Nordic Public Libraries Some Facts and Trends September 2014

Organisation Denmark: Population: 5.6m;Public libraries: c. 510 (98 municipalities) Finland: Population: 5.4m; Public libraries: over 800 (320 m) Norway: Population: 5.1m; Public libraries: c. 807 (430 m) (Sweden: Population: 9.6m; Public libraries: c. 2,000)

Common Factors Social democratic countries Welfare societies Free access to information High degree of openness and trust …. But they are all different!

Common Library Factors Community based Strong emphasis on co-operation and partnership Experimentation Research and assessment Sustainability Public accountability but minimum bureaucracy

Current Trends Citizen-centric libraries – libraries seeking citizens More space for people and less for books More talk about library specialists, e.g. reading coach, music coach Libraries as meeting and creative spaces Using open spaces and staff with other players Use of social media for high online public visibility

Current Projects Denmark: Open Libraries Reading Denmark Listening Circles Norway: Houses of Literature Hat Trick From the Cradle to the Grave Finland: Välkky Creative Mobile Library

Current Priorities Changing libraries Empowering citizens Advocacy for libraries Sharing and partnership Taking libraries to where people are Preparing citizens for the digital age

And the future? Danish librarian: ‘The library is battling for the citizen’s attention and cannot expect the citizen to seek out the library’. Finnish librarian:‘ The sky is the limit of what people can do together, if only they find suitable partners and ways to do things’. Thank You!