Next Library festival 2015

The ”Next Library Festival” is an international conference for library professionals, decision makers and innovators, that all want to be inspired on how to support learning in the 21st century.

Next Library 2015 offers a diversity of interactive sessions and events. Lammhults Biblioteksdesign A/S, our sister company in Denmark, is a sponsor of Next Library 2015.

The international activities arranged by Aarhus Municipality Libraries in Denmark are marketed under the brand Next Library®. The brand is mostly known for international conferences and the site www.nextlibrary.net, where more than 700 library people, leaders and innovative people from the whole world are members.

In 2014, Next Library was, for the first time ever, held outside of Denmark and instead moved to Chicago. This year Next Library returns to Aarhus and marks the international opening of Dokk1. The conference will be held from the 12^th to the 15^th September with more than 300 people from 28 different countries expected to participate.

The purpose with the conference is to create a common base for knowledge sharing among the many international participants and professionals, who will meet at the international opening of Dokk1. And besides the excitement of presenting the new library, the Next Library has arranged a mecca of events such as lectures by key speakers, wildcard sessions, demos and exhibitions, interactive sessions as well as offering the chance to meet and share ideas with innovative, engaging and inspiring professionals from the library trade.

Innovative thinking can awake unexpected attention

The participants themselves came with suggestions for themes for the festival, and so far the following themes are programmed :

• Library buildings
• Space design
• Civic media
• Social innovation
• Service design
• Games & gamification
• The dark sides of the internet
• Data-data-data
• Incubator for creativity & learning
• Opposites attract

The updated program can be seen here

Next Library visits Herning Public Library

The theme for the visit at Herning Public Library is "Library buildings" and "Space Design"

During the Saturday, Next Library has arranged trips to places of interest in the vicinity. One of the trips planned is to the recently opened public library in Herning, where Pernille Schaltz, the library director, will be giving an exclusive tour focusing on library development and good customer service.

Lammhults Biblioteksdesign A/S, our sister company in Denmark, not only delivered the shelving and display furniture, as well as custom made furniture for the spectacular and inspiring children’s zone, but they also had a close cooperation with the employees at Herning public library to create the look and the feel of a New Yorker style library. Herning Public Library is a result of innovative and inspirational cooperation and Lammhult Biblioteksdesign A/S are of course proud of being a supplier to this most functional and very interesting library.

Since opening in 2014, the number of visitors has tripled. The town citizens visit the library for reading, inspiration, gaming, lectures and courses - or just pop in for a good cup of coffee. The library is filled with good service, mind-opening experiences and interesting events for all ages.

Read more about Herning public library here

Organizers of Next Library Festival 2015

Next Library 2015 is organized by Aarhus Municipality Libraries in cooperation with conference partners and a long row of sponsors. Lammhults Biblioteksdesign A/S, our sister company in Denmark, is one of the sponsors for the Next Library and also the main supplier of shelving and display furniture for Dokk1.

About Dokk1

Lammhults Biblioteksdesign A/S is main supplier of shelving and display furniture for the library in Dokk1

The project Urban Mediaspace Aarhus in Denmark is a part of the transformation of Aarhus inner harbour from industrial harbour to city environment. The project is realized by Aarhus community in corporation with Realdania and Realdania Byg. The project includes:

• Dokk1 housing the main library, citizen's service and offices/spaces for rent
• A full automatic parking lot with approx. 1.000 parking spaces underneath Dokk1
• New harbour places
• Opening of the remaining part of Aarhus River
• Restructuring the infrastructure of the harbour
• Climate protection of city centre

The total project covers a total area of 87.000 m2 – of which Dokk1 and rentable areas take up 33.000 m2, covered outer space 14.000 m2 and a full automatic parking lot 10.000 m2. The remaining square meters covers the restructuring of the surrounding urban- and harbour space.

Dokk1 offers many facilities for social events, associations and networks. The building with all its facilities such as the project rooms, study cells, media, café, space for education, halls, activity- and changing rooms, and last but not least, the informal relaxation areas, creates an open, flexible and free space for all who wish to obtain knowledge, inspiration and new competencies.

It is a centre for knowledge and inspiration, where you will find an open and accessible learning environment that promotes democracy and community and gives access for differential knowledge and the newest media.

See more about Dokk1 here

Cycling for Libraries visits Next Library 2015

Round 100 library people and library lovers participated in Cycling for libraries in 2012 in the Baltic States. Here you can see the upstart in Tartu.

10 days, 3 countries, 3 ferries, 600 km on a bike and more than 30 library visits in Scandinavia!

"Cycling for Libraries" is an independent association consisting of librarians and library enthusiasts. The association was founded in 2011 and has since then arranged cycling tours through different parts of Europe and the Baltic States focusing on the value and the utility of libraries and the service they offer. Mini-tours are arranged locally in e.g. Russia and USA to support and highlight the value of libraries world over.

This year the official tour starts in Norway on the 1^st September, going through Sweden and ending at Dokk1 in Aarhus, Denmark on the 12^th September, just in time to participate at the Next Library 2015 festival. Cycling for Libraries will visit various public and academic libraries during the tour, and several of them are equipped or supplied with furniture from Lammhults Biblioteksdesign A/S, who is also sponsoring Cycling for Libraries 2015.

Follow this link to read more about the libraries on the tour, we have supplied with furniture

Model program for public libraries

The Danish Ministry for Culture - which also is a sponsor of Next Library 2015 - is behind the world known "Model program for public libraries", which inspires good library design in the whole world. On their homepage you will find exciting cases from many libraries. One of the cases shown is Herning public library, where we played a large role in both interior design and furnishing.

Find their review of Herning Public Library here

On 16^th August 2015 the price　"Public library of the year award" will be awarded on IFLA's annual conference, in Cape Town, South Africa.　The price is awarded according to criteria set by the Danish "Model program for public libraries". Among the five nominated libraries is Kista Library, where we also furnished part of the library.

See all nominated libraries here

... and  see our pictures from Kista Public Library in Stockholm (Sweden)