Coffee and cafés in the public library: visualising the urban wellbeing contribution of Rotterdam Public Library through co-productive zine-making

Source abstract

Public libraries increasingly function as important social infrastructures that support urban health and wellbeing by offering more than access to information alone. Everyday library practices such as joint reading activities provide opportunities for social contact, peer support and a sense of belonging in urban contexts marked by growing social isolation and fragmentation. This visual essay draws on five zine-making workshops conducted with library staff, users and policymakers to develop a visually informed understanding of the urban wellbeing contribution of Rotterdam Public Library (RPL) in the Netherlands. Notably, shared coffee and language cafés appeared frequently in the co-produced zines, illustrating how public libraries can support social connection and mitigate experiences of isolation. While coffee in the library might seem a trivial matter, it provides a clear illustration of the governance of libraries, raising questions about who libraries are for and what forms of use they intend to support.