Libraries for people's power forums is a project complex led by Sitra, in which six libraries from all over Finland participate.

The library-to-people-power-forum experiment has ended - thanks for participating in our project

The Imatra city library would like to thank all parties involved in the implementation of the Municipal Arena for their good cooperation and positive attitude towards this extraordinary and interesting experimental project from the library's point of view.

In the project implemented by Sitra, Finland's independence celebration fund, the aim was to create a better connection between citizens and decision-makers and thus strengthen Finnish democracy. In the project, libraries were tested as new types of public power forums. Six municipalities and libraries of different sizes from different parts of Finland participated in the experiment: Imatra, Inari, Mäntyharju, Oulu, Pietarsaari and Turku. Based on the experiments, a manual was created How do libraries become forums for people's power? Ways for libraries to promote democracy. The handbook presents methods that help all public libraries to do their statutory democratic work.

Imatra's city library implemented three municipal election panels in its Municipal Election Arena project, where the questions asked were collected from Imatra's seniors. The final report of the project can be read as an attachment.

Additional information:
Library expert Ari Sareslahti
p. 020 617 6603
ari.sareslahtiimatra.fi (ari[dot]sareslahti[at]imatra[dot]fi)

Attachments

Municipal election arena project final report (pdf) pdf