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Paper short abstract

Norway's mineral strategy for critical minerals faces local protests. The more than 40 minerals of the Materials Library of Stones provide public engagement, applying Haraway's "becoming-with, living-with, dying-with" framework for interdisciplinary mineral literacy amid energy transition demands.

Paper long abstract

In 2025, the Norwegian government introduced a new law on mineral activities and the management of mineral resources. The new law seeks to establish “a more sustainable and efficient management and utilisation of mineral resources in Norway”. The law supports the Norwegian Mineral Strategy, a white paper promoting mineral mining on land and in the sea. Even though there is a temporary moratorium on deep-sea mining, the 2026 state budget has set aside 16 million Euros to prepare for future deep-sea mining activities.

Norway has a long mining tradition, and the mining industry has gained renewed importance in securing access to so-called critical minerals for the energy transitions. New mining sites are proposed and planned, while some closed mines are in the process of reopening. These mining activities have resulted in protests by local communities.

Knowledge about minerals is the domain of geology and chemistry. To promote public mineral literacy, we designed a Materials Library of Stones as an interdisciplinary and “thinkivist” intervention. It consists of a collection of more than 40 stones containing minerals for the digital and energy transitions. The library enables ways of knowing minerals through tangible interaction and storytelling.

Based on the work by Donna Haraway, this paper explores how humans are “becoming-with, “living-with”, and “dying-with” stones and their minerals. It will present some experiences with the Materials Library of Stones as a “thinkivist” project, as well as reflections by visitors engaging with the library.