Over the past two months, one thousand residents from all across Latvia have used specially-cast pairs of digital scissors to help open the LNB building in a unique virtual way.
Starting with seven LNB staff selecting an honorary person to invite to cut the digital ribbon, the process continued in a multiplying chain of invited ribbon-cutters, utlimately reaching one thousand. The youngest was four years old, the eldest 100 years old.
The scissors were cast by the Nīmanis brothers and are equipped with a microchip and sensor that records the moment of cutting and logs it immediately with the ribbon-cutter’s meta-data and profile into the public LNB homepage.
Mikus Ozols, one of the final ribbon-cutters taking part in the action, told LTV morning news program Rīta Panorāma why it was important for him to do so.
“When people participate in common processes and projects, like the carrying over of books from the old to the new library building, they feel more like they belong, like we all built it together, not the government or some individual architect. After all, it’s our taxpayers’ money that accomplished all this.”
“We’ve been to teachers, doctors, librarians, gardeners, simple farmers, women and men, small children, old ladies and gentlemen. All have been openly positive and nice about it. Often they say something so touching, your heart moves, your voice breaks and a tear appears in your eye,” scissor-holder Mārtiņš told Rīta Panorāma.
The LNB building celebrates its grand opening this Friday August 29.
