The Provision of Space: Lund's City Library as Crucial Social Infrastructure

Sammanfattning

This study examines how the City Library in Lund functions as a form of social infrastructure and crucial urban public space. This is realized by way of a triangulation approach through the examination of two municipal documents which dictate the programming of the library, an interview with a seasoned librarian, and several semi-structured observations at the site itself. The study is grounded both in theories of public space and the development of public space in the 21st century, and in particular utilizes Latham and Layton's (2019) conceptual framework of social infrastructure to analyze the value of the library as a public space. The results show that two primary groups make use of the space, students and pensioners. Primarily, younger people visit the City Library in order to access the space itself, while older people visit the City Library in order to access the functions provided within the space. The social value of the library lies mainly in its unconditional access and varied abundance of functions, which in turn could be seen to contribute to a more equal city. The findings contribute to the understanding of modern day urban public spaces, and which part public libraries might play as accessible indoor spaces in the city.