1 – Democracy and Public Libraries

Come and explore your role in Democracy! How can and should Public Libraries work with questions of Democracy and Participation?

What are your challenges and what challenges have you seen in regards to working with questions of democracy and participation in public libraries? What do we as a public library field agree on and disagree in regards to working with questions of democracy and participation in public Libraries?

Join an information gathering workshop that will explore public libraries and public librarians roles in democracy. The workshop will start with IFLA’s Public Library Section and European Regional Division welcoming you and presenting the work being done right now within these IFLA branches. Results from a global survey that has gone out to Library Associations across the world on questions of Public Libraries and democracy will also be presented at the start of the workshop.

The workshop will be in English.

2 – Libraries as Beacons of Democracy and Inclusivity

This program is intended to explore the role of libraries in promoting democratic values, inclusivity, and community engagement within the city or community. Most of the program time be devoted to moderated discussion among participants (separate sections for English, Catalan, and Spanish), giving them a chance to reflect on what they have heard Monday and from the Public Libraries Section earlier Tuesday and to discuss their observations with each other.

Deirdre Carasso, Director of the Bibliotheek Utrecht, will talk about their «House of Active Citizenship» which facilitates citizens collectively engaged in finding answers for the questions of today on topics such as housing, sustainability, care, energy sources, etc. Citizens are experimenting with new forms of democracy, using library space to meet and give life to the space and ideas.  Following her presentation, the attendees will divide into sections by language for a moderated discussion.

The workshop will be in English.

3 – AI And Digital Transformation In Urban Libraries

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) heralds a profound transformation in our societies, touching upon fundamental pillars such as commerce, inclusion, education, human rights, democracy, public policies, culture, and art. AI technologies bring about radical changes in accessing information/data and managing knowledge, positioning themselves as indispensable tools for the present and future of libraries and other public institutions like museums, archives, and galleries. However, beyond their potential benefits, AI technologies harbor latent dangers: they are often profit-driven, lacking in transparency, and fail to ensure universal access to information or prioritize human rights protection. Moreover, their unregulated proliferation exacerbates the emergence of new and complex challenges.

We will explore these pressing questions and the potential impact of AI incorporation on employment dynamics within our libraries. The overarching goal is to foster a nuanced understanding of the current landscape and future trajectories of urban libraries.

The workshop will be in English.

4 – Libraries and Urban Transformation

Cities are concentrations of people, opportunities and wealth but also of inequity and hardship. The participatory workshop explores ways that metropolitan libraries contribute and adapt to urban transformations. During the workshop, library leaders from across the world demonstrate with concrete projects how they support their cities toward sustainability and equity and how their institutions act as conveners for ideas, organizations and people.

The workshop is organized by MetLib Learning Circle, MetLib Learning Circle is an initiative of IFLA’s MetLib Standing Committee to facilitate learning between library leaders across the world. The one-year program consists of monthly online gatherings and one in-person convening. The second cohort (2024-2025) focuses on the role of libraries in urban transformation and convenes 18 library leaders from 8 countries on 3 continents.

The workshop will be in English.

7- Best Practices On Sustainability, Reading And Democracy

Best Practices on Sustainability, Reading and Democracy will bring back some of the key presenters from Monday and earlier Tuesday to report on ideas generated within the morning discussion groups as well as to answer questions from the floor. This is intended to be a summing up of ideas on libraries and democracy from throughout the conference.

This proposal is subject to modification after review by the MetLib program planning committee and input from the Public Libraries Section.

The workshop will be in English.