Nedre Eiker Library is centrally located in the center of Mjøndalen. When they contacted Lene Thorsen and Innsikteriet in the fall of 2018, the desire was to renew the children’s library offer. In this connection, the project “Lift the gaze” was created, with the aim of developing the children’s area and offer in the library into a more attractive place to come for toddlers and parents. The library wanted to safeguard its own decisions by gaining insight into users’ perspectives, thoughts, opinions and needs related to such a department. The result is beyond all expectations. Nedre Eiker Library has seen a 45% increase in visitors to its new children’s department.
Conducted focus groups at the library
Parents with children aged 0-6 years from the catchment area were invited. Both mothers and fathers and users and non-users of the library today. The groups themselves took place in the library’s premises. The fact that the implementation took place on the premises also made it possible to look at current solutions and more easily visualize a future offer. We also took a close look at the youth department, to see how the departments could harmonize together.
The findings led to safer and more personalized choices
Library manager Jørgen Hovde was clear from the outset that they wanted to involve users, capture what the strongest drivers are and what makes them feel good when they visit. At the same time, they wanted to be sensitive to the barriers and possible prejudices associated with a visit.
We got to see perspectives we hadn't thought of before, it let us think new thoughts.
There is little doubt that many people have very nostalgic feelings about the library, but also prejudices about rules that are not as easy to relate to with young children. The library is perceived as an important learning arena, a place to awaken curiosity about knowledge. At the same time, it’s a social arena that must be open to meeting the diversity of parents and children, and where there must be room to play and have fun. It is important that this is reflected in the premises
More specifically, this has meant that the children can crawl around, there is room for them to feel and touch books even at their height, they have puppet shows there, places to hide, places to climb, places to sit and look at/read books. There is also provision for parents to be present and take part in the children’s play and reading. A café has a unifying effect in the library, to name but one. The children have been given “their cave” but where there is also room for the parents.
Involving users creates good ambassadors for the library
Daring to engage in a dialog with users and listen to them can often seem a little intimidating, because you’re opening yourself up to criticism and negative feedback.
At the same time, we see that being taken seriously, being listened to and heard in such a process often does something to the users. It promotes feelings of participation and involvement and often leads to a closer relationship between – in this case – the users and the library.
"Being involved in this gives me a kind of ownership of the library and the children's department in particular. I'm very proud of the library we have and promote it much more than I did before I was involved in this.