This week, members of the LibrarIN consortium will present their latest research at the IRSPM 2025 Conference (International Research Society for Public Management), taking place in Bologna, Italy, from 7–9 April 2025.
LibrarIN partners Lars Fuglsang (Roskilde University), Tiina Tuominen (VTT), and Kirsi-Maria Hyytinen (VTT) will present a paper titled: “Navigating tensions in public value co-creation: the role of scripts” during Parallel Session P31.4 – Exploring value and value creation from a service perspective, on 8 April.
The presentation explores how public libraries are redefining their value creation practices—balancing community engagement with professional judgement. It highlights libraries as innovative public arenas that contribute to civic participation, co-creation, and the public good.
Key insights from the paper include:
- A novel theorisation of dialectic scripting, illustrating how libraries form public value practices through sequences of engagement.
- The concept of public value as a contested practice, navigating between what the public values and what adds value to the public sphere.
- The significance of territorial context, local experimentation, and professional expertise in the process of public value creation.
Grounded in qualitative case studies from Finland and Denmark, the paper offers micro-level insights into public service innovation and the evolving role of libraries as agents of social cohesion and democratic engagement.
To find out more about the conference, visit the IRSPM 2025 Conference website.