Designing Belonging: Reflections from Athens on Libraries as Inclusive and Open Public Spaces

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of representing Scotland at the Designing Belonging: Libraries as Inclusive and Open Spaces conference, hosted by the Committee for the Support of Libraries in the magnificent National Library of Greece, within the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC). To stand in the Book Castle—an architectural statement of openness, light, and democratic access—was to be reminded of the symbolic and practical power libraries hold in shaping inclusive societies. The SNFCC’s expansive public terraces, transparent facades, and generous civic spaces model not simply where belonging happens, but how it is designed into the built environment.

The conference brought together leaders from across Europe and beyond to explore how libraries can act as anchors for community wellbeing, democratic participation, and cultural renewal. I was honoured to open the speaker programme with “Unlocking Potential – The Transformative Power of Scotland’s Libraries” — a presentation rooted in SLIC’s evidence, strategies, and lived experience of supporting Scotland’s diverse library landscape.
But the true richness of the event came from the dialogue between international perspectives, each offering insight into how belonging is interpreted and enacted in different contexts.

Following my keynote, we travelled across continents with Kerstin Wesendorf of the Goethe-Institut, who shared an inspiring series of case studies illustrating how libraries—whether in Addis Ababa, Beijing or Nancy—are reimagined through a profoundly user-centred lens.

Her examples of multimedia studios, creative labs, and community co-designed spaces underscored a message that resonated strongly with our work in Scotland: belonging is not achieved through uniformity, but through thoughtful responsiveness to place, culture, and people.

Kimmo Tuominen, National Librarian of Finland, brought a complementary perspective, focusing on the information ecosystem and the importance of open, shared infrastructure. His reflections on digital platforms such as Finna and Melinda—and the role of national libraries in enabling interoperability—mirrored many of our own discussions in Scotland around data standards, open access, and the future of digital public value.

Later, Felicidad Campal from the Public Library of Salamanca reminded us that modern public libraries operate in rich tensions: silence and noise, reflection and creation, individuality and community. Her invitation to move from “quiet spaces” to “participatory spaces” will have stayed with many in the room. And from Turin, Cecilia Cognigni shared the city’s strategic redesign of its library network inspired by the design of the new Central Library —an ambitious civic undertaking centred on cultural planning, wellbeing, and the “15-minute city” principles. Together, these contributions formed a tapestry of possibility for the future of library spaces across Europe.

In my address, I sought to anchor Scotland’s contribution to this global dialogue—showing how our libraries, strategies, and partnerships are shaping a vision for equitable, open and connected public spaces at home.

I began with scale and impact. Last year, Scotland’s public libraries recorded 14.5 million visits—more than attendance at football matches and cinemas combined. These are not passive visits but moments of transformation: accessing health information, learning digital skills, joining community events, or simply finding a place of welcome.

Yet the number that continues to resonate internationally is this: for every £1 invested in Scottish libraries, £6.95 is returned in public value—from improved literacy and digital skills to strengthened wellbeing and social cohesion.

In times of fiscal constraint, this evidence is not merely compelling; it is essential.

In discussing SLIC’s work, I emphasised literacy as a foundation for belonging. With one in ten children in Scotland lacking a book at home, our early-years programmes—Bookbug and Every Child a Library Member—are not simply cultural interventions; they are social equality interventions. Research tells us that reading for pleasure at age five is a powerful protective factor against poverty in adulthood. Libraries make this protection accessible to all.

Equity for adults is equally central. With 15% of adults lacking basic digital skills and 14% lacking reliable internet, Scotland’s libraries provide essential access to digital resources, employability support, and learning pathways. Makerspaces in places like Stirling, immersive rooms in Motherwell, entrepreneurship hubs in Moray and Glasgow—these represent a quiet economic revolution taking place in formerly silent reading rooms.

I shared with our international colleagues the success of A Collective Force for Health and Wellbeing, our cross-sector partnership accelerating Scotland’s ambition for prevention-focused public health. Through trusted health information, bibliotherapy, hosting Near Me appointments, and delivering programmes on dementia and diabetes, libraries reduce pressure on overstretched health systems. Indeed, SLIC research found that library engagement saves £3.2 million annually in avoided NHS costs—a figure that prompted many nods around the auditorium.

Our work on sustainability—including Lend & Mend Hubs, environmentalist-in-residence programmes, and carbon literacy initiatives—aligned closely with global calls for libraries to act as catalysts in the climate transition. And in discussions about civic participation, I highlighted Scotland’s libraries as venues for citizen assemblies, participatory budgeting, and climate consultations, demonstrating their capacity to strengthen democracy through accessible local democracy spaces.

There was also an illuminating round table from our hosts “Local voices, shared vision. A discussing with the committee for the support of Libraries”

Throughout the conference, the SNFCC itself served as a living case study of how architecture invites belonging. The building embraces transparency and flow, connecting the library, opera house, parks, and waterfront. Its design communicates that public knowledge deserves monumental, beautiful, open space. As I reflected in Athens, Scotland too must continue designing for openness—physically, digitally, and socially. Belonging is never accidental; it is always designed.

Three themes from Athens will guide SLIC’s work as we launch Scotland’s new library vision ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections:

1. User-centred design is no longer optional—it is the foundation of sustainable, inclusive library services.
2. Strategic collaboration across education, health, culture, and economy multiplies impact and protects libraries from isolation.
3. Data and advocacy must work hand-in-hand to secure the investment libraries deserve.

The international alignment was unmistakable: whether in Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain or Scotland, libraries are repositioning themselves not on the margins of community life, but at its centre.

As we concluded two days of discussion, workshops, and shared visioning, I was reminded once again that libraries do not simply provide access—they provide belonging. And belonging, in an age of fragmentation, may be the most valuable public service of all.

In Scotland, we are designing this belonging through our strategies, our infrastructure, our data, and most importantly through our people. In Athens, it was a joy to see how deeply this mission is shared across borders. As we move forward, SLIC remains committed to working internationally, collaboratively, and boldly to unlock the full potential of Scotland’s libraries—our opportunity engines for a fairer, more resilient future.