Tra bisogni individuali e fruizione collettiva. Spazi delle biblioteche e pratiche di lettura in una prospettiva diacronica

Over the centuries, libraries have profoundly transformed their spaces, their physical appearance, their organization, but they have always remained faithful to their dual mission: a) to support lifelong learning and individual creativity, and b) to foster community development, that is, the growth of all social groups and age groups. The evolution of libraries has seen a steady acceleration especially since the mid-19th century, when the industrial processes of book production definitely expanded the availability and accessibility of content for a largest audience. The improved socio-economic conditions were best suited to the birth and development of public libraries, acting as democratic institutions serving the whole community. Library architecture has therefore been satisfying (sometimes even paving the way to) different and innovative visions, giving its contribution to a deep renovation of library services at all levels, which undoubtedly has strengthened both the libraries' identity facet and its inclusive nature. This development is still ongoing, with the aim of keeping the organization of libraries up to present and future challenges in our digital information age, in which the dialectic 'mediation vs. disintermediation' of knowledge takes on a leading role. Finally, the perception of the library value proves particularly important where/when the living space of books and information is threatened with subtraction due to wars, censorship, totalitarian regimes; some significant cases are presented.