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/
The library tourist is at it!
A part of the greater Copenhagen area in Denmark is called Amager and is an island just around 95 square kilometers and with about 205.000 citizens. It is the most densely populated island in Denmark and just by the very end of it, close to the airport and Sweden, you find the end of Dragør Municipality. Dragør, to me, is a wonderful place with little yellow houses, cobbled streets, huge fields and grassing horses. Dragør Municipality got two libraries, the main library in Dragør City and Hollænderhallen Public Library just on the outskirts of Dragør. I had the pleasure of visiting the last one during my current vacation.
‘Hollænderhallen’ is a sport facility and ‘hollænder’ is meaning ‘Dutch’ (the local community was colonized by dutch men back in the 1500 century).The library is located on the 2nd floor in the sports facility which also houses a huge arena for various sports and community events and clubs like dancing, fencing, tennis, rugby, judo and the opportunity of using meeting rooms for community union meetings etc. I don’t know how it works in practice but it seems like a great platform for a public library to be located in a building with so many community offerings.
The library is a fine one-room library. The ceiling is low but the huge windows that goes all the way around the room makes a great light and opens the room up. Clever move by the library to keep all the shelves in more or less half height to not block light and to give visitors a nice and easy overview of the library.
Every book shelve is on wheels which I find an awesome move working with a one-room library; It gives you the possibility to easy change the library décor to meet the changing the demands of the community or just to fit the different programs and displays you want to pull off in your library. Flexibility and mobility is key to keep a library great and in sync with the development you want to proceed.
Yay for wheels and flexibility!
The library is filled with different zones and displays which gives you the option to dig into a subject or find a quiet corner to read and relax or to have a talk with a friend or a study group. Displays on Scandinavian crime and my serenpedity fave “these books are too big to fit in the normal shelves” display was facing you all around the library.
Hey Edgar!
Cool little detail; The library was on the second floor and the road up there don’t shout ‘LIBRARY’ all the way (I got lost on the 1st floor looking for the library). And when getting to the second floor the entrance is just a very normal door. But the wall around that normal door has gotten a fine touch of book love with a neat of book wallpaper. Easy trick, works great, I wanted to walk in there.
What else to see around Dragør? Dragør city is small, cozy and just perfect for a walk, some fish meals at one of the restaurants and of course a visit to the main library of Dragør which are just as lovely as the rest of the area. The whole community is close to the sea so go there for a view, some fresh air, some air plane spotting, a walk and an ice cream. Oh, also I’ve got an allotment garden just in the neighborhood so if around reach out and I’ll invite you on a drink and a library talk
Cheers
Library Planet 
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