Category Archives: General

Norway’s First Youth-Only Library for kids ages 10 to 15

 

 

 

 

Forget what you think about libraries!

Biblo Tøyen, one of Oslo Public Library’s (Deichmanske bibliotek) newest additions, is breaking and changing all the library rules! This is a unique and innovative space, created for young people ages 10 to 15. Adults are not allowed to visit the space.

A library to upgrade an entire district – is that even possible? Biblo Tøyen is located on the Tøyen Torg in a social deprived area of the city. The library and is the only one of its kind; A library that only caters to children aged 10 to 15 years. The Oslo Public Library (called Deichmanske Library ) wanted to create an atypical Culture House, “a third place”, reflecting the motto of the library: “Keep Your Awake!” They desire to enrich the children’s everyday life by inspiring them so they created the coolest place in the city where you can gather ,work and hang around. Architecture psychology was used as a tool to understand the needs of the target groups.

New concept
The design team went directly to the source to begin their mission to rethink and redesign the library space. They held focus groups with young people to find out their wants and needs. The youth said they wanted a place to hang out, relax, and escape parents and siblings. In addition, they needed a safe place to socialize and said it should be a space where they can create and do things together. The library has achieved these goals by creating a cool and comfortable ‘third’ space between school and home where youth can learn, explore, and be themselves.

Library design that let´s you float away into fascination
The answer to the children’s vision was to multiply the creative solutions in the design. A team of skilled craftsmen was employed to create a cool yet pleasant “third place”, a stopover heading home from school. The design boasts creativity and imagination, creating an exciting and inspiring experience for the young visitors. The library’s program extends far beyond just books and reading, and offers everything from cooking to 3D printing.

Biblo Tøyen is the youth library of the future with a drone flying around, scanning and locating media. The interior consists of many exciting elements – like a Vespa veteran car turned into a workshop, the Volvo Bamse car, which contains a multifunctional kitchen, old gondola lanes converted into a workroom, a traditional British phone booth that serves as an entrance to the backstage area and bookshelves made of old wooden shelves.

All major interior elements can be easily moved to make the room more universally available. By using movable and moving objects in the interior, you get a free and flexible floor plan that can be adapted to future needs.
And to put it simple: Biblo Tøyen changes the library paradigm !

I recommend a look at the architect Aat Vo´s creative guide and his own description about this project, with extraordinary pictures !

IFLA Statement on Digital Literacy now available

We’re just catching up with everything that’s happened over the past month or so, the IFLA WLIC tends to take the wind out of our sails as we go back to work enthused to find heaps of projects waiting for us!

One initiative we did want to bring to your attention was the launch of IFLA’s Statement on Digital Literacy which is now available. The project team included Pirkko Lindberg from the Public Libraries Standing Committee who presented the public library perspective along with colleagues from Metlib and other sections.

If you want to read about how libraries are making a difference in building a stronger information society from the Bottom up make sure you read this document.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the 1 June we welcome our Guest Blogger Hitomi Takeuchi from Japan.

In August 2016 the Japan Library Association conducted  a survey about  Public Library Policy in  local government around  1,361 public libraries in Japan. One of the question was ‘does the public library have the policy to improve and activate the local city planning’? 47% of respondents (497 people) answered yes.

Some examples of what this encompasses are:

  • cooperation with local government
  • problem solving , legal issues
  • health & medical issues
  • business support
  • town planning
  • building and space making
  • digital library
  • multicultural-communities services.

Those ranked most important included:

  • problem solving: legal issues  31%
  • health & medical issues 44%,
  • business support 42%.

The other question is what is needed to be able to implement the policy. The top three answers were human resource development, city planning and Creating new business.

(This news come from The Japanese Library Journal May 2017)

Advocacy for UK Public Libraries

Over the past few years many of us have watched the situation with the UK’s public libraries with great interest. CILIP’s Public and Mobile Libraries Group have constructed a presentation report on the advocacy for UK public libraries activities 2007-2017.

The report includes an overview of political, professional and public advocacy campaigns and initiatives of the period. The piece covers an insight into the activities of CILIP, SCL, British Library, Libraries Taskforce, and a number of proactive individuals, including Public Library News and was created primarily for international dissemination.

Worth a look!

Making Libraries Visible

 

 

 

 

One aim of my engagement with  IFLA is to make the value/importance of libraries more visible. So I am very happy to have the opportunity to participate at the International Advocacy Programme (IAP).

What is IAP?  IFLA launched the International Advocacy Programme (IAP) in 2016, as a capacity-building program designed to promote and support the role libraries can play in the planning and implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The objectives of the IAP are to:

  • Raise the level of awareness on the SDGs of library workers at community, national and regional levels, and to promote the important role libraries can play in development by contributing to the UN 2030 Agenda and the SDGs;
  • Increase the participation of library associations and public library representatives in advocacy work at national and regional levels to secure sustainable public access to information through library services and programs.

You can find additional information on the IFLA website

 

Swiss Federal Act on Copyright and Related Rights being revised

 

 

 

 

In Switzerland the Federal Act on Copyright and Related Rights (the so called Copyright Act) is currently being revised.

The main aim of the modernization of the Copyright Act is primarily combating Internet piracy. At the same time legal regulations are adapted to the latest technological developments. The draft of the amended Copyright Act also includes the lending right which requires libraries to pay a fee for every single lending of an item to the collecting societies (public lending right/library levy/library royalties). This could become particularly life threatening for public libraries. As a result of the ongoing revision of the Copyright Act a special Task Force was established on 12 November 2015 on the initiative of the BIS – the Swiss Library Information Association. This Task Force consists of more than 40 representatives of “memory institutions” such as archives, libraries and museums as well as from education, science, technology and research – the PBZ is/are also involved. The Task Force wants that with the revised Copyright Act the interests of the above mentioned institutions will be most appropriately taken into consideration.

In December more than 600 libraries and about 600 other institutions made a written “intervention” to the government, that we don’t accept the law in this way without protest and that we will fight against. Now the government has revised the proposed law again and at least the “library royalties” is no longer a theme. The first step is done.

But in addition to the participation in the consultation on the new Copyright Act it will be crucial that the institutions involved use their networks in order to build up a strong lobby. Only on this basis will our concerns will be taken seriously by both the National Council and the Council of States when the draft bill will be passed to the two chambers of the Parliament.

 

Margaret Allen, candidate for PLS SC

 

Many of you will know Margaret Allen from the Governing Board. Margaret has decided to turn her attention to her great love, public libraries. Read her story here

 

Name: Margaret Allen
Institution: State Library of Western Australia
Country: Australia (Perth, Western Australia)

What experience I will bring to the role of Standing Committee
As a member of the IFLA Governing Board from 2017, I have been part of the GlobalVision project and its development. GlobalVision provides a unique opportunity for the close connection between public libraries and their communities worldwide to be recognised and strengthened within IFLA.

Public libraries are the first to recognise and respond to social, technological, cultural and economic changes in our worldwide community. From technology skills, literacy and learning and access to books and information public libraries are vital to the cohesion and health of their communities. As State Librarian of Western Australia I understand the challenges faced by public libraries in their communities from large well resourced libraries to those that are the heart of very small communities with access to limited resources. The Section provides a vital and valuable role in connecting librarians and sharing their stories of challenge and success.

As a Committee member I bring a passion and enthusiasm for public libraries, connection to the strategic leadership of IFLA, an understanding of how the public libraries and the section are at the heart of IFLA’s Global Vision and a commitment to advancing their cause on behalf of the Public Libraries Section.