Written by Library Planet editor Christian Lauersen, director of Libraries and Citizen Services in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark. For how to contribute to Library Planet look here: https://libraryplanetnet.wordpress.com/contribute/

Lejre Public Library – located in the old train station building

I just put it out there from the beginning: Lejre Public Library is a library out of the ordinary; An aesthetic, cozy, community caring, sustainability action taking and involving library. Located in an the old train station just by the train tracks Lejre Public Library is a small library with a big community heart and a huge impact.

Lejre town has a population of around 2.500 and is based in Lejre Municipality on the Island of Zealand in Denmark.

Basically the library is a one room library. The second you step in your senses is bombed with impressions. First of all the books; every single one is faced cover out which creates and overwhelming and open experience of walking into a world of possibilities and pages just waiting to be turned. Second of all the wood. Almost every part of the library interior is made of wood. Even the book trolleys! I’m a wood man myself so the room appeal very strong to me and the fact that the wooden feel is so consequent works great. Extra very cool thing about the wood is that everything is made by local wood and customized to the library by a local craftsman. Lovely way to actual act on creating sustainable solutions.

Funitures of local wood

Swooooon!

Screens on the wall connects the users with noy only the library catalog but also to other cultural and knowledge based institutions and places to visit in the municipality. Great way of bridging from the library island to other relevant actors in the municipality sea.

The library has a small stage for events and under the stage there was the largest and deepest drawer I’ll ever seen for storing different kinds of event supplies and stuff.

Different kind of seating’s was place around the library to meet different demands; Newspaper lounge with sofas, a high table and a normal table. In the back of the library there was a small meeting room for both staff and library users to use, well-decorated with lots of books.

The library is a so-called ‘open library’ which are staffed at curtain hours and the rest of the time it is accessible for the public to enter without staff being present.

Lots of green plants and the possibility to get coffee and tea wraps of the awesomeness of Lejre Public Library. Don’t hesitate visiting the awesome ‘station library’ whenever around these parts

What else to see around Lejre? I’ll recommmend The Land of Legends which is 10.000 years of Danish History coming to life in a huge field of houses and settings from the Iron Age, Stone Age, Viking Age and the 19th century, historic workshops and domestic animals, located in the beautiful historic landscape near Roskilde.

Cheers

Christian