Promoting reading 1
tion of the library space can take on both social
and playful forms. For example, in connection with library tours, book games of various types have been used. One such game particularly enjoyed by children and used within the project Läskonster (The arts of reading) involved letting the children play the part of books to be placed at specific locations in the library. This meant that tips on reading and information about shelf displays became part of a playful interaction between the children and the library staff. There has been more experimentation than ever before with both the space and new forms of mediation. Rasmussen and Jochumsen see a trend towards setting the stage in libraries in new ways, and exemplify this with everything from spectacular and lavish American “experiential” libraries in which books are combined with various attractions; to Danish “bookless” libraries in which ninety per cent of physical books have been put into storage to make way for other types of media. However, both researchers note that there is not much to suggest that users themselves have any great interest in the idea of the library as an experiential place. Studies have shown that users instead give priority to the more traditional aspects of the library’s basic functions and various forms of service. That libraries support public education, for example, is seen as more important than that libraries are social hubs in the local community. Good service and the distance to the nearest library are considered more important than that events are held at the library or that the library offers places to study. This is according to studies carried out in Denmark. Interestingly, a study by the Swedish Library Association (2011) based on telephone interviews with approximately 800 users came to similar conclusions. According to this study, skilled staff and friendly reception were among the aspects that were valued the most highly by users. Furthermore, users tend to value the library’s most basic functions when it comes to accessibility, such as convenient opening hours, being able to easily find what you are looking for, and easy physical access to the library. Generally, users and the surveyed staff are in agreement in these evaluations, but there are also notable differences. For instance, over half of the staff think it is very important that the library is a place where you can socialise with others, compared with less than 1/8 of users who were of the same opinion. In conclusion, users want the library to be within easy reach and offer a tranquil environment with a knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly staff, as well as a rich selection of books. In parallel with the development of the library space as a meeting place for those interested in culture and literature, alternatives have also arisen in the form of what are termed literaturhus (literature centres). In the 1980s, the first Literaturhaus was established in Berlin; an example which has since been followed in several places in Germany and in the rest of Europe. With the opening of Literaturhaus in Denmark in 2005 and Litteraturhuset in Oslo in 2007, Scandinavia acquired its first literature centres of this kind, and since 2013 there has been a litteraturhus in Gothenburg. The literature centre’s activities include lectures, exhibitions, continuing education seminars, author visits and reading groups. Reading promotion activities inspired by the literature centre concept are represented in the project Läskonster (The arts of reading), which ran from 2007–2009 and included some fifty public libraries in Middle Sweden from a total of nine counties (Hedenström et.al. 2010). The aim of the project was to introduce new methods of reading promotion to public libraries and develop initiatives for children’s reading at childrens’ libraries. The 87