Participatory Potential of Civic Libraries: Two Estonian Cases

Abstract This article contributes to the contexts of audience and user studies via research into two cases of civic libraries created by local communities. Results from this study could encourage communities to create and/or step in to co-produce the local library services for their community. The findings of this research add an alternative view from library service users to established library services and may be helpful to local authorities in redesigning the public library service. Two cases were chosen to investigate the phenomenon of civic libraries: the library at Sänna Cultural Mansion in a small village in Southern Estonia and the library of the New World Society in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.