Participatory Projects: Icelandic Libraries

In their call for proposals, for the 2016 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) and the Library Theory and Research Section (LTRS) set a theme of participatory projects in libraries: Connecting Collaborative Communities, specifically asking how libraries are reconnecting with the public and demonstrating their value and relevance in contemporary life. This study reports the results of investigating how public libraries in Iceland are meeting this challenge. The study attempts to look at new projects or programs that have been introduced to help with this reconnection and how these were decided upon and then introduced to library constituencies. Examples of participatory programs engaging public libraries collaboratively with community programs, leaders, other libraries, and public schools are discussed through interview material. The study also looks at ways in which librarianship training and in-service programs can assist public libraries to meet the demands of sustaining a vibrant library service program in the e-connected world of the Internet.