The New Normal: Public Libraries in Italy Post Covid-19

The reopening of public libraries in Italy is difficult, some issues became worse post the pandemic, such as budget cuts, precariousness of librarians, shortage of librarians skills. The old strategy of libraries built around the concept of “third space” was demonstrating its weaknesses, while the main function of reading promotion failed to avoid also a decline in reading. The paper describes the new services that libraries offer in the “new normal” but describes the lack of orientation that characterizes this historical moment after the pandemic. In conclusion, to plan a strategy User experience methods are applied and users are requested about the library they would like, the one they imagine. The paper ends with the notes of three users from South, Central and Northern Italy who document different users’ perceptions and needs.