Neben verlässlich stillen Arbeitsplätzen sollen gezielt Räume für Gespräche, Diskurs und Gruppenarbeit entstehen. In den Rückmeldungen aller Gruppen wurde jedoch eines ganz besonders betont: Uneingeschränkte, geschützte Ruhezonen bleiben auch in Zukunft das unverzichtbare Rückgrat der Bibliothek.

Ob spontan für ein kurzes Brainstorming oder über längere Projektphasen hinweg: Pop-up-Labs, flexibel nutzbare Carrels (Arbeitskabinen) und modular gestaltete Arbeitsinseln könnten Studierenden das gemeinsame Arbeiten noch besser ermöglichen als bisher. Wünschenswert sind dabei auch Lager- und Ablagemöglichkeiten für Arbeitsmaterialien sowie geeignete Flächen für das Zusammentreffen mit externen Praxispartner*innen.

Gedruckte Bücher bleiben weiterhin ein fester Bestandteil der Bibliothek – perspektivisch kann das Bestandsprofil sogar gezielt erweitert werden. Gleichzeitig bieten frei werdende Regale und Flächen großes Potenzial zur Umnutzung: Sie können Platz schaffen für gemütliche Sitzmöglichkeiten, Ausstellungs- und Präsentationsflächen oder kleine „Räume im Raum“. Wie viel physischer Bestand langfristig bis 2040 benötigt wird, bleibt als dynamischer Prozess offen.

Viele Ideen müssen nicht bis 2040 warten: Genannt wurden attraktive Arbeitsplätze mit direktem Blick auf den Campus, gemütliche Sitznischen, bewegliches Mobiliar, eine optimierte Nutzung der bestehenden Carrels sowie eine übersichtlichere räumliche Orientierung. Ausdrücklich hervorgehoben wurden zudem die Themen Teilhabe, Inklusion und Leichte Sprache, um die Bibliothek für alle Menschen gleichermaßen zugänglich zu machen.

Die Hochschulbibliothek hat das Potenzial, noch stärker als Brücke in die Gesellschaft zu wirken. Ideen wie ein einladendes Lesecafé, kulturelle Veranstaltungen, eine engere Kooperation mit der Stadtbibliothek sowie regionale Projektpartnerschaften fanden in den Gruppen breite Unterstützung.

Mit Blick auf technologische Entwicklungen wurden ein „Discovery Verse“, ein „Archiv offener Fragen“ sowie eine Anlaufstelle für Faktenchecks vorgeschlagen. Gerade die Idee eines Faktenchecks wurde in der Runde angeregt und kontrovers diskutiert: Während eine Vermittlungsfunktion zu Fachleuten und wissenschaftlichen Datenbanken vielen als sinnvoller Service erscheint, bleiben der genaue Kompetenzbedarf sowie die dafür notwendigen personellen Kapazitäten noch zu klären.

Rethinking the ‘campus living room’: Workshop sketches visions for the university library in 2040

What will the university library of the future look like? Guided by the mission of a ‘campus living room’, over 30 participants from the Executive Committee, the Senate, the Library Committee, the student body and the library team gathered in the light-filled university library on 6 October. Amidst bookshelves and striking industrial architecture, they developed visions for the library’s future in a forward-looking workshop – ranging from modular project spaces and active inclusion to the thoughtful use of artificial intelligence.

The setting could hardly have been more fitting: directly on the upper gallery of the university library, surrounded by specialist literature, open journal shelves and the large historic windows of Hall 10, over 30 members of the university community from a wide range of roles gathered. Their shared goal: to further develop the library as an inviting space for focused study, collaborative work and cultural exchange.

The event kicked off with a variety of expert insights from the library team headed by Dr Frank Seeliger, architect Robert Niess from the Berlin-based architectural practice Chestnutt Niess, as well as contributions from Dr Christine Avenarius, Sustainability Manager, and Katharina Peix, staff member at the Student Orientation Infopoint, as well as Prof. Dana Mietzner and Markus Lahr, head of the Luckenwalde University Outreach Hub, who opened up architectural, sustainable and strategic perspectives for a ‘Journey to the Library 2040’.

Flying paper aeroplanes into the year 2040: a focus on three scenarios

Just how creative and dynamic the working atmosphere was that day became apparent right from the group-forming stage: six diverse teams came together whilst folding and launching paper aeroplanes. Equipped with facilitation kits, coloured pens and large sheets of flipchart paper, they set to work straight away at the library’s work tables and research stations on intensive conceptual work.

Two groups each focused on one of three future scenarios looking ahead to the year 2040:

• Discoveryverse: The path from artificial intelligence to verified knowledge.
• Futures Foundry: Developing joint problem-solving strategies through close collaboration between students and businesses.
• Human Nexus: Forging contacts, experiencing a sense of community and promoting active community-building.

Library Director Dr Frank Seeliger was delighted by the high turnout and the energy in the room: “It was wonderful to see the passion and creativity with which the participants worked. As the ‘campus living room’, we want to be a place where people feel equally welcome, inspired and focused. The clear consensus from the workshop gives us tremendous momentum: We need more flexibility for collaborative work and lively exchange, whilst at the same time protecting what our users value so much about the library – reliable havens of tranquillity.”

An overview of the results: Six areas of action for the library of tomorrow

Six key themes emerged from the presentations and discussions of the six working groups:

1. Quiet and interaction require their own, clearly separated areas
In addition to reliably quiet workspaces, dedicated spaces for conversation, discussion and group work should be created. However, one point was particularly emphasised in the feedback from all groups: unrestricted, protected quiet zones will remain the indispensable backbone of the library in the future.

2. Project work requires more and more flexible space
Whether for spontaneous, short brainstorming sessions or across longer project phases: pop-up labs, flexibly usable carrels and modular workstations could enable students to work together even more effectively than before. Storage and filing facilities for working materials, as well as suitable spaces for meetings with external industry partners, are also desirable.

3. The collection and shelving are changing
Printed books remain an integral part of the library – in the long term, the collection profile could even be specifically expanded. At the same time, shelving and spaces that become available offer great potential for repurposing: they can create space for cosy seating areas, exhibition and presentation spaces, or small ‘rooms within a room’. Exactly how much physical stock will be required in the long term by 2040 remains an open question, as it is a dynamic process.

4. The quality of the visitor experience can be improved in the short term
Many ideas do not have to wait until 2040: suggestions included attractive workspaces with a direct view of the campus, cosy seating nooks, movable furniture, optimised use of the existing study cubicles, and clearer spatial orientation. The topics of participation, inclusion and plain language were also explicitly highlighted, with a view to making the library equally accessible to everyone.

5. Greater openness towards the city and the region
The university library has the potential to act as an even stronger bridge to society. Ideas such as an inviting reading café, cultural events, closer cooperation with the city library, and regional project partnerships received broad support within the groups.

6. AI, discovery and fact-checking as potential new areas of focus
With an eye to technological developments, a ‘Discovery Verse’, an ‘archive of open questions’ and a contact point for fact-checking were proposed. The idea of fact-checking in particular was raised and hotly debated during the session: whilst many see a role in connecting users with experts and academic databases as a useful service, the exact skills required and the necessary staffing levels still need to be clarified.

Conclusion: Enhance flexibility, keep a cool head

Taking a holistic view of the workshop, one clear priority emerged: the greatest support is for more flexible use of space. In concrete terms, this means more opportunities for small groups, more user-friendly study cubicles and a noticeably higher quality of the visitor experience through inviting nooks and mobile furniture – though always on the condition that this does not come at the expense of designated quiet areas.

Armed with these concrete ideas, the library team is now moving on to the next phase of evaluation in order to further develop the ‘campus living room’ step by step – from initial short-term improvements right through to the long-term Vision 2040.