Deterritorialization and reterritorialization of knowledge: immersive experience spaces in national libraries in China and the United Kingdom
Yumeng Zhu, Yu Zhu, Ya ChenPurpose
This paper uses Deleuze and Guattari's theory of deterritorialization to examine how immersive library experience spaces transform the forms, organization and circulation of knowledge and to propose strategies for balancing knowledge fluidity with systematic order.
Design/methodology/approach
A theory-driven multiple-case study compares the National Library of China and the British Library, drawing on public project documents, reports, media coverage and scholarly commentary. The analysis traces changes in carriers, organization, communication, production and access.
Findings
The findings show that immersive library spaces do not simply make knowledge more accessible; they alter the conditions under which knowledge is stabilized, connected, authorized and experienced.
Research limitations/implications
The study relies on public secondary materials and two national-library cases, so its transferability to smaller libraries requires adaptation.
Originality/value
The paper introduces the deterritorialization theory into the analysis of immersive library knowledge services and offers a five-dimensional framework for understanding knowledge transformation in digital library settings.