Next Library is an organisation that hosts a series of biennial Danish conferences for librarians and library professionals. International editions of the conference series began in 2014 and are referred to as "satellites."
Background
editThe conference series was started by Aarhus Public Libraries in 2009,[1] with conferences being held at Dokk1 in Aarhus. In 2014, a Next Library satellite conference took place at Chicago Public Library,[2] that Rahm Emanuel attended. In September 2018, Next Library took place at the Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek in Berlin.[3]
It describes itself as "an international gathering of forward-thinking library professionals, innovators and decision-makers who are pushing boundaries and making changes that support learning in the 21st century", and claims that more than 1400 librarians from 96 countries are in its network,[4] with 350 librarians attending the 2015[5] and 2017[6] events in Aarhus.
Satellite conference host countries include the USA, South Korea, Germany, and others.
Editions
edit| Date | Location | Themes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Aarhus | ||
| 2011 | Aarhus | ||
| 2013 | Aarhus | ||
| 2015 | Aarhus | ||
| 2017 | Aarhus | Literacy; The Learning Library; Emerging Trends; Community Engagement and Democracy; Strategic Partnerships; Design Thinking; Play | |
| 2019 | Aarhus | Libraries in Times of Social Crisis; Civic Media and Data Democracy; Temporary Spaces; Game Changing Tech & Emerging Trends | [7] |
| 2021 | Virtual | Next Library Online Festival | |
| 2023 | Aarhus | ||
| 2025 | Aarhus | The Sustainable Development Goals, Democracy, and Play |
| Date | Location | Themes | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Helsinki | Next Library Camp | ||
| 2010 | Reykjavik | NORDIC CAMP 1 | ||
| 2011 | Stockholm | NORDIC CAMP 2 | ||
| 2012 | Oslo | NORDIC CAMP 3 | ||
| 2014 | Chicago, USA | |||
| 2018 | Berlin | |||
| 2026 | Myeong-Dong, Seoul | Reimagine the Library; Inclusive Libraries: Beyond Open Doors; Content, Experience, Exploration; Why Place Still Matters: Libraries as Places | First Next Library conference hosted in Asia |
Advocacy and awards
edit- International Systematic - Joy of Reading Award winners[8]
- 2017: FunDza Literacy Trust
- 2019: Za'atari Camp Libraries
- 2023: Celebrated the winners of the EIFL Public Library Innovation Award[9][10]
- Biblioteca de la Creatividad in Colombia;
- Eastlands Library in Kenya,
- Naujoji Vilnia Library in Lithuania,
- Public Library ‘Radislav Nikčević’ in Serbia
- 2025: first Changemaker Award
- Take Away Library Packs – Athens Comics Library, Greece
- Craft, Play, Share - Centro Culturale Multiplo di Cavriago, Italy
Notable attendees
edit- Glòria Pérez-Salmerón
- Nobuo Yoshinari
- Daliana Suryawinata
- Menno Schilthuizen
- Yoeri Albrecht
- Christopher Breedlove, with Burners Without Borders
- Dr. Louise Bernard, Director of the Museum of the Obama Presidential Center
- Herman Wasserman
- Nina Simon
- Sandi Hilal
- R. David Lankes
- Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
- Deborah Jacobs, Director of the Global Libraries program with the Gates Foundation[11]
- Rahm Emanuel
- John G. Palfrey, Jr.
- Tina Sciabica, CEO of READ Global
- Gerfried Stocker
- Pat Losinski, former CEO of Columbus Metropolitan Library
- Helene Blowers, founder of 23 Things
- Gene Tan, Chief Innovation Officer at Singapore's Library Board
- Eppo van Nispen tot Sevenaer
- June Garcia, winner of the 2019 ALA Medal of Excellence
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Memories / Archive". www.nextlibrary.net.
- ↑ "Mayor Emanuel Announces Chicago Public Library Awarded Grant for WiFi Hotspot Lending".
- ↑ Bodisco, Corinna von (12 September 2018). "Bibliotheken neu erfinden" – via Tagesspiegel.
- ↑ "About". www.nextlibrary.net.
- ↑ "The Next Library of Aarhus - EIFL". www.eifl.net.
- ↑ "International, Interactive Innovation - Next Library 2017".
- ↑ "Ideas for building the 'next' libraries for Africa | EIFL". www.eifl.net. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ "Systematic kicks off hunt for world's best reading project | Systematic". via.ritzau.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ Ebmark, Emily (2023-05-14). "Prize winners bring play into their libraries". Next Library. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ "Systematic - Joy of Reading". Systematic.com. 15 June 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022.
- ↑ "How Libraries Are Turning the Page on Global Development". New America. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
External links
edit- Official website - https://www.nextlibrary.net/