Inger Edebro Sikström

Libraries must find a balance between its traditions and all new challenges without getting a dramatic and somehow brutal meeting between our traditional and new services.  What can libraries do to keep the confidence from old users and at the same time attract new groups of users?

 A centre for culture, with a new city library, is going to be inaugurated in the city of Umeå (Sweden) in 2014, the year when Umeå is selected to be the European Capital of Culture. Curiosity and Passion – the Art of Co-Creation is the leading theme for this year and goes well with the library’s catchwords for developing the library services; Explore -  Discover -  Be Inspired.

The election to be the European Capital of Culture demands an ambition with high international standards. How do we define high quality of library services? Is good library service the same In London as in Paris as in Umeå? Or is it different?

For many yeras a strategy for Umea has been that culture is good for the development of the city. We would like to develop a new concept where  the different cultural activites work together in an integrated ”seamless” way. Where various activities are grouped  in “clusters”; culture, creativity, communication etc.
 

The cluster idea has been transformed by the well known architects at Snöhetta to a frame for a building. The location is on the embarkment of the river of Umeå, with a passage further down the river to the  Arts Campus at the university. The building will be 25 000 m2 in all and with 15 000 m2 for cultural activities.

The development of the area is in fact a strategic city development project. The overall aim is to make the city center bigger and to increase the quality of life for all the citizens in Umeå. It is a good example of the importance of culture as a driving force for the continuing development of Umeå.

We have 3 reports about the content:
Thinking ahead - Moving forward
Explore - Discover - Be inspired
It should be big enough so that there is room for everyone who wants to get in
 

I would like to invite you all to be critical friends to us and I’ll be happy to send the reports to you.