Norway: Oslo’s New Main Library Opens This Week
UPDATE June 18, 2020 New Central Library Opens in Oslo (Official Announcement, in English)
From the City of Oslo:
The library of the future is finally ready to open for the public of Oslo and all visitors to the Norwegian capital. Located between Oslo Central Station and the Oslo Opera House, Deichman Bjørvika is an extension of the 235 year history of the public library of Oslo. It will also be an exploration of what a library can be.
Stretching over six floors and 13, 500 square meters (approx. 1,4 millon square feet) you will find books – 450,000 of them – but also other offers and activities.
[Clip]
The original plan was to open Deichman Bjørvika to the public on March 28th 2020. However, Covid-19 and the national lockdown in March put a stop to that.
[Clip]
Deichman Bjørvika’s ambition is to host two million visitors each year, in a Covid- free situation. Among the safety measures in regards to infection control is a limit on the number of visitors who can be present in the library at the same time: 1,000, compared to the usual limit of 3,000. This limit has been set in consultation with local infection control authorities.
[Clip]
Whoever finds libraries old-fashioned will have to think again. People enjoy libraries. From 2013 to 2019 Deichman experienced a 43 percent increase of the number of visitors. The reasons for these percentages are extended opening hours, upgraded and modernized facilities and a wide range of activities.
View More Images
Learn More, Read the Complete Announcement
See Also: Library Information (in English)
Preview Video
Filed under: Libraries, News, Public Libraries
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.