This is our space!

Or, design and operation of new community and service areas in a library

Abstract

The library as a third place strengthens community ties and brings people of different ages and interests together in a local community. All of the essential features of a third place – entertainment, recreation, social gathering, knowledge sharing – can be found in a well-functioning library. In recent years, the community space function has become a major focus of the Gödöllő City Library. The functions of leisure, recreation and entertainment came to the fore, in addition to traditional library services. At the same time, a library can only fulfil its function as a community space (third place) if the three relevant factors of space, services and collection are considered as an inseparable unit, and if due attention is paid to each of them. Neither of these factors can function without the others. In this paper, the operation of this triple unit is described, with special attention to the function of space.