Public Library Buildings in Finland: An Analysis of the Architectural and Librarianship Discourses from 1945 to the Present

The history of public library buildings in Finland from 1945 to the present is analyzed by examining the Finnish architectural and librarianship discourses on library planning and design. Two Finnish journals were chosen as the main research material: Arkkitehti, the main national publication for Finnish architects, and Kirjastolehti, the major publication for Finnish librarians. The key historical features of the architectural and librarianship discourses are presented within the wider context. A closer analysis of five representative library buildings is also presented. The specific architectural discourse on library design is found to have been largely determined by the changes in the Finnish architectural discourse in general; the representational conventions of a genre determined the way the library buildings were presented. The practical demands of library work have largely guided the Finnish librarianship discourse on library planning and design, but in many cases the discussion was also more progressive and future-oriented.