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/

I live on Nørrebro, a part of Copenhagen. It is a neighborhood what are characterized with a large amount of diversity when it comes to ethnical background, economic status and social classes. It is a wonderful and buzzing neighborhood and we are lucky to have an amazing library as well – welcome to the brand new Nørrebro Public Library

Nørrebro Public Library has just been moving; From a traditional one room ground floor library building in a quiet street to an community oasis just in the heart of the district. The new location is in an old train remise, build together with the local sports arena with the entrance facing ‘The Red Square’, a lively and open spot in the middle of the neighborhood

Walking inside the new library you get stunned by impressions of learning, community and wholehearted library magic; The room is a gigantic melting pot of all the things that make an library important and valuable; First of all the diversity and amount of people: The library is just packed with visitors of any kind – families with kids, elderly reading the newspaper, students reading and then one single library tourist being very happy and impressed.

The library doesn’t seem to hold a large collection but the books are present in every corner of the library and the wooden shelves are made in different heights and with cool seating’s inside them making the collection a very integrated part of the library space. The décor is very organic with lots of wooden furniture and lot’s of green plants making a contrast to the original industrial look of the building. It works in different levels with different kind of stairs to be seated on and an balcony on the left side for additional seating’s. From the balcony and amount of meetings rooms is accessible for the community to book. Not far from the entrance you find a staffed desk close to a small amount of public computers that seemed in high demand.

The room itself is enough to take ones breath away; It opens up in a spectacular way with it’s buzzing energy of community, the plants and the wooden furniture and on all the right side huge pieces of art by Eske Kath is decorating the walls.

The library is neatly connected with the sports arena as you walk into a small café with newspapers, magazines and board games as well as a tiny but cozy children’s library that can be entered through a small hole from the actual library or from the sports arena café.

Every community deserves a great library – I’m glad mine got one

Cheers

Christian