From a place of learning to a co-working space : May 28, 2021
By Dr. Klaus Ulrich Werner, Library Director, the Philological Library of the Free University of Berlin
Co-organized with Goethe-Institut Hongkong
Date: 28 May 2021 (Friday)
Time: 18:30–20:00 HKT
Venue: Online via Zoom
No. of participants: 75
Language: In English
Registration is closed. Thank you for your support!
The self-image of libraries as a place of learning has changed fundamentally. Increasingly, libraries with their new space concept have become lively and public places that aim to cater for the diversified needs of the library users. In addition to the traditional “quiet working area” on the one hand and the communicative zones on the other, protected spaces for small working groups, training rooms and multifunctional areas for creative activities such as makerspaces are part of the profile of libraries – and most recently also the so-called co-working spaces. In many cases such spaces are already available, but they are not significantly elaborated, designed and communicated.
The lecture will present with examples the co-working space as a special public space typologically in its constitutive components. The speaker will also try to distinguish libraries from the globally popular commercial co-working spaces.
Dr. Klaus Ulrich Werner
Dr. Klaus Ulrich Werner is Library Director of the Philological Library of the Free University of Berlin. He possesses a University Degree in Library and Information Science, and Ph.D. in German literature. Dr. Werner was first working as an editor in a publishing house (1989-1991), then he served as Academic librarian at several University libraries of Freie Universität Berlin (1991-2000) as well as project manager for the “Philologische Bibliothek” called “The Berlin Brain” designed by Lord Norman Foster (opened in 2005), head librarian since then. He is member of the commission for library and archive building guidelines of the German Institute for Standardization (DIN). He has published various books and articles on library building and equipment, and on library management. He also serves as a consultant in various library topics, particularly in library building, reorganization and change management. Since 2013,he is member of the executive board of the German Library Association (dbv).