‘‘ H
ow reflecting on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can reveal a new role for the library,
creating both a sense of place and a sense of belonging.
Gimme shelter
Abraham Maslow’s ‘pyramid’ of human motivation has been widely used as an explanatory and analytical tool in psychology, sociology and management theory. Briefly summarised, the theoretical pyramid requires that the basic physiological needs of the individual (for food, water, shelter) must be met, followed by the next progressive stages of “safety”, social “belonging”, individual respect and freedom, and finally self-actualisation or self-fulfilment. The traditional public library was designed to address largely the top two strata of the pyramid – individual access to information made freely available, and a support for literacy, knowledge and leisure reading. In the reformist period that saw the enactment of the Public Libraries Act of 1850, “self-improvement” was the watchword, with hopes for the betterment of society and the reduction of crime levels (with some misgivings that freedom of information and assembly might lead to agitation and revolution). The history of public libraries has been a great success story, and the ideal of individual self-fulfilment through free access to books and information remains, quite rightly, the unwavering aim of all public libraries. Yet we are also now more mindful of how that ideal can be difficult to achieve for those whose lives are preoccupied with their basic needs – for shelter, work, food and health. Libraries have found a role supporting and reaching out to the homeless, offering services to refugees, taking in food donations and “food for fines”. Helping job seekers and benefit claimants find their way around the internet, filling in forms and developing CVs are daily tasks. Job seekers in Brixton, I understand, can even borrow smart clothes for job interviews from the library under a new scheme.
It is perhaps in the area of health and wellbeing where libraries are playing a key role in meeting those basic needs that lie near the base of the hierarchy. From books on prescription offers to onsite health workers, libraries demonstrate
March 2020 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 23
In the reformist period that saw the enactment of the Public Libraries Act of 1850, ‘self-improvement’ was the watchword.
how they contribute to individual and community wellbeing.
Waiting on a friend
But the big revolution taking place is in the social sphere – libraries as place, as the “third place” where people gather, meet their friends, exchange ideas, socialise in ever more flexible spaces where they feel they belong. In design terms this is what Aat Vos, architect, thinker and designer, calls “design for programmability”, that is, designing spaces where people can participate in a variety of activities or design their own, giving them a greater sense of belonging and ownership than mere fleeting visits to borrow something. Aat Vos has recently published some interesting findings from surveys conducted following the redesign and reopening of public libraries in Norway, Germany and The Netherlands. (https://
aatvos.com/blog/maslows-hierarchy-of-reads/). “For instance, after opening, 73 per cent of the respondents see more people come to their place just to be and hang out. This means that the venue attracts new visitors who were not visiting the library at all in its prior form. In some libraries, the visitor numbers increased by an unprecedented 400 per cent.” Participating libraries also saw an increase in younger people, and visits from groups that are harder
David Lindley (
david@designinglibraries.org.uk) is Executive Director of Designing Libraries, a Community Interest Company. If you have a story to share or an upcoming project, do get in
touch.www.designinglibraries.org.uk.
to target attracted to the venue. Designing for programmability can give rise to some rather astonishing results. “A great example: Oslo-based library Deichman Tøyen hosts a staggering 82 activities a month – all organised by its users. That is almost 1,000 events per year – in a venue of only 600 square metres.” The library, Aat Vos concludes, is a sort of home, a third place that touches upon all the levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and broadens the social relevance of libraries. From a safe place to a gateway to lifelong learning, a library can match itself to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and in effect model its policies and services to meet each and every level of need. IP
Abraham Maslow’s ‘pyramid’ of human motivation.
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