Shhharing Spaces : An investigation of the public library of Östersund in relation to the 2019 Swedish National Strategy for Libraries

Abstract: The Swedish national strategy for libraries, published in 2019 by the National Library of Sweden on behalf of the Government, with the utmost goal to strengthen democracy, describes a vision of a library for all in 2030. Historically, the library has been quiet rooms with collections of books. Something that does not support today’s nor future needs of a library according to the national strategy.  Is it possible to combine the vision of an open space with the old-time quiet library? Library of Östersund is a public library that has outgrown its premises from the 1950s, but due to savings, plans for a new library have been put on hold. I have examined how changes to the interior can support the aim to reach the goals of the Swedish national library strategy. Above all, to attract new groups without scaring away the visitors of today, or yesterday. The emphasis lies on how the spatial design can encourage activity versus focus, the importance of forms, flows and meetings of different materials, and how the relationship between architecture and body is formed from a diversity of perspectives.