Helsinki residents have been involved in many phases of planning the Central Library, and now we are offering a new challenge for doing things together, the Central Library Friends project.The participants of the communal project will get the opportunity to help plan the library from their own perspective. They will be a part of the team carrying the message of the large and small proposals requested by city residents for the library plans. You can apply to be a Friend from 10 October to 10 November at www.keskustakirjasto.fi/kaverit.
Planning the central library is moving into a new phase. The City Council will make a decision on its building in the next few months based on the brand new project plan. Further planning will start accordingly. We want the Central Library to be a place in which people can feel at home and organise activities of their own. The Central Library is a vision of a platform where the users create solutions for a more functional society. The help of citizens is needed to build it.
“Co-configuration has been much cooler than I could imagine. So don’t just stay squared at home but come and join us to learn, share and meet,” says Urban Designer Sami Oinonen, who participated in previous participatory planning projects for the Central Library.
Steering the new planning phase together
More detailed planning of the Central Library concept – operation, services and contents – has been launched this autumn season. This is a great opportunity to have citizens join the professionals in solving the challenges. The Central Library Friends will meet project planners and citizens who share their interests. The things that they will do together involve fun challenges and tasks that make it easy to be creative, participate and influence things. The project will culminate in the presentation of the results to Deputy Mayor Ritva Viljanen and the architects.
The Friends will work around four different themes:
- The Central Library – a space for experimentation and competence
- The Central Library – a shared library for communities
- Books, games, films, music – how stories move us
- The Central Library – for all sorts of Helsinki residents
Many ways to participate
The Friends will work in workshops, for which 25–30 city residents will be chosen. Others who are interested can participate through the tasks, discussions and votes published at the keskustakirjasto.fi/kaverit website.
The results of the work of the Central Library Friends will be shared in February 2015. You can follow the community’s work on the project website.
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