How can the public library fulfil its classic social mission in our individualized and sometimes fragmented society? And how does such a library fit into the urban public space, in which commerce and consumption seem to reign supreme? This requires innovative architecture, the strength of imagination and the willingness to think countercyclically.

In Imagination and Participation librarians Rob Bruijnzeels and Joyce Sternheim examine the most important transitions in public library work. They spoke with experts and Dutch top architects who have designed public libraries in the Netherlands and abroad. These conversations and the authors’ own insights and experiences have resulted in a new perspective on contemporary library work that has been translated into starting points for the future architecture of public libraries.

The authors have been working on the transition of library work and its consequences for the architecture and design of library buildings for quite some time. They are members of the Ministerie van Verbeelding, 'Ministry of Imagination’, a design collective that previously designed a number of notable libraries.