Customers chose – Entresse Library to host a series of food-themed events in autumn 2025
Entresse Library is experimenting with participatory budgeting in 2025. During the spring, library customers brainstormed and voted. Now the result is clear. In the autumn, a series of food-themed events will take place in the library's Jukebox space.
The Entresse Library's participatory budgeting process sought ideas from customers for services that would benefit adult library users over the age of 30. A series of food-themed events was selected from a number of ideas.
The series of events will take place in autumn 2025, with a total budget of 30 000 euros. The entire budget will be used to organise the events. These events will continue beyond 2025. They are planned to be organised in cooperation with local residents and organisations in Espoo.
When will the series of events take place?
The exact content and timing of the events has not yet been decided. Library staff have begun planning the events and the Jukebox kitchen’s activities in more detail. The aim is to have a detailed plan ready at the beginning of the autumn season.
The start of the series of events will also be affected by the work related to fitting the kitchen. The kitchen will undergo some minor modifications to make it more suitable for event use.
When the content and dates of the events are known, we will publish details on the Espoo City and Helmet Library websites(external link, opens in a new window), on the library premises and on our social media channels (Facebook(external link, opens in a new window) and Instagram(external link, opens in a new window)). In addition to the event series itself, we'll also be holding the formal opening of the Jukebox kitchen in the autumn.
How the service to be provided was chosen
Library customers were able to participate in the selection of the service in two stages.
In the first phase, between 7.2.–9.3.2025, customers were invited to propose their own ideas for new services. A total of 164 ideas were received.
After the first round, the library staff evaluated the customer ideas and chose which ones would go through to the second round. Important selection criteria were the feasibility of the idea and the possibility of continuity. The selection took into account the recurrence of the same themes. Similar ideas were also combined.
In the second round, between 17.3.–14.4.2025, customers could vote among the five options selected. The options were presented as broad sets of themes.
A total of 385 votes were made in the second round, the majority of which were given on-site at the library. The service to be implemented was chosen by vote. A series of food-themed events was the clear winner.
| Option | Votes | Percentage of votes |
| Cooking made possible | 102 | 26,5 % |
| Reading and writing | 71 | 18,4 % |
| Wellness from the library | 62 | 16,1 % |
| Lifelong learning and wellbeing | 78 | 20,3 % |
| Supporting immigrants towards working life | 72 | 18,7 % |
The table lists the results of votes in the second round. The options are described at title level.
The library may also implement other proposed services at a later stage. Implementation will depend in part on finding suitable organisers and collaborators. If you are interested in running events related to one of the proposed themes, you can contact the library by following the instructions on the Volunteer at a library -page.