<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Hi,</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">My name is Rolf Hapel and I am director
of Citizens Services and Libraries in Aarhus, Denmark. Aarhus is with 300.000
inhabitants the second largest city in Denmark. I was invited by Trebor
to share some of the ideas on how we are working in the ever more important
task of transforming the public libraries from knowledge sharing institutions
of the industrial age to open learning and culture centers for the knowledge
and network based society. Among the ideas realised in practise in the
amalgamation of citizens' service, public libraries and civic activities
to entities called "community centers". We are also in the process
of creating a new main library, Urban Mediaspace Aarhus, that will be inaugurated
by the end of 2014. In this process we are building partnerships on development
projects with players from research and educational sector, from civic
sector and from media and business sector. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">One of our transformation projects is
called 'Mindspot', it's a service where we engage young students to work
together with library staff in creating a youth universe on the library
and on the net, thus using their capabiltites and networks in an innovative
process. Have a look here:</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixsOLvLSARg</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The 'Tranformation Lab' on the main
library has been the arena for several development projects:</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpFO_L_jA1c</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"> 'Unleash the Users' is a project
about methods to create new library services using participatory design
and user involvement. Check it out here:</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KsFrkxjtj8</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The transformation of the libraries
is a process that involve citizens, politicians, users, staff and institutional
and private partners from a variety of sectors in several countries. We
have during the last decade held several international conferences in Aarhus,
all evolving on the theme of public library development. In the latest
years we have coined the brand 'Next Library' for a series of unconferences
and workshops. Check out 'Next Library 2011' here:</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">http://nextlibrary.net/</font>
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