Vienna, Austria – Across Europe, public libraries are entering a new chapter. Once known primarily as places to borrow books, they are increasingly becoming vibrant spaces where people meet, learn, create and collaborate. At the heart of this transformation is make-a-thek, a Horizon Europe-funded research and innovation project, coordinated by Barbara Kieslinger from the ZSI, that is helping libraries redefine their role in society through makerspaces dedicated to creativity, sustainability and community engagement.
The project recently gained international attention after being featured in Horizon – The EU Research & Innovation Magazine and republished by the Austrian Press Agency’s Science platform (APA Science), highlighting its vision of libraries as inclusive “third spaces” that extend beyond the traditional functions of lending books.
Libraries for the 21st Century
As digital technologies continue to change how people access information, libraries are facing a fundamental question: what unique value can they provide in an increasingly online world?
The answer proposed by make-a-thek is simple yet ambitious. Rather than competing with digital information services, libraries can become places where communities come together to learn practical skills, share knowledge and work collectively on solutions to local challenges.
Running from 2025 to 2028, the project brings together nine European partners to establish modular makerspaces in public libraries. These spaces combine digital fabrication tools with traditional craftsmanship, encouraging citizens to explore topics such as circular fashion, textile repair, heritage crafts and sustainable design.
Creativity Meets Sustainability
Unlike conventional makerspaces that often focus solely on technology, make-a-thek places sustainability and the circular economy at the centre of its activities.
Visitors can participate in workshops on clothing repair, upcycling, traditional textile techniques and creative reuse of materials. By combining modern digital tools with heritage crafts, libraries become places where environmental awareness and practical creativity reinforce one another.
The initiative reflects the principles of the New European Bauhaus by promoting sustainability, inclusion and aesthetic quality through community-led innovation.
A Network Across Europe
Pilot libraries participating in make-a-thek span a diverse range of European communities, from major metropolitan libraries such as Helsinki’s renowned Oodi Library to smaller municipal libraries including Opole in Poland. Each location adapts the concept to local needs while sharing experiences and resources with the wider network.
An important feature of the project is its commitment to openness. The tools, methods and educational resources developed during the project will be made openly available so that libraries across Europe and beyond can replicate and adapt the approach.
To extend its reach even further, the consortium is also developing a mobile makerspace bus that brings workshops, equipment and learning opportunities to rural and underserved communities. In addition, a series of global pilots including South Africa, Ghana, Chile, Philippines and Indonesia, will be implemented on 2027. You can follow our tour bus Matty on its way through Europe this summer and all the other activities on our Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube channels
From Library Users to Co-Creators
One of make-a-thek’s defining principles is co-creation. Instead of offering activities designed exclusively by library staff, local communities actively participate in shaping programmes, workshops and makerspaces.
This collaborative approach strengthens libraries as democratic public institutions where citizens are not merely consumers of services but active contributors to community life.
By encouraging peer learning, knowledge exchange and creative experimentation, libraries become platforms for lifelong learning and local innovation.
Reimagining the Library
The growing international recognition of make-a-thek reflects a broader shift taking place across Europe’s public libraries. They are increasingly being recognised as trusted public spaces that support social inclusion, creativity and sustainable development alongside their traditional educational mission.
While books remain central to their identity, tomorrow’s libraries are expanding their purpose. They are becoming places where people repair instead of discard, create instead of consume, and collaborate instead of working alone.
Through make-a-thek, Europe is demonstrating that libraries can continue to be among society’s most valuable public institutions, not only as guardians of knowledge, but also as catalysts for innovation, creativity and resilient communities.
