Leila Object Library Project Expands to Florence Amid Sharing Economy Concerns

The Leila project, which introduces object lending services in libraries, is expanding from Bologna to Florence. This initiative allows citizens to borrow everyday items through a sharing economy model where participants must contribute at least one personal item. While the project aims to strengthen libraries' social functions and create community hubs, concerns exist about scalability, maintenance costs, and whether it fosters genuine community interaction rather than just transactional exchanges. The article questions whether expanding catalogues with objects addresses libraries' identity crisis or if they should focus more on cultural production centers.