– from project to prototype

User driven
innovation

Knud Schulz

Subject Browsing - Story Surfer

Knud Schulz

Interaction at the Table

Knud Schulz

Local history - balloon voyage

• Reading aloud original text containing
local history
• Old films converted to digital formats
• RFID technology

Knud Schulz

Modern library practice and
strategies – means that roles
constantly change

Rethinking
Do we need to disintegrate the library before
reconstructing it?

The change in society and the way of living are
creating new premises for the need of the
library

The identity of the human beings are related to
and depending on new ways of communication

The digitalization means information's are in your
pocket everywhere
Knud Schulz

- A Danish Report
2010

Knud Schulz
Citizens’ and library service Aarhus

The Public Library of the Knowledge Society

Reckognition/Experience

Innovation Empowerment

D.Skot-Hansen
Knud Schulz
C.H. Rasmussen
H. Jochumsen Involvement/Engagement



Innovation

D.Skot-Hansen
Knud Schulz
C.H. Rasmussen
H. Jochumsen

Inspiration space

• The space for meaningful experiences that is to say
experiences that move us
• The space should open up to the irrational, emotional and
chaotic by communicating a diversion of aesthetic
experiences.
• This can happen through storytelling or other artistic
expressions within all kinds of media, cultural forms and
genres.
• The inspiration space should make the user want to move
beyond the usual choices and to come back.
• The library space in itself may also be an experience and
work as a stage for events and cultural arrangements.
• The inspiration space especially supports realisation
(cognition)/experience and innovation.
Knud Schulz

individual
concentration

Knud Schulz

Music

Knud Schulz

digital media

Knud Schulz

Inspiratio
n

Knud Schulz

events

Knud Schulz

appearance

Knud Schulz

book clubs

Knud Schulz

picture book
Knud Schulz

reading aloud

Knud Schulz

staging

Knud Schulz



Empowerment

D.Skot-Hansen
Knud Schulz
C.H. Rasmussen
H. Jochumsen

Learning space
• Space where children, young people and adults can experience
and explore the world and thus strengthen their competences
and possibilities through free and easy access to information
and knowledge
• Learning is seen as a dialogue oriented process that is based
on the users’ own experiences and their wishes to define their
own learning needs
• Often takes place in informal settings which do not have
learning as the goal – learning happens through play, music and
many other activities
• Should meet the needs of especially young people for a more
experience oriented learning through the development of playful,
interactive and social learning methods.
• Learning is strengthened through the use of homework cafes,
study places, open courses and experiment areas.
• The learning space especially supports realisation
(cognition)/experience and empowerment.
Knud Schulz

teaching

Knud Schulz

courses

Knud Schulz

informal learning

Knud Schulz

consultation
s

Knud Schulz

one to one

Knud Schulz

homework cafe

Knud Schulz

guidance

Knud Schulz

access to knowledge

Knud Schulz

selfservice

Knud Schulz


Empowermen

D.Skot-Hansen
Knud Schulz
C.H. Rasmussen

Meeting space
• An open, public space where citizens as a third space
between home and work can meet others who are both as
themselves and different from themselves
• Arenaes, where you can meet other people with different
interests and values and encounter opinions that challenge
you through discussions and debate, are necessary
• In the meeting space both non-committal, random encounters
can take place through lounge décor with newspapers and
café atmosphere as well as more organised meetings
• This can take place both live and on the Internet in
chatgroups, blogs or other social media.
• The meeting space especially supports empowerment and
engagement

Knud Schulz

meetings

Knud Schulz

lectures

Knud Schulz

discussions

Knud Schulz

debates

Knud Schulz

politics

Knud Schulz

being together

Knud Schulz


Innovation

D.Skot-Hansen
Knud Schulz
C.H. Rasmussen

Performative space

• Users can interact with others for inspiration to create new
creative expressions in the encounter with art and culture
• Users can get access to tools that support their creative
expressions through interactive games and writing-,
sound- and video-workshops
• The users can also get support in their creative
expressions through workshops with professional artists,
designers, multimedia developers etc.
• Can act as a platform for communication by publishing
and distributing the work and products of the users and by
giving access to stages where users can perform and
express themselves.
• The performative space especially supports engagement
and innovation.
Knud Schulz

writing workshops

Knud Schulz

experiment

Knud Schulz

edutainment

Knud Schulz

Workshop
s

Knud Schulz

playing

Knud Schulz

gaming

Knud Schulz

Why
partnerships?
Lack of resources and competences in libraries

Knowledge, inspiration from others

Need of diversity, quality, research in service production

Communication and marketing

New ambassadors

Knud Schulz

Examples
Strategic Partnerships

Mapping the
network

Partnership
clusters

Knud Schulz

Partnership clusters - examples

• Children and Families
Children theatres, culture institutions, Centre for Playware,
Alexandra Institute, Centre for Pervasive Computing, public
schools
• Knowledge and Learning
Universities, educational institutions, free adult education,
Homework help organisations, NGO’s
• Fiction
Publishers, author organisations, reading clubs, author schools,
writing workshops, poetry clubs, free adult education , news media
• Mindspot
Public Schools, High Schools, youth organisations and clubs,
festivals
Knud Schulz

Whats next?

Knud Schulz

Transformation Lab II

Knud Schulz

Stageing
Urban Mediaspace
• Create an illusion of the building under construction
• Walk in the 3D model
• Setting the stage for tests, user operated services,
innovations, new designs, incl. elements to be used in
the new building
• Involve the users in the work
• Prepare the citizens
• Prepare the staff
• Brand the new library

Knud Schulz

What is the concept of
the new Library
• Transform the library from the brand of
a building housing books
• to a building supporting and
interacting with userneeds

Knud Schulz

Summing up

• Merge technology, space and
competencies
• Involve the users in the innovation
• Make partnerships competencies and a
broader ownership of the library
• Tell new stories about the library brand
• Innovate your libraries or die
Knud Schulz

Library potentials
The library include many rationalities in a
perspective of developing cities
• Democracy
• Inclusion/empowerment
• Partnerships
• Innovation
• Learning
Knud Schulz

We can do it

• Can Libraries spark Innovation? – Yes we can
• Let’s light up our potentials

Thank you for listening

Knud Schulz

The Library as a Space for Innovation and Community

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