Nowadays, a library transcends its traditional role of a public institution with an impressive collection of books. It becomes a community space, part of the city infrastructure, and the so-called "third place" where visitors spend their time comfortable and accommodating. Opening a cafe and transforming the library format is a natural response of the cultural institution to the changes in city life.
A cafe helps improve the average duration of a library visit and attract new users since cafes appeal to the library audience and "people from the street". Besides, a cafe provides an additional source of income for an institution and gives a library the necessary resources for investment in its development.
Can a cafe help a library become a community center? Would it be good for libraries to be perceived as cafes? How can a library open a cafe? Where to find finance and how to split the profit? What are the success and failure stories of opening a cafe in the library environment?
