Re-conceptualising the Espoo City Library Bus service for the children of Espoo, Finland in collaboration with LeGroup (Learning Environment Group), Department of Spatial Design, Aalto University and the City Library of Espoo. The bus aims to integrate new media technologies for exciting experiences. The project proposed five themes to revolutionise the library bus service. The bus is scheduled to start operating in 2013.

1. Designing the Espoo Library Bus 2012
Media Design Team Spatial Design Team
• Teemu Leinonen • Toni Kauppila
• Dipti Sonawane • Natalia Baczynska Kimberley
• Nina Kosonen
• Matti Mikkilä

2. Workshop with Kindergarten children
Role-playing
Verbal stories actvities
Evoke curiosity Fresh content
Trigger imaginations Props are
essential
Variety of activities Tips to design Basic media
media/other interactions
activities
Fun & engaging
Need
content
assistance

3. Workshop with 1st graders
Collaborative
activities Verbal Hands-on activities
stories (craft, music, play)
Evoke curiosity
Fresh content
Trigger imaginations Intuitive media
interactions
Structured activities Tips to design
Need assistance for
media/other
media interactions
activities
Fun & engaging Free of gender
content biases

4. Workshop with 6th graders
Collaborative
activities Visual Hands-on activities
stories (craft, music, play)
Age appropriate
content Fresh content
Trigger imagination Intuitive media
interactions
Structured activities Tips to design Can explore
media/other content freely
activities
Fun & engaging Need introduction
content

5. Interview with parents
The new bus should carry tools to transform the way technology
is used for children, and go beyond games.
Public Library & Library Bus Media Usage by Children The New Bus Concept
People visit the public library weekly Play games on media devices at Parents were concerned about the
or fortnightly home or at friends’ place media tools
Libraries have emotional attachment Commonly found media tools at home Major concerns:
- Wii - What is the new service that the new
Children enjoy music-listening spots - Television bus is offering?
- Computer - How will media be used other than
Children’s section in libraries are cosy - Mobile phones just browsing e-books or games?
and fun - Nintendo
There was a slight resistance towards
Libraries are hang-out places for Parents have to restrict usage technology and media tools
people and children
Use computers to go online or do The concept of the new bus was
Library bus is fun and exciting for school work accepted, once explained
children
Librarians play a crucial role and
people like personalised service

6. Design Concept
The main concept for the interior is EMPTY SPACE
When all elements are removed from inside, the empty
space in the bus can be used in a totally new way.
All furniture is MODULAR and MOVABLE
The whole space can be modified by adding and
removing modules to facilitate different situations.
RGB -led lights and sounds create ATHMOSPHERE
The basic colors are TIMELESS
Windows let in as much NATURAL LIGHT as possible
SMARTGLASS film makes it possible to use the rear
window as a projection screen.

7. Shelves
• Movable bookshelf
• Movable magazine shelf
• Foldable upper shelf
• Movable Touch-screen module
• Movable iPad shelf

8. Seats, tables and storage space

9. Rotating work desk variation
The table can be opened or closed depending on the situation.

10. Scenarios
1) Library Bus
• Mobile Library for children
2) Starry Skies
• Exploring outer space
3) Mini Cinema
• Watching & making movies
4) Story-telling
• Listening to & telling stories
5) Little Gardeners
• Learning & gardening together

11. Library Bus
MOBILE LIBRARY
Regular routes
Longer stops
TARGET GROUP
Children in kindergarten and grades 1-6 in the mornings
and the general public in the evenings.
THEMES
The bus has different themes, which change on a weekly/
monthly basis. The content in the bus varies according to
each theme.
LONGER STOPS
If the stops were longer, then the media inside the bus
could be more than just the iPads. The more media tools,
the longer the time needed for interaction.

12. Library Bus - media tools & interactions
MOBILE LIBRARY Quick thought board for everyone
Regular routes
Notes and
thoughts
Doodling and
Browsing books feedback
and articles
Listening to
book reviews Smart screen at the
rear end of the bus
Recording Displaying
iPads with
book reviews up-coming events
headphones
Displaying
Information

13. Library Bus - media tools & interactions
MOBILE LIBRARY
Longer stops
Reading books
& articles Music corner with iPods
to listen to music
Browsing web
www.
Smart screen at the
Watching videos rear end of the bus
Screening short
films
Listening to
recordings
iPads with
headphones Displaying
Information
Recording reviews

14. Library Bus
Children come to the library bus to browse through the content on
the bus, borrow and return books and interact with media.

15. Library Bus
The bus has other media in it, such as CDs, DVDs and iPads.

16. Starry Skies - exploring outer space
EDUCATIONAL, CREATIVE AND OFFERS AN
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
TARGET GROUP
Children in grades 1-6
WORKSHOP
Workshops are organized for schools. The activity
provides children with a fun-learn experience inside the
bus.
The school and library agree upon the content, system
and facilitation of the workshop.
The school or library gets experts and enthusiasts to
facilitate the workshop activity. They can rent equipment
from a science center e.g. Heureka.
THE ROUTES
The bus drives its regular routes stopping at schools
during the day offering workshops.
The workshops open up to the community on weekends.

17. Starry Skies - media tools & interactions
Reading space
articles Collaborative
drawing
Space image Multi-touch table
Fiducial objects &
banks for collaborative
barcode markers
experiences
Sound scapes &
recordings Space image banks
Videos or short
space movies Videos or short
space movies
iPads with Augmented reality
headphones star viewing apps Browsing web
www.
Inspirational space
games Simulation of space
and heavenly bodies

18. Starry Skies - media tools & interactions
Smart screen at the
rear end of the bus
Watching space movies
& documentaries
Reading books
Displaying information
Browsing pictures
Listening to music
Moon viewing
Small hideouts
Watching videos
(Books + iPads + iPods)
and short movies
Star viewing
Playing educational
games
Scientific equipment Studying clouds
borrowed from museums

19. Starry Skies - exploring outer space
The bus has a space theme. The idea is to give the children an
opportunity to be creative while they explore science.

20. Starry Skies - exploring outer space
The interior of the bus, the furniture and media are
arranged to facilitate this theme.

21. Mini Cinema - watching and making movies
WATCHING MOVIES
The school and library agree upon the content, system
and facilitation of the event.
TARGET GROUP
Children in grades 1-6
WORKSHOP
Workshops are organized for schools. The school and
library agree upon the content, system and facilitation of
the workshop.
PUBLIC SERVICE
The ‘mini cinema’ bus goes to people who cannot go to
the cinema e.g. hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation
center. People are cheered up and energized.
THE ROUTES
The bus drives its regular routes stopping at schools
during the day offering workshops.
The workshops open up to the community on weekends.

22. Mini Cinema - media tools & interactions
Screening movies at the Learning movie editing software
rear end of the bus on multi-touch table
General activities on media tools
Watching movies
Editing movies
Instruction and
information
Editing and making movies
Tools for animating
on iPads and laptops

23. Mini Cinema - watching movies
The library bus has a ‘movie’ theme and transforms into a ‘mini
cinema’. The focus of this theme is to give children a mini movie
theatre inside the bus.

24. Mini Cinema - making movies
This theme also offers facilities for movie-making workshops.
Children are taught how to make and edit their own movies.

25. Story-Telling - listening & making stories
LISTENING TO STORIES
The library chooses a story and invites a story-teller.
TARGET GROUP
Kindergarten
WORKSHOP
Workshops are organized for schools. The school and
library agree upon the content, system and facilitation of
the workshop. They offer necessary props, costumes,
drawing & craft materials and media tools for the
workshop.
TARGET GROUPS
Children in grades 1-6. This activity can also target young
people when the bus goes with this theme to public
spaces in the evenings.
THE ROUTES
The bus drives its regular routes stopping at schools
during the day offering workshops.
The workshops open up to the community on weekends
at parks or public spaces.

26. Story-Telling - media tools & interactions
TARGET GROUP
Kindergarten
Using rear end screen for Props and costumes Drawing and craft material
narrating stories

27. Story-Telling - media tools & interactions
TARGET GROUP
Grade 1-6
Collaboratively
drawing stories
Reading interactive
story books
Browsing story
books
Listening to stories
Browsing images
Multi-touch table
for collaborative Recording stories
iPads with
experiences
headphones
Watching movie
adaptations of books on
the smart screen

28. Story-Telling - listening & making stories
The interior allows a different experience of storytelling inside a bus.
Children can also tell their own stories. The story-telling workshop
includes activities, such as drawing the story on paper.

29. Little Gardeners - learning & gardening together
This is a seasonal activity, from spring to late summer
and early autumn.
TARGET GROUP
Children in grades 1-6. This activity can also target to
young people when the bus goes with this theme to
public spaces in the evenings.
WORKSHOP FOR SCHOOLS
School or library can schedule hands-on gardening
activity in their neighborhood or in the school premises.
School or Library can get experts and other enthusiasts
to facilitate the workshop activity.
WORKSHOP FOR PUBLIC
When the school is shut during the summer holidays the
gardening workshop is open for public. Parents can bring
their children and participate in the workshop.
The event can expand to become a social event where
participants can cook food that they’ve grown at the
conclusion of the workshop.

30. Little Gardeners - media tools & interactions
Reading
gardening articles
Fiducial objects &
Multi-touch table barcode markers
for collaborative
Browsing experiences
seed banks
Gardening
image banks
Gardening
image banks Gardening videos
and short movies
Recording
soundscapes
Browsing web
www.
iPads with
headphones Outdoor
documentation Simulation of
gardening activities
Inspirational
Gardening games

31. Little Gardeners - media tools & interactions
Watching gardening
movies & documentaries
Displaying information
Recording soundscapes
Outdoor gardening activities
Documentation

32. Little Gardeners - learning & gardening together
The focus of this activity is to give children a hands-on learning
experience, to provide opportunities for learning life-skills and
environmental awareness.

33. Little Gardeners - learning & gardening together
This is a fun activity for children and young people who can learn
science at the pace of nature. It enables them to answer many
nature-related questions.

34. Little Gardeners - learning & gardening together
Outdoor activity provides an opportunity for the general public to
participate and experience growing their own gardens.

35. Exterior graphics of the Bus
A FEW IDEAS...
EVENT
Social event
Art workshop
BUS AS A COLORING BOOK
Using fingerpaints
The bus has a constantly changing look
PARTICIPATION
Children have an opportunity to be a part of designing the
graphics of the bus

36. Exterior graphics of the Bus
r
K
i a s o
t
COLORING BOOK
Use water-soluble paints and markers color in the
letters as you want! A fun and creative event, where the
community affects the graphics of their library bus.

37. Exterior graphics of the Bus
PARTICIPATE
Be a part of designing the graphics!
Use the extra bubblestickers to continue the picture.

38. T
k o
K
i t os