Public library in Sanpada

Abstract

Public libraries play a vital role in knowledge-based societies by continuously adapting to emerging communication methods and serving as inclusive spaces for all members of society. Their core mission is to ensure universal access to information and enable meaningful engagement with knowledge for everyone. Public libraries act as a valuable "third space" that bridges communities and facilitates the exchange of information and ideas. According to the World Reading Habit Statistics 2021, “India, China, and Thailand spend the most time reading. Although they read frequently, they are not most literate. These low literacy levels are primarily attributed to limited accessto libraries, newspapers, and computers” (World Reading Habit, n.d.). In the present-day case scenario, most of the public libraries in India act as a passive repository of information that lack social connect, while maintaining a bureaucratic environment. Navi Mumbai, a planned satellite city that has been in existence for 50 years, currently has approximately 19 small libraries spread out across various nodes. The city heavily depends on Mumbai for its literary and cultural offerings. Thoughtfully designed public libraries possess the capacity to transform into knowledge hubs that serve as nexus for literary, cultural, archival, material and social domains. There lies an exceptional opportunity for Navi Mumbai to cultivate its own distinct social and literary culture. This thesis is an attempt to design a public library for Navi Mumbai that would serve as community anchor connecting information, individuals and physical spaces, which is flexible enough to adapt to future modes of communication.