BibLab-C

Chemnitz, a city of 245,000 people, has successfully applied for recognition as the European Capital of Culture in 2025, and the Chemnitz municipal library supported it with a project based on the motto “Aufbrüche! Opening Minds, Creating Spaces”. The main library has set up a temporary project room to serve as a platform for the urban community. Based on three thematic areas, “Perceiving”, “Doing” and “Sharing”, the project has organised a variety of thematically and methodically diverse programmes, developed together with citizens and cooperation partners. The project room is managed by an advisory board, comprised of members who belong to the library’s broad network of Chemnitz’s creative and digital scene. The advisory board is responsible for drafting rules for the project room which adhere to the principles of participation, anti-racism and equal opportunity.

The three-part design of the project room enables the organisers to use it for various purposes. For example, the thematic area “Perceiving” is designed as an urban media lounge featuring the full range of media – from “headphone movies” to readings to e-sports programmes. The digital workshop and sound lab is staged in the section “Doing”. This is where citizens can learn how to programme and code and explore their creativity with an array of digital media and equipment. “Sharing” is the main focus of an open space where residents or groups can share their ideas and the results of their creative experiments with others. The newly developed methods inspired by the project will be integrated into the upcoming renovation of the Chemnitz central library planned for 2024.

Project title: Lib(rary)Lab(oratory)-C(hemnitz) – LibLab-C. Perceiving – Doing - Sharing

Partners: City of Chemnitz – Office of Strategic Development, Stadtfabrikanten e.V., TU Faculty of Computer Science, Netzwerk für Kinder- und Jugendarbeit e.V., Radio T, MeKoSax GmbH / SAEK e.V., Solaris Förderzentrum für Jugend und Umwelt gGmbH Sachsen, Kindervereinigung Chemnitz e.V., Städtische Musikschule