The Library Beyond a Place for Borrowing / The Publicization of Libraries is Not Just a Slogan

Azadeh Nazarboland, Secretary-General of the Public Libraries Institution of the country, in an interview with Mehr News Agency correspondent on the occasion of Public Culture Day, discussed the role of public libraries in promoting public culture. In this interview, referring to the plans that have been implemented or are underway in this regard, she emphasized that the “publicization” of libraries has been a focus in this period. Nazarboland also, in another part of this interview, pointed to the importance of this institution in measuring public culture due to its direct connection with the people.

You can read the full interview below.

You are simultaneously the Secretary-General of the Public Libraries Institution and a member of the Public Culture Council of the country. If you want to look at libraries from the perspective of “public culture”, where do you see this institution on the cultural map of the country?

On the cultural map of the country, public libraries hold a special place because they establish a direct connection between cultural elements and the general public. A key feature of this institution is the universality of its services and the absence of recipient selection; meaning every individual, regardless of age, class, or cultural taste, can benefit from the library. Today, with the widespread distribution and easy access to public library service points across the country, this institution has become one of the most effective bases of public culture; an institution whose role in linking people and culture is becoming more prominent day by day.

If we consider public culture as a collection of shared habits and tastes, how can a library play a role in shaping the habit of reading and collective thinking?

At the Public Libraries Institution of the country, we believe that the formation of reading habits and collective thinking begins in childhood and adolescence. Therefore, in the new promotional policies, we have designed the “Hamkhwan” (Co-reader) project; a major program whose main framework is promoting reading centered on public libraries. In Hamkhwan, special attention has been paid to children and adolescents, because this generation is not only our future audience but also an agent of change in reading habits within families. The Public Libraries Institution is one of the most effective organizations present in the cultural arena of the country and, based on its extensive field presence, has always had an accurate and realistic analysis of societal cultural changes. Perhaps it can be said that this attention to children and adolescents, since the inception of the institution, due to this very field position, has always been considered and has continued as an unwritten law in various periods; sometimes more prominent and sometimes less, but always present. In the new period, this attention has been solidified within the institution’s main policies and has shown itself in practice; for instance, in the “Qasedak” (Messenger) project, with a budget of 42 billion Tomans, over 260,000 copies of books specifically for children and adolescents have been added to the country’s public library network. This action shows that the institution’s view of new generations is not merely a slogan but part of our practical strategy for the future culture of the country.

The Supreme Leader has repeatedly emphasized “public access to books.” From your perspective, how can this issue be reconciled with the concept of cultural justice in the field of books and helping to preserve public culture?

Today, the Public Libraries Institution operates with 4229 service points across Iran; from central libraries and study halls to library service counters and even mobile libraries that serve people in the most remote border villages. Currently, 67 mobile libraries, called “Hamkhwan Caravans,” operate in 500 different locations across the country, bringing cultural services and book delivery to areas less endowed with cultural facilities.

Based on planned initiatives, the number of mobile libraries will soon reach 100, and consequently, the institution’s cultural coverage in remote areas of the country will expand. This trend is, in fact, a serious step towards realizing the strategy that the Supreme Leader has emphasized regarding cultural justice and public access to books and knowledge. An issue that will certainly affect the public culture sector of the country as well.

In your opinion, with the changing tastes of the new generation and the expansion of digital space, how can public libraries remain a point of reference and attractive?

In the minds of many people, a public library is still known as a place for borrowing books or studying in silence; but in the current view of the Public Libraries Institution, a library is beyond this perception. We want to change this view. The institution’s new policy in areas such as “seniors,” “children,” “shared spaces,” and especially “makerspaces” (sakhtkadeh), has been designed based on this; to show that a public library can offer a range of diverse cultural, educational, and social services to the general public. For example, the makerspace model is inspired by successful experiences in developed countries; where creative and workshop spaces have been created to reduce digital fatigue and bring the new generation back to real-life experiences. We have localized this idea to provide opportunities for experience, collaboration, and creativity for children and adolescents in Iranian public libraries as well.

In the Public Culture Council of the country, many discussions are held about the indicators of public culture. Can the Public Libraries Institution become one of the indicators for measuring public culture?

Public libraries can, from various perspectives, become indicators for measuring public culture because their activities are directly related to people’s cultural behavior. However, one of our most important actions in the new period is focusing on data-driven approaches and information monitoring; an action defined in line with the respected President’s strategy in the field of “information and data.”

At the Public Libraries Institution of the country, our goal is to systematize and precisely analyze data, both in terms of resources and in terms of members and audiences. This infrastructure is currently taking shape and can become one of the most important tools for cultural policymaking in the country; because real library data provides decision-makers with an accurate picture of people’s cultural behavior and can even influence the design and planning of economic and social policies.

How does the Public Libraries Institution strive to transform the concept of “publicity” from a slogan into an operational strategy?

We previously explained about “service points” and the quantitative breadth of the public library network, but generality is not limited to numbers. In the new period, we have tried to define the concept of “publicity” in the quality of services and resource provision as well. For this reason, we have prioritized the policy of “needs-based resources.” Decisions about purchasing books, periodicals, or magazines are no longer made solely at headquarters; instead, librarians, as experts close to the audience, make suggestions based on the real needs of patrons, and we procure resources based on this data. Fortunately, this approach has been met with a positive reaction from librarians and members and has shown that when decision-making arises from public need, the library truly becomes a “public” institution, not just in name but in action.

What is the most overlooked potential of libraries for promoting public culture in the country?

In my opinion, two issues are important in this section. First, the extent of public libraries’ penetration into the daily lives of all people, and second, the trust and presence that the general public has in public libraries. Attention to these two issues can transform libraries into a cultural hub in every city and village in the field of promoting public culture.

If you wanted to summarize the role of the Public Libraries Institution in public culture in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

The possibility of a conscious and knowledge-based life, based on cultural, social works, products, and services made accessible through public libraries.