Interview with Liv Sæteren, chief librarian, Deichman Library
The vision of a new library is nothing new.
Liv Sæteren, chief librarian at the
Deichman Library in Oslo, has been
working for many years on the idea of
a different and more modern library.
“Many pieces still need to fall into
place, but we are in the process of constructing
the outlines of something
which will fit into the framework
available to us. There are many elements
to be taken into consideration
when planning a new library and we
have therefore made this a separate
project: The New Deichman Library.
The decision was taken to appoint a
special project manager to co-ordinate
the work and also to contribute with
his own expertise.”
Liv Sæteren points out that the present-
day library building has serious
limitations, making it difficult to
obtain maximum benefit from the
professional skills of the library staff.
“Thoughts and ideas about a modern
library already exist in the minds of
our staff and certain elements are
already operative. The type of library
we have today, however, is not designed
for users to study, work and meet in a
social setting. Consequently the role of
the librarians is reduced mainly to one
of lending out and collecting books.
Visitors arrive first at the reception
desk and proceed from there into a
world of bookshelves. The library is a
place where users hand in books previously
loaned, ‘graze’ around among the
shelves, find new books and leave
again.
The challenge is to tear down these
features and rebuild them in accordance
with the requirements of our
users.We cannot continue to use the
same old system which has formed the
basis for all library buildings up to the
present day.”
The new library will offer visitors a
huge area of 10,000 square meters. Liv
Sæteren is well aware of the problems
this will pose, not only those of a practical
and technological nature but also
with regard to creating the right atmosphere.
“Visual communication must be so
varied as to meet the requirements of
all the different types of library users.
The new library must present itself to
the public in a scenic manner in order
to emphasise the multiplicity of choice
on offer. This will require close cooperation
with the architects when we
reach that stage. “
Translated by Eric Deverill
