The Library Space as a Means of Marketing –

Case: Designing the library for young people

Twin cities in Tallinn4.–6.5.2011

Virpi Launonen

About Mikkeli

Some facts

Total area km2 2 127land area km2 1 716water area km2 411

Population 48 688Density of the population 28,4 (persons per km2)Summer cottages 5 698

Reasonable size, 50 000 inhabitants, an urban city in the middle of lakes and nature Quality life in quality environment Good location and good connections Growing service and administrative centre, capital of the province Traditional ”school city”, lots of studying possibilities, new investments in higher education Global new technology enterprises Committed labour Reasonable cost of living Good networks

Mikkeli – the capital of Lake Finland

What are the things young people want from libraries? Get a grip on this problem by evaluating our

services Non-user survey for young people There weren’t any non-library users in the

sample (about 60 students, from 3 different schools)

Group interviews to find out the reasons why young people don’t visit the library more often

The main conclusions of interviews Library as a space is not attractive enough More sofas There isn’t much to do for young people in

libraries

Workshop About forty pupils The pupils had great ideas and they

discussed vividly Ideas how to develop the library We got a chance to hear what young people

dislike about the library

What we learned from the workshop Young people are irritated by the request to be silent. They want to chat

with their friends, but on the other hand they appreciate that there is a silent place in the library. That’s why there should be different noise level zones in the library.

There are too many books. It’s hard to find something interesting to read. More shelves for displaying the books as reading tips

There should be more room for just sitting and hanging around. More activities: clubs and workshops More happenings: night library, meetings with writers, game evenings,

music happenings Possibility to have a snack and to do homework Young people have many ideas and they appreciate when they are

listened to. Library staff had a great opportunity to tell about library services and to

ask the pupils’ opinions on them. The workshops are a perfect way to promote, evaluate and develop library services.

What have we done since? Kirjavaa* -library festival:

to show that library can be a place for meeting people and doing things

Kalevankangas Library we have planned the library together with the

pupils

*kirjava = multicoloured, spotted kirja = book

Kalevankangas library Lizard terrarium, sofas, games, bookshelves for

displaying books as reading tips and a map where the children can mark places they have visited

Afternoon club Fairly small collection Different kinds of spaces

What we (hope to) achieve? To refresh the dusty image of the library Taking customers part of planning process of

library facilities and services More satisfied customers