LibrarIN delivered a new way of understanding and supporting innovation in public libraries by shifting attention from top-down service design to participatory, bottom-up approaches based on value co-creation.
The project examined how libraries across Europe work with citizens, professionals, organisations, and communities to design services that respond to real needs and changing social challenges. The project’s results combine research, evidence, tools, and policy guidance that support library practitioners and policymakers in applying social innovation in practice. All outputs are openly available and designed for reuse.
LibrarIN developed conceptual and analytical frameworks that explain how value co-creation works in library services and how participatory management relates to the sustainable development of public libraries. These frameworks help make sense of collaboration between libraries and their stakeholders and provide a shared language for understanding innovation, participation, and impact.
The project also produced empirical research on key co-creation areas, including digital transformation, libraries as hubs for social entrepreneurship, and the use of participatory methods such as living labs. Together, this work builds a solid evidence base on how libraries innovate and why certain approaches succeed.
An assessment framework was also developed to support the evaluation of value co-creation in library services, informed by surveys and comparative analysis across European libraries.
The LibrarIN Toolkit brings together practical tools, data, and evidence that support social innovation in European libraries. It includes new metrics for library transformation, documented case studies, and resources tailored to policy, practice, and research needs.
Key tools include the Library Policy Tracker, which visualises how library innovation policies are adopted across European countries; the What-Works database, which collects and shares good practices from the library field; and the Research Knowledge Base, a curated collection of relevant publications on co-creation, public service design, digital transformation, and innovation in libraries.
The project produced policy and managerial recommendations that support the implementation and scaling of participatory and co-creative approaches in library services. These recommendations translate research insights into practical guidance for decision-makers and include indicators for monitoring and evaluating innovation initiatives.
Policy recommendations are published in dedicated policy briefs and aligned with ongoing policy discussions and strategic priorities within the European library sector.
LibrarIN established a strong stakeholder community bringing together library professionals, policymakers, researchers, and representatives from civil society across Europe. This network contributed to the validation of results, shared practice-based insights, and supported the relevance and usability of project outputs.
Together, these results position LibrarIN as a long-term reference point for research, policy, and practice on library innovation and value co-creation.