'My assignment from the University of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences is to bring the Library closer to the primary process. In other words, closer to education and research. In the past, a library was exclusively about books. We stored them and made them accessible. Now we also offer many other activities, which are becoming at least as important as the book activity. That is truly a total change of identity.'

How is this change evident? 

'Just look at the choice of this building. When you make such a large investment and choose this type of building, in the city centre, in the middle of a campus, you are really choosing the Library as the centre of education and research. In addition, the profile of the director has changed: I come from a scientific background, while my predecessors had a library background.' 

Is that why the Data Science Centre is part of the Library? 

'Yes, that's a tangible example of how we support science from within the Library. It is now relevant for all disciplines to have knowledge of data science methods and techniques, for which you need to be able to do programming, for example. The library is also the ideal place to store data. Twenty years ago, people collected their research data in their desk drawers or on their computers. That is no longer an option. Think of security, transparency, Open Science, and so on. You want that data to be searchable and traceable. So this is an incredibly important task for us. You are very vulnerable if you do all this at faculty or institute level; that scale is too small, or the expertise is lacking.'

In what other ways does the Library connect with that primary process?  

'At Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, we have a specific task to support practice-oriented research. I think that very interesting, because practice-oriented applied research produces very different products than UvA research. It's not just about articles and books, but also research reports, advice or apps. We provide a good place to store those products and make them searchable, and we try to support the setting up of research.'

And education, how will the Library strengthen its ties with that?  

'Students already find it easy to come to us. We have attractive study rooms and we manage the study and collaboration areas. So we're doing well in that respect. It's more difficult to get staff to come here. We're going to do that more through educational support. The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and the University of Amsterdam have the Centre for Teaching & Learning and the Teaching & Learning Centres, respectively. I want to collaborate more with them – we have wonderful spaces here for workshops and meetings, but we also have substantive knowledge about educational support. For me, this building will be a success if we can also attract researchers and lecturers.' 

Why is that so important? 

'If you would put a label on our plans (attracting staff and making the library central), it would say: Open Science. Because traceability of information and data security are not just about digitisation, but also about engaging in dialogue with each other, about open exchange and widely accessible knowledge.'

What does the new direction mean for library staff? 

'Previously, we had a specialist for each subject area. That is no longer feasible, as many subject areas have become either highly specialised or highly interdisciplinary, and the scale of higher education has also grown considerably. That is why our support is becoming less subject-oriented, but more specialised from a library perspective. We now have teams for educational support, publishing and impact, research data, and digital skills. The work of our employees is therefore being reorganised.' 

How does the new building fit in with the changing role of the library?  

'A building always has an effect on how people work together. It influences how you interact with each other and ultimately what you think and identify with. We have been working here for a few weeks now, and I have noticed that this building stimulates us to think about how we can do things differently. People who used to sit in separate rooms and buildings now see each other here. They walk down the corridor, have lunch together, meet in the atrium. The rector called the library the agora or the square of science. An open meeting place, like the Greeks had; I really like that image. That's how it feels: the old library buildings belonged ‘to the library’, but this building belongs to everyone. People seek it out; our rooms are already fully booked for the coming months.'

Nevertheless, when you enter, you have to swipe your card at a security gate.  

'Yes. That's not how you would want it to be, but before you know it, all the study spaces are occupied and the place is full of tourists taking photographs. At the same time, we do have a social responsibility. Look at the public library: it is open to the whole of society. We are still exploring how we can take the next step towards our environment, towards the city. I am thinking of open activities, where people come here for a debate or discussion. At the AUAS, we already have FLOOR, and the UvA has the Allard Pierson. We will need to deepen these kinds of collaborations, with partners from within and outside the UvA and AUAS.'

Interview: Lisette Blankestijn