From partnerships to the so-called ‘condominium libraries’: proximity-based reading policies pursued by Milan public libraries network

Abstract

In a major city such as Milan, reading policies should be proximity-based, in order to avoid the risk that socio-economic marginalization turns into cultural relegation. This is why in the last decades Milan Public Library System has been constantly working to set up a patchwork where all the actors that deal with the promotion of reading – such as institutional libraries, schools, book dealers, foundations and spontaneous libraries – work side by side, though everyone sticking to its own specific mission, to deliver a chance to read – and to get together through reading – in every corner of the city.

Among those actors, the so called ‘condominium libraries’ are the ones that can leverage the proximity-based reading policy in a peculiar way. As such, they have been involved in several initiatives fostered by Milan Public Library System. 

The condominium libraries network involves 24 members insofar. They are incredibly diverse in terms of culture, size, type and location, but they all pursue 3 basic goals: to be a free place where citizens can gather and set up relations, to offer a stock of books to borrow (available not only to the condominium inhabitants but to a wider audience) and to promote reading through dedicated initiatives.

Public libraries of Milan aiming at converting their short-term responses to the Covid-19 pandemic into positive, long-term changes to have a better impact on their communities found in this kind of spontaneous libraries a challenging and peculiar testing ground to change their mindset.