A joint initiative for the update of city libraries has been established by Urban Ideas organization, which handles the public space renovation, in a joint effort with the Culture department of Lviv City Council and the Institute of Culture. Back in October Lesia Ukrainka Mediateka, the overhauled central library for adults, had been opened in Lviv. It has powerful computers with the access to the Internet, a selection of e-books, board games, and even a cinema hall – all of that available free of charge. Mediateka was the first attempt in building a modern public library, the second – Urban Library – is on the way now.
The idea of Urban Library involves building a modern public space, where visitors would come not only to borrow books, but also in order to spend some time – attending a workshop, presentation or a cinema show. The concept itself had been developed at a dedicated workshop by the city community – an active part of which were the architects and designers who volunteered their work in creating the project (see photo). “We wanted to bring life here,” says Olha Kryvoruchko, Urban Ideas organizer, who has taken on the challenge of furnishing the Urban Library space. “The Lviv Department of Culture has many libraries, but none of them is in the good state. We wanted to revive at least two or three of them to get the renovation process going. Urban Library itself will be located at 4 Ustyianovych St. We already have a map of where the main activities would take place: workshops, cinema, lectures, presentations, you name it. The place will also be perfect to simply run away from the bustle of the city life and read a book, or browse the Internet. It appears that this particular function – the ability to come and have some privacy on their own – was the most desirable among all the ideas proposed by the project participants. A person needs not only a location where something happens, but a peaceful and calm place to relax.”
The library will have five rooms in total: a quiet reading hall, another reading hall suitable for public events, a recreation area, a corridor, and a kitchen. Visitors of Urban Library will be able to make a coffee or get something to eat for themselves. The premise is a former living apartment, and that’s why the developers decided to emphasize its coziness. The interior decoration will include not only comfortable chairs and plenty of spot light lamps, but, for instance, a “grandma’s carpet” on the floor. The activists also modeled a range of typical Urban Library visitors. An example of such model is one of a girl: active, stylish, engaged in various sports and travel, as well as fond of cinema. Another model is a guy: more passive – that is, placid – fond of eco-food, quiet reading, and meditations. “The space is up to modernization,” says Kryvoruchko. “Both the design and the range of services must be overhauled. The librarians approve the changes, because working in a place full of activity would be interesting for them too. One of them will even undertake some management tasks, making the schedule for events and lectures.”
The project will be funded by the Department of Culture, but Urban Ideas is also looking for international financial support. The organizers are hopeful that their project in time will show other cities an example of how a library can be renovated and modernized.
