READING FORWARD. DIALOGHI SULLA BIBLIOTECA

» Wednesday 16 April, 6 p.m.
Sala Michele Ferrero – Casa Betania | via Bersezio 9, Cuneo 
REINERT MITHASSEL
Head of the “Biblo Tøyen” section – Deichman Library, Oslo (Norway)

Head of the “Biblo Tøyen” section – Deichman Library, Oslo (Norway)

Davide De Luca, Director of Fondazione Artea
Cristina Clerico, Councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Cuneo
Stefania Chiavero, Director of the Civic Library of Cuneo
Oliviero Ponte di Pino, author, lecturer and cultural planner

The event can also be followed live via streaming on Fondazione Artea’s YouTube channel.

The second Reading Forward 2025 event features Reinert Mithassel, , who for the past eight years has been head of the “Deichman Biblo Tøyen”, library for young people in the eastern part of Oslo, which has attracted numerous delegations from all over the world. A theatre director by training, over the last 20 years he has worked for Oslo’s public library system, contributing to strategic innovation, the creation and opening of the new main library and the renovation of several branches.

Deichman was founded in 1785 and is the oldest and largest library in Oslo. Today it is a network of 25 public libraries across the city whose mission is to provide access to culture, education and information for all citizens, offering a wide range of books, digital resources and cultural programmes. Since 2020 the main branch has been a modern, dynamic building in the Bjørvika district, from which it takes the name “Deichman Bjørvika“. The architectural structure, designed by Lund Hagem Architects and Atelier Oslo, can accommodate vast collections (over one million books, films, games, CDs and other media), a cinema, multimedia labs, play areas, generous spaces for reading and relaxing, and a restaurant. The library also regularly hosts talks, film screenings, courses, author events, readings and activities for children and teenagers. In 2021 it won the prestigious IFLA Public Library of the Year Award.

Deichman Biblo Tøyen opened in the Tøyen district of Oslo in 2016 and has become an important point of reference for young people; the space is reserved exclusively for those aged between 10 and 15. With its distinctive design (developed on the basis of the ideas of the children involved in the planning phase), the library offers welcoming and stimulating spaces both for reading and for engaging in fun, educational activities, including theatre, music, cooking, coding, 3D printing and Lego building. The library stands out for its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, seeking to serve a wide range of users from diverse cultural and social backgrounds.

The upcoming conferences scheduled for 2025 will feature further international guests: sector experts, directors of some of Europe’s most important libraries, and heads of outstanding cultural centres.

The events will continue to be held in the Sala Michele Ferrero at Casa Betania, headquarters of Confindustria Cuneo, according to the following schedule:

Wednesday 11 June – 6 p.m
Roel Van den Bril – Cultural Coordinator of the Het Predikheren Library in Mechelen (Belgium)

Wednesday 17 September – 6 p.m.
Vincent Eches – Director of the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée in Angoulême (France) and Roel van den Sigtenhorst – General Director of Muntpunt in Brussels (Belgium)

READING FORWARD. Dialoghi sulla Biblioteca is a journey accompanying the creation of Cuneo’s new library hub, which in 2026 will find its home in the historic Palazzo Santa Croce. Through a series of talks, it aims to explore and examine the role and identity of libraries, future challenges, and management, enhancement and development processes that can foster cultural growth and social well-being. It is an important opportunity to find inspiration and good practices to draw on, and to rethink how a civic library can be conceived so that it is ever more a space at the service of the city, a welcoming place for books but above all for people, and a cultural and community centre in all its many forms.

READING FORWARD is a project by the Municipality of Cuneo and Fondazione Artea, with the support of Banca di Caraglio, in collaboration with Confindustria Cuneo. Media partner La Stampa