With the financial support of the European Economic Area (hereinafter – EEA) Fund for Bilateral relations, bilateral relations between Latvia and Norway have been strengthened, as from December 2-6, 2024 representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Liepaja Central Scientific Library, South Kurzeme Regional Library, Kuldiga Main Library, Skrunda City Library, Rumba Parish Library and Liepaja City Municipality Central Administration* went on an experience exchange visit to Bodø, Norway.
The aim of the visit was to strengthen the experience of the Ministry of Culture as a partner of the EEA Grant Programme “Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Cultural Cooperation” 2014-2021 and as the Ministry responsible for library development, as well as the experience of the City of Liepaja in cooperation with the libraries of Liepaja, South Kurzeme and Kuldiga counties on the role of libraries today and audience development issues. At the same time, this exchange would strengthen the experience of the City of Liepaja in cooperation with the libraries of Liepaja, South Kurzeme and Kuldiga municipalities in developing the cultural programme for the Liepaja as the Capital of Culture 2027.
The visit was organised in cooperation with Stormen Library in Bodø and included meetings with representatives of Stormen Library and Nord University Library, as well as visits to the Sámi Museum, the Norwegian Jekt Trade Museum and the Norwegian Aviation Museum.
During the exchange visit explored the recently built (2015) Stormen Library and its diverse work with target groups of all ages, promoting people’s interest in books and reading, as well as strengthening and enhancing their civic awareness.
The road to a modern library in Bodø has been long and challenging, but the benefits have been invaluable and the community has grown to love their library. Initially, some residents did not support the idea of building a new and modern library in the former car park by the harbour, but over the ten years of the library’s existence they have come to appreciate its important contribution to the cultural life of the town. The construction of the library (and the adjacent concert hall) has significantly changed the development of this part of the city – it has become much busier, filled with hotels, shops, etc.
Before the new building, the Bodø City Library had four branch libraries with poor accessibility for people with reduced mobility, and the appearance and atmosphere of the buildings were not inviting to visitors. With the new building, the four branch libraries have been abolished, with all resources devoted to Stormen.
The Stormen Library is spread over 3 floors (6300 m2) and includes meeting and creative spaces, a digital workshop, a storytelling room, a café and an art gallery. The space can be easily transformed by moving shelves. The library is open 49 hours a week and is visited by around 370 000 users a year.
In Norway, the Public Library Act, updated in 2013, requires every municipality, regardless of size, to have a library. The law also states that the library has a duty to organise educational, informative and cultural events, to be a meeting place and a platform for public debate, to actively promote library services and literature in general, and to provide free access to books and other resources.
Stormen Library organises on average 700 activities/events per year (with almost 30 000 visitors), two thirds of them for children and young people. Stormen librarians say that with the opening of the new library building, children’s lending has doubled over time.
In Norway, as in many parts of the world, it has been found that young people are the most difficult to attract to the library. Stormen Library has given its youth space to the young people themselves and it is the young people who have determined what the space will look like, what will happen there and when. The most active youngsters who organise events in this space improve their social skills and gain valuable experience for the future.
The library also has a space for playing computer games, and computer tournaments are organised with the help of young IT specialists. The library offers a wide range of services to meet the interests and needs of different generations, strengthening both individual development and community cohesion.
Stormen is proof that a modern library can be both a peaceful place and a lively meeting point that brings people together. The Stormen librarians mentioned that the library is not a traditionally quiet place, but that it organises debates, meetings with authors and develops cooperation with other institutions and NGOs in the city. Stormen offers art exhibitions, educational seminars, interactive events and musical performances. Special emphasis is placed on the involvement of local artists, as well as public discussions and activities that promote community involvement.
Stormen Library pointed out, that the change of the library’s “formal and boring” name to Stormen – meaning “Storm” in Norwegian – as a very successful strategic move. This has helped the library to transform and completely change its image and identity. Today, the public associates the library with this name – Stormen.
The University Library in Bodø, which has proved to be the closest ally of students and staff in academic life, was also visited during the exchange visit.
University library, like a public library, is not only a source of information for students, but also a place where they enjoy being because of the atmosphere. E-resources are playing an increasingly important role, but demand for physical books remains high. A large proportion of university students study at a distance and the library does its best to provide its students with the resources they need, including working with public libraries as intermediaries between the student and the university library.
During the visit there was also an important opportunity to share experience and present the specific working methods of Liepaja, South Kurzeme and Kuldiga libraries, especially with regard to working with the rare books collection in the Liepaja Central Scientific Library and building and researching the collection of local cultural documents in the Kuldiga Main Library and Kuldiga Regional Libraries, where special attention is paid to ensuring access and knowledge of this collection not only in person, but also in the digital environment. Latvian experience was heard by colleagues from both Stormen Library and University Library in Bodø.
The exploration of the museums in Bodø was also enriching, providing an opportunity to learn more about Sami culture and the rich history of aviation and jekt trade that has enabled the town to develop. These visits gave an insight into the local culture and history, which is an important context for library activities in the region, and provided inspiration for integrating cultural activities into library work, for example by creating interactive exhibitions using exhibition elements that create a sense of presence for the viewer.
Learning about Sámi culture and the rich history of Bodø showed the importance of incorporating elements of local culture and traditions into the work of libraries. This makes the library not only a centre of knowledge, but also of local cultural heritage. The expression of democratic values through the exhibitions created by memory institutions both strengthens the sense of belonging of the local community to their homeland and nation, and promotes the integration of “newcomer” into the wider context of society.
* Taking into account that the Ministry of Culture is committed to participate and support the State City of Liepaja and the foundation “Liepaja 2027” in the preparation and implementation of the European Capital of Culture 2027 project, in which the State City of Liepaja participates together with the South Kurzeme and Kuldiga regions, the experience exchange visit was also attended by representatives from the Liepaja Central Scientific Library, South Kurzeme Regional Library, Kuldiga Main Library, Skrunda City Library, Rumba Parish Library and Liepaja City Municipality Central Administration, in order to strengthen the experience of these libraries in the development of the cultural programme for the events of Liepaja as Capital of Culture in 2027.
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