On 9-10 March GLBF Executive Director Spaska Tarandova attended a working meeting in the Central Library of The Hague of an expert group putting together a report on public libraries in Europe. The report is part of the Work Plan for Culture 2022-2026, Priority B on the topic of “Building bridges: strengthening the multiple roles of libraries as gateways to and disseminators of cultural works, skills and European values.”
The Ministry of Culture has appointed Ms Tarandova and Associate Professor Dr Marina Encheva to represent Bulgaria in the working group, alongside experts and representatives from 25 EU Member States and Norway, Georgia, Turkey, Iceland, Switzerland, the UK, Moldova and Ukraine. More than 70 attendees participated in the meeting to discuss the outcomes of the report and plan dissemination and promotion activities.
THREE MAIN ELEMENTS EMERGED ON WHICH TO BUILD A SHARED STRATEGY FO PUBLIC LIBRARIES:
- Raising awareness at European and national level of the multiple roles that libraries play
- Strengthening European cooperation with a strong focus on skills and continuing professional development
- Continuing exchange between policymakers, with a focus on the impact of (new) multiple roles and programmes, and using data and strategies to increase access to library services
The report will be published in June 2026 and will be formally presented in October under the Irish Presidency.
In addition, the working group reviewed the roadmap to 2030 and the upcoming EU Presidencies, and exchanged information on when and where to discuss the multiple roles of libraries. This includes the upcoming EU Work Plan for Culture and the AgoraEU proposal. Our colleagues from Ireland and Lithuania will be the main drivers as part of their upcoming Presidencies.