The Helsinki Central Library – the main project of the Centenary of Finland’s independece

Library DirectorTuula Haavisto

25 April 2014, Kohtaamispaikka@lasipalatsi

10 0002,5 million

Library Is the Most

Popular Culture Service

• Helsinki University Library –

The New Main Library Kaisa

• visits 6500 a day

• Library 10• visits 2000 a day

• Turku City Library – The New

Main Library• visits 5000 a day

•Apila–Library in Seinäjoki

• visits 2000 a day

Aarhus/ Dokk 1Urban Mediaspace will provide you with many opportunities for experience, learning, activity and contemplation.

BirminghamRewriting the book. We aim to transform lives through learning, knowledge and culture.

Oslo/ New DeichmanskeKeeps Oslo awake. The most innovative, visible and available library and public space in Europe.

ZLB/ A new library for BerlinA hub of historic learning with 3,200 seats for readers, galleries, event spaces, restaurants and a children's library.

The Best Bits from The Competition Programme

|Meeting- and lounge area 440 m2 | Stage 30 m2 | Pop-up-infos 100m2 | Cinema 490m2 | Multi-purpose hall 350m2 | Lobby areas 150m2 | Back Stage 40m2 |

Living lab 200m2 | Exhibition spaces 300m2 | Café 200m2 | Restaurant 300m2 | Interactive spaces 240m2 | Living rooms 500m2 | Children’s World 600m2 |

PersonalOffice-area 400m2 | Studios 160m2 | Makerspace 100m2 | Listening, viewing, games room 230m2 | Music, recording and videostudio 400m2 | Service-

points & collection area1600 m2

Why We Need the Library of The New Era

Open, non-commercial, public space – 2.5 million visits annuallyInformation and skills for a more functional society

Rich city experience created by the residents themselves

Why We Need the Library of The New Era

 The book’s new life – a house of reading in TöölönlahtiPioneer in intelligent everyday life

A library for all senses – a new programme every day

Three different floors, three different athmospheres

The ground floor is busy and frequently updated space suitable for quick visits and walk-throughs. The active, zero-threshold

public spaces in the ground floor will be visible, attractive, understandable and welcoming to all visitors.

Three different floors, three different athmospheres

The middle floor will offer opportunities for working, concentrating and learning-by-doing in an environment optimized for media and

latest tools. It will contain workshop spaces for music and multimedia, as well as a public sauna and a citizen balcony.

Three different floors, three different athmospheres

The traditional, serene library atmosphere can be found on the top floor. This will be a calm area for contemplation, floating

above the busy central Helsinki. It will offer great views to the surrounding park and cityscape. 

The Budget

Schedule • Preparations with the winning team 8/2013-11/2013• The consultant of construction and technical planners are chosen

according to the EU regulations 11/2013• The project plan is ready for the decision making 9/2014, legal 3/2015• Possible changes in the City Plan 10/2013-3/2015• The implementation planning 3/2015-3/2016• Preparations for construction, EU tender requests 4/2016-10/2016• Construction begins 11/2016• The masonry of the ”foundation stone” 4/2017• The building is completed 8/ 2018• Interior decoration and furnishing 9-11/2018• The opening ceremony 12/2018

Helsinki Central Library 2018 is a new type of project where the contents and modes of activity are developed through collaboration between the library, city residents

and partners.

“In Finland public spaces aren’t designed for people. Usually they are empty squares and monuments. Public space should be for us all: street kitchens, sofas, creative nudges, peer learning and so worth. We need space and tools, that could be used for people’s own events, action and ideas.”-Arto Sivonen, urban culture activist &marketing manager

An imaginary Monday event calendar of the library

we

library an enricher

is

ideas

ofwhere by sharing

knowledge,

skillsand

storiesa new

andthoughts,togethe

rcreate

civicsociety.

The

Vision of the Helsinki City Library

Central Library – a Flagship for All The Libraries

Operations of the Central Library are already being

created in pilots and projects with the help of local

libraries and libraries also nationally.

09.04.23

Case: Participatory BudgetingThe city trying out participatory budgeting for the first time

Participatory budgeting (PB) is a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making. It gives citizens the power to make real decisions about how money is spent-Wikipedia

OLD CLASSIC

Sherry R Arnstein: A Ladder of Citizen Participation Ladder (1969)

“Citizen participation is a categorical term for citizen power. It is the redistribution of power that enables the citizens to be deliberately included in the future. It is the strategy by which the citizens join in determining how for example information is shared, goals and policies are set, tax resources are allocated, programs are operated”.

For the very first time, in 2012 the library offered Helsinki residents the opportunity to collectively decide how €100,000 of development money will be spent.

The PB processThe PB process

09.04.23

1st Round: Creating ideas/The Unel-moi! -campaign

Analyzing, categorising and describing the ideas• Catogies:

o 1) Silenceo 2) Action/ events/ doingo 3) Digital services & ITo 4) Working, learning & DoItYourselfo 5) Children and other special target groupso 6) Collection/ contentso 7) ”All day long”-serviceso 8) Architecture, furnishing & interior decorationo 9) Other

09.04.23

2nd RoundHands in Clay/Methods, Workshops, Decisions

Partners:

• We created together a simple method and frame – with the help of it citizens could easily take part in the process :

o Method for decision makingo Method for workshopso Pilotprojectso Visualization of the budgetary data

Visualization of The Budgetary Datawww.openspending.org

Pilotprojects1. Asiakas lauluntekijänä: Lauluhuone Kirjasto 10:ssä 12 500 €2. Digikulttuurin uudet ilmentymät: Kaupunkiverstas 25 000 €3. Rentoutuminen, hiljaisuus, slow: Suvanto – rajaton tila mielen virkistäytymiseen 33 000 €4. Lasten ja perheiden palvelut: Satusynttärit kirjastossa 15 000 €5. Vertaisoppimisen uudet muodot: Toisilta oppimisen festivaali 20 000 €6. Tapahtumat ja elämykset: Yökirjasto – sinkkuelämää hyllyjen välissä15 000 €7. Kirjallisuuden uudet konseptit: Lost and found – nykykirjailijat herättävät henkiin klassikot 35 000 €8. Lukukokemusten näkyväksi tekeminen: Kuinka kirjat liikuttavat meitä 35 000 €

Workshops:25.10. Kontula library29.10. Kaupunkiverstas/ Urban Workshop1.11. Töölö library

Results

Keskustakirjasto.fi/en

PHOTO CREDITSHelsinki City LibraryCity of Helsinki Media BankCC licensed Flickr photos shared by adoephoto Ed Yourdon Hembo Pagi mbiebusch Judy ** piet_musterd psd Señor Hans Tim_Arai Thomas Hawk ZagatBuzz

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