Tapiola Library, Espoo, Finland

Learning to Code at Tapiola Library

Name of the Library Tapiola Library
Parent Organisation: Espoo City Library

Street Address:Kaupinkalliontie 10
Postal Address: Tapiola Library, P.O. Box 3615, 02070 City of Espoo, Finland
Telephone : +35850 4289392
(incl Country code)
Web Address http://www.helmet.fi/tapiolalibrary
Library Email kirjasto.tapiola@espoo.fi

Type of Library : District Library
Population served: 40 000
Project Type: Conversion
Size (square metres):2000
Date of Completion: 1989
Architect: Arto Sipinen

High School students interview Minister of Transport and Local Government at Tapiola Library

Description
 1. We set out to change our library culture to a more lively ‘makers’-library with a hacker mentality. We are involved in promoting sustainable development by inspiring people to do things yourself, recycle and to learn new things. This is achieved by deconstructing the traditional library space into a ‘creative disorder’-space for customers and employees. We are in the process of releasing the library space for the use of the community. The library staff holds their meetings in customer premises. Some of the staff and the director of the library work without a service desk. This way we are more easily encountered by customers. By reducing our traditional collection we free up space for customers to act and be. Cultural events are being held for both adults and children (literature, politics, movies, singing performances, ballet, bobbing lace.) Customers are served porridge on Thursday mornings.

2. The lending of music records has been declining for several years. We moved the music related material to the middle of the library thus freeing up roughly 300 square meters of space for our 3D-printers, electronic drums, embroidery, vinyl-cutter, shirt press, book repair station, AV-digitalization equipment, a music workshop, a drone camera copter etc. In this makerspace customers manufacture, learn and work. Anyone who enters the space is welcome to join in any aforementioned activity. A staff member is always present to assist and uphold a pleasant atmosphere. The library offers a continuous stream of programming courses for all ages and workshops for shirt-making, crocheting and music.

Learning by doing at Tapiola Library

3. The children’s section is being transformed into one of a more open and secure nature. All children’s non-fiction literature has been merged with adult literature of the same type. Space is being freed to accommodate more active ways of interaction. READs (Reading education assistance dogs) are available for reservation once a week per customer. Short films are made and tabletop/internet games played.