Oslo's new library opens June 18
Deichman Bjørvika, the new city library for Oslo, was originally due to open on March 28, but the COVID-19 situation made it impossible.
28 May 2020
Photo: Jo Straube
Library Director Knut Skansen is now looking forward to finally allowing people into the new main public library.
“This is something both myself and the people of Oslo have been waiting a long time for. Deichman Bjørvika will be a library for the future. I think many people will be very surprised by the building itself and what the library has to offer,” says Skansen.
“In recent years, several of Deichman's local libraries have redefined what a library can be. The new main library builds on that. Deichman Bjørvika will be as much a place for you to record a podcast or sew your first clothing collection as it will be for borrowing books.”
In a corona-free situation Deichman Bjørvika's ambition would be to receive two million visitors per year. Covering six floors, Deichman Bjørvika offers experiences, technology and knowledge in all forms: literature, music, instruments, film, comics, workshops, sound rooms, children's activities, stages, classrooms, study areas, and much, much more.
Open every day
Deichman Bjørvika will be more accessible than the former main library at Hammersborg. The new library’s doors will be open every day of the week, from morning to evening on weekdays. It will also be possible to return books 24 hours a day to an unmanned delivery kiosk.
Some restrictions to the service will however remain due to the COVID-19 situation. For the time being, neither Deichman Bjørvika nor any of Oslo’s other Deichman libraries will be able to host events. There will also be restrictions on the number of people allowed in the library at a time.
“We have worked closely with the health authorities to find a way of opening in a responsible manner with regard to infection control. We are now there, and people should be able to feel safe when they visit us,” says Merete Lie, department director for Deichman Bjørvika.
Deichman Bjørvika, in consultation with the local infection control authority, has decided that the number of simultaneous visitors will be kept to a maximum of 1000 (normally 3000).
Photo: Erik Thallaug