The document discusses the importance of public libraries as shared community spaces that contribute to social infrastructure. It argues that libraries are about more than just books - they are places that can shape interactions, connect people, and empower communities. When social infrastructure is robust, people are more likely to engage with one another, but when neglected, people tend to isolate themselves. The library can play a key role as a public place that promotes civic life and learning by bringing people together. Placemaking is presented as an approach to creating spaces that foster social interaction and well-being. Examples are given of how the Roskilde library redesigned its space with community input to be more open, transparent and linked to the city to strengthen its role in connecting people

1. A room is not just a room:
The library as shared place and why it matters to communities
Christian Lauersen
Director of Libraries and Citizen Services,
Roskilde Municipality
Mail: cula@roskilde.dk
Twitter: @clauersen
CILIP conference 2019, Dundee, June 2019

2. What makes a
great place?

3. Why do they always put academic
experts in the library?

4. What we are going to talk about today:
1) Why public places matter
2) A way work with public places
3) The Library as place and social infrastructure
[I will not be talking about library decor or design]

5. Some concepts we are gonna talk about
•Places: A building or area. Public
•Individuals: You and me
•Communities: A group of individuals
•Libraries: Public, academic, special

6. To understand the impact of places
we need to understand people

7. A place is not just a place:
We respond to our surrondings
Environmental psychology (late 1960’s)
- Interplay between people and their surroundings
- Environtments effects human behaviour

8. We respond to instutions

9. Places and people: Why I love Berlin

10. Chicago heat wave
Places and people: The 1995 Chicago heat wave

11. Social infrastructure are..
..spaces and organizations that shape the way people interact. When
it's robust, we are much more likely to engage one another and build
relationships. When it's degraded and neglected, we're much more
likely to hunker down and be on our own
Eric Klinenberg

12. The Library as social infrastructure:
Not only shared books but also shared spaces

13. Weak social infrastructure and loneliness
– the invisible cancer of communities

14. First life, then spaces, then buildings
- Jan Gehl
Placemaking:
An approach to creating public places
to foster social infrastructure

15. Placemaking
Creating public spaces that promotes people’s health,
happiness and well being
[translated to library context]
Creating public spaces that promotes civic and academic communities
ability to learn, explore, connect and belong

16. Placemaking principles
• The Community knows best
• Places, not designs
• Make and act on observation
• Requires a vision
• Placemaking is an ongoing process

17. Placemaking case: Roskilde Main Library

18. Roskilde Main Library, rebuilding and placemaking 2019
New entrance: ”LIBRARY”
The smell of coffee and freshly
backed bread
Green open public area
with a stage
Transperancy
and light
Linkage to the city
Community
involvement

19. To sum it up
• A place is not just a place. It effects us on a practical and emotional
level and has the power to shape us, connect us and empower
communties
• Loneliness kills
• Don’t start with the building. Start with the community
• Public places as libraries are important parts of our social
infrastructure in civic and academic life. Let’s explore that…

20. Why do they come?
Do we have that great tables and chairs?
Why don’t they sit at home?
Or at Starbucks?

21. Case story: Trashed campus, neat library

22. Why do they come?
Two approachs:
• The library as place (and brand)
• Social infrastructure and the life of the user

23. The Library as brand: Trustworthy since 2600 BC

24. I am human and I need to be loved
How Soon Is Now, The Smiths 1985

25. The life of the user goes beyond tables, chairs and books
Social infrastructure is at least as important as hard infrastructure

26. The story about Knut,
the lonely student

27. The story about Knut,
the lonely student

28. The library as place and brand
are attached to great values
Let that place and your
actions foster social
infrastruture in your community
learning, knowledge, trust, inclusion, cultural experiences

29. Final notes!
[Hey Sean, how much time do I have left?]

30. The librarian
Final notes #1: The most valuable asset of a library
as place is the employess and the community

31. Final notes #2: Be like the anthropologist

32. Final notes #3: Great places are
a pinata of inter-related factors

33. Final notes #4: Functionality, functionality, functionality

34. Final notes #5: Embrace failures

35. Final notes #6: Never ever change
the library name to something else

36. Final notes #7: Be proud

37. Thanks for listening
Christian Lauersen
Director for Libraries
and Citizen Services
Roskilde Municipality
Mail: cula@roskilde.dk
Twitter: @clauersen
The Library Lab: christianlauersen.net
Library Planet: libraryplanet.net
Instagram: @librarylovestories