To meet this emotional need, our libraries in Taiwan and Scotland launched a collaborative postcard and reflective writing project. The library transformed into a safe space, guiding pupils to express their feelings through artwork and storytelling. After exchanging these postcards, both libraries are displaying the cards in our library spaces, creating a physical bridge of empathy. Although we faced challenges with students opening up at first, we are fully committed to continuing this journey.

Despite these challenges, the project has created a "real buzz" in our schools. As Emma shared: "Our pupils were excited to write to pupils in Taiwan and loved to create the artwork." Furthermore, collaborating as international librarians to come up with this project refreshed our shared passion for our profession. This ongoing project proves that when libraries step up as agents of change, we can help students break through their emotional walls and build a truly inclusive, empathetic global community.

The short story dispenser, located in the Main Library of Hong Kong Baptist University, was originally designed and built by Short Édition, a French publishing start-up that pioneered the concept of a short-story vending machine. Through this innovation, the company seeks to raise literary awareness, encourage new and emerging writers, and highlight the importance and timeliness of literature in everyday life.

Building on this vision, the library installed the dispenser in the Main Library, allowing users to select and print free 1-, 3-, or 5-minute stories on sustainable paper using ink-free thermal printing technology. Beyond the stories curated from Short Édition's online platform, the machine also features literary works contributed by HKBU faculty and students, giving the service a distinctly local dimension.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Mobile Internet Lab (MiLa) visits a local food bank where community members of all ages have access to free digital resources and internet connectivity. While the vehicle is parked, the surrounding neighborhood gains free Wi-Fi access (up to 90 feet around the vehicle). Librarians provide children’s activities and outdoor storytimes while adults receive assistance applying for jobs and community resources. Staff also create library cards and distribute handouts with instructions for accessing library services and digital tools. 

The Athenaeum Library in Melbourne is a subscriber library with a venerable track record of serving their members’ needs. While the Athenaeum’s service model may differ from a public or academic library’s, the relationship between the library and its members is just as multifaceted and user-centric. One of the key aspects of the Athenaeum’s role is as a third space for its members. As a result, ensuring the library’s physical space is inviting and accessible is a high priority.

One example of the Athenaeum’s space is its elevator. The historic splendor has been preserved, and the elevator has been operational since 1930. An elevator may not seem “cutting edge,” but within the context of the Athenaeum, that’s precisely the point. The elevator is a highly useful aspect of the building that makes the space more accessible while maintaining a distinctive aesthetic identity.

The elevator’s direct impact is that it makes it easier for members to utilise the space, attend events, etc. However, there’s a symbolic dimension here, too. The Athenaeum has kept the same elevator operational for nearly a century. This is emblematic of a deeper philosophy - exercising stewardship over what one already has instead of chasing novelty. The Athenaeum’s services are grounded in the known needs of their members, which sustains their organisational identity and attracts growth organically.  

In the context of rapid digital transformation and diverse learning needs among students, the Library and information Center ofPhenikaa University and The Information Literacy section within the Library System of the Catholic University of Santa Fe addresse the challenge of equitable access to knowledge, collaborative learning spaces, and inclusive academic support. Many students, particularly first-year and interdisciplinary learners, require not only resources but also guidance, connection, and a sense of belonging within the academic community.

To respond to this need, the library has developed a series of integrated services, including open-access learning spaces, themed reading events, digital literacy workshops, and community-building programs such as “Reading Culture Day” and student-led knowledge-sharing sessions. The library also collaborates with academic departments and external partners to create inclusive environments, such as modern self-study rooms sponsored by industry partners and accessible digital resources for all users.

These initiatives transform the library into a dynamic hub of engagement, where students actively participate rather than passively consume information. The impact is reflected in increased library usage, stronger peer connections, and improved student confidence in academic and research skills. More importantly, the library fosters a culture of inclusion and lifelong learning, reinforcing its role as a catalyst for positive change within the university community. 

The Okavango Research Institute, situated in Maun, Botswana, undertakes research on the Okavango Delta and related wetlands. To support this mandate, the ORI Library preserves and provides access to unique research materials documenting the environmental, cultural, and scientific heritage of the Ngamiland region. The library supports research, lifelong learning, and knowledge access for the institute community, distance education students, stakeholders, and members of the public with interests in natural resource management. Over the years, the library has served as a custodian of valuable personal collections aimed at addressing gaps in locally generated knowledge that is often unavailable through conventional publishing channels.

Information sources in these collections include field notes, research reports, unpublished reports, aerial maps, artefacts, rare books, films, and personal correspondence. Such materials are frequently held by individual scholars, researchers, or enthusiasts with a strong passion for the field. When these resources are not properly curated and preserved, they risk becoming inaccessible to students, researchers, and the wider community, thereby limiting access to important historical and locally generated knowledge. To address this challenge, the ORI Library continues to identify, assess, archive, and integrate relevant personal collections into unique special collections. The library is currently processing its fifth collection. The collection will be processed, cataloguing, and preserved to facilitate access. These collections are significant because they safeguard Botswana’s information heritage while enhancing access to rare and locally generated knowledge resources. Through this initiative, the library strengthens its role as both a preserver and connector of local knowledge in support of research, education, and sustainable development.

A knitting program at Bobst Library at New York University brings the community together in a creative and fun way. Participants connect through love for weaving, which provides an opportunity for active communication and engagement in real life. Consequently, the screen time is significantly reduced.

The program, called Weaving Connections, is open to library staff and students at the university. Interested participants can sign up through the library's website. Everyone gathers in a library conference room, where staff members offer knitting and crocheting demonstrations for beginners before letting each participant engage in their chosen craft. The atmosphere is light and casual, with an emphasis on relaxation and creativity.

The program has several benefits for the participants. A stronger social connection among staff and students is developed through ‘natter’, which is an informal word for chatter, while focusing on overall health and wellbeing through the calming and grounding emphasis on relaxation and crafting. The sharing of a life-long skill is also a benefit to the participants. 

In today’s rapidly changing world, libraries support increasingly diverse communities by strengthening access to knowledge, fostering inclusion, and promoting lifelong learning. Academic and public libraries face growing challenges in enhancing community engagement, improving public trust in science, and ensuring equitable access to reliable information in an increasingly digital environment since many citizens still lack opportunities to develop essential information and digital literacy skills needed to navigate scientific information, digital platforms, and misinformation.

One emerging area of library engagement is citizen science, which positions libraries as inclusive spaces for collaborative knowledge creation. Through workshops, participatory research activities, exhibitions, and community events, libraries enable citizens to engage with scientific projects addressing environmental, cultural, and social challenges.

The 4EU+ ETERNITY project demonstrates how libraries can contribute to this agenda. Although not exclusively library-focused, the project explicitly recognises libraries as important actors in Open Science and Citizen Science. ETERNITY promotes public engagement in research and participatory approaches to knowledge production across partner universities.

Within this framework, the University of Warsaw Library supports citizen science through the organisation of the conference From Participation to Publication: The Role of Citizen Science in Modern Research, the development of practical recommendations for higher education institutions, and the mapping of citizen science initiatives at the University of Warsaw.

The project highlights libraries’ growing role in science communication, participatory research, and expanding public access to knowledge.

Many learners in secondary and tertiary institutions face challenges related to limited access to quality academic resources, inadequate research skills, and insufficient exposure to collaborative learning environments. In response to these challenges, the University of Kabianga Library has strengthened its role as an inclusive academic and community-centered information hub by creating a welcoming environment that supports independent study, peer learning, and information literacy development among young learners.

Besides university students, the library regularly hosts secondary school students within its learning spaces and provides access to diverse print and reference collections across disciplines such as science, hospitality, business, and social sciences. Through guided reading activities, collaborative study sessions, and open shelf access, learners are encouraged to interact with scholarly materials, improve reading culture, and enhance critical thinking skills. The library environment promotes inquiry-based learning by allowing students to engage actively with books, reference sources, and peer discussions in a supportive academic setting.

The initiative has contributed to increased student engagement with library resources, improved reading habits, enhanced teamwork among learners, and greater confidence in academic research and information seeking. By nurturing a culture of reading and collaborative scholarship, the library continues to serve as an agent of educational transformation, inclusion, and community building. Opening our premises, services, and resources to the high school students helps address some of the weaknesses of library systems in secondary education institutions.

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has left many community members unsure where to begin and uncertain whom to trust for reliable guidance. The Understanding AI in the Workforce program was created to meet the growing need for clear, accessible, and unbiased information. As a trusted source of information, Boston Public Library designed an in person, staff led practical workshop to introduce the fundamentals of how AI works.

Through demonstrations, discussion, and case studies, participants explored real world applications such as chatbots in customer service, automated marketing tools, and algorithmic screening in hiring. The workshop also created space to examine issues of fairness and bias, transparency, and the limits of machine decision making. The conversational approach helped attendees build the confidence to ask informed, critical questions about AI in daily life and the workplace.

The impact is substantial. Participants left with a clearer understanding of how AI appears in everyday contexts, greater confidence in evaluating AI driven systems, and a stronger ability to advocate for ethical and responsible technology use. The workshop strengthens digital literacy and supports long term career resilience in a rapidly evolving job market.

University libraries in some cases present significant structural barriers for students with disabilities. Navigating complex catalog databases, physical book stacks, and unformatted digital PDFs can be an overwhelming and isolating process. Standard assistive technologies often fail when dealing with poorly scanned heritage documents or dense academic layouts. This leaves many disabled students facing severe delays in accessing the critical materials they need for their studies. To bridge this gap, we propose to implement into our libraries an ecosystem of AI driven accessibility services using zero-cost or already licensed tools (like Microsoft 365 and open-source platforms like HuggingFace) for students with disabilities.

Key solutions and benefits:

• AI- enhanced OCR digitization: we propose integrating open-source AI models available through HuggingFace to enhance our existing OCR digitalization services. This would reduce waiting times and ensure students with visual impairments could receive screen reading compatible materials in a timely manner as well as preparation for exams and complete assignments at the same pace as their classmates.

• AI-powered web accessibility layer: we propose training students in the use of Microsoft Copilot or Microsoft Edge Immersive Reader as an AI- powered accessibility layer that extracts, simplifies and reads content from any webpages regardless of its native accessibility compliance. This would reduce their dependence on library staff and build confidence in self-directed research.

• AI-powered live captioning for library sessions: Leveraging Microsoft 365 tools already available in our institutions like Microsoft Teams we propose activating real time AI captioning during library orientation sessions to ensure students with hearing impairments can fully participate in all library sessions without requiring additional software.

The National Library of Chile, located in downtown Santiago, has a 213-year history. Its current building began operating 100 years ago with a Children's Room, serving a context of widespread illiteracy and lack of schooling among children. Today, after 65 years closed, this original and historic idea is being revived, expanding its audience to include children who are beginning to develop reading habits and, at the same time, become literate through their cultural heritage.

The Santiago municipality has approximately 400,000 inhabitants, but a floating population of over 2 million people. However, its library services are not adequately developed for children. Furthermore, today, within a 1 km radius, there is a high density of residential buildings housing young families and children, with no recreational spaces other than their own daycare centers and small squares, all amid heavy vehicular traffic.

This welcoming space blends modern design with the children's pyrography on its walls. It was financed by the Ministry of Social Development, which, through the Ministry of Culture, contributed to the implementation of a Network of Children's Rooms in the country's main public libraries. This has provided the community with access to quality children's literature, a wide range of cultural outreach programs to promote and encourage reading, the appreciation of the history and heritage they inhabit, as well as training for adults in responsible parenting, with the vision of building a culture where childhood is the center, a library service for children, with and from children, their imagination, dreams, and fantasies inside our palace of books.

The UniSQ Library Makerspace is a place for students to create hands-on projects with 3D printers, electronics, craft and more. Entrepreneurship has recently been added to the list of workshop sessions run by the UniSQ Library for students who are interested in starting their own side hustle or small business. The first iteration of the workshop was open to the public and featured expert speakers.

These sessions are based around the idea of 'Lean Startup' methodology, where you can try out different business ideas by spending very little money and create something on a budget. The workshops provide an accessible and supportive space for participants to develop their ideas.

Feedback after the first session was overwhelmingly positive. Participants enjoyed and benefited from the sessions. As people increasingly turn to side hustles to make extra money, there is a clear rationale for continuing to support these endeavours.

The events was organized as part of the Book Day and Dance Day celebration at the Central Library of the „B.P. Hasdeu” Municipal Library, transforming the library space into a lively environment where literature and movement came together in a shared cultural experience. The initiative highlighted the library’s role as a place not only for reading and learning, but also for creativity, expression, and community joy.

During the event, around 55 librarians engaged the audience through expressive reading sessions, bringing stories and literary texts to life. In parallel, 20 children participated in dance performances inspired by the themes of the readings, creating a dynamic dialogue between word and movement. The interaction between reading and dance fostered a festive atmosphere that encouraged participation, imagination, and emotional connection to literature.

The celebration brought together children, families, and library staff in an intergenerational setting that promoted cultural engagement and active learning. It demonstrated how libraries can integrate performing arts into their programs to enhance reading culture and attract diverse audiences. 

The All In Activities program was developed in response to a growing need for inclusive and affordable social opportunities for adults in the community. Library staff identified a gap in regular programs that welcomed adults of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels, particularly those seeking low-pressure social connection and creative engagement. Many community members, including newcomers and people experiencing social isolation, benefit from safe and supportive environments where they can participate at their own pace.

To address this need, the City of Palmerston Library delivers a free weekly arts and crafts program every Tuesday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm in the Community Room. The program offers a relaxed drop-in format where participants can engage in self-directed creative activities with guidance from staff. All materials are provided free of charge, ensuring accessibility for everyone. In addition, once a month an external provider delivers a guided creative workshop, introducing participants to new skills and experiences.

The program has created tangible social and wellbeing benefits for participants. It encourages regular community participation, reduces feelings of isolation, and builds creative confidence in a welcoming environment. Participants have opportunities to form friendships, engage socially, and improve wellbeing through relaxed and meaningful activity. The initiative has also strengthened the library’s role as an inclusive community hub that supports connection, creativity, and lifelong learning. 

In 2025 as part of WordFest Wakefield Libraries Literacy festival with the support of funding from Arts Council England were thrilled to take performances into four schools, across the district.

Tmesis theatre’s performance of “The Wonder Shelf” reach 998 children across two days. We received wonderful feedback and a lot of smiling faces.

The show offered the opportunity to step into a magical bookcase where myths and legends burst into life! Join us on an unforgettable adventure packed with puppetry, music, and laughter. A celebration of imagination and the joy of reading. Perfect for curious minds and dreamers of all ages.

WordFest aims to increase confidence and ownership of the power of words in all their forms and make connections between words expressed in different contexts and formats. It was designed to take a different approach to traditional literary festivals and embrace words expressed in a much broader range of creative disciplines. The festival has developed a variety of cross- sectoral and cross-departmental partnerships introducing a strong element of co-creation with young people, raising confident new voices, and improving engagement with our creative sector through the medium of words.

Open Access is evolving across global contexts in response to rising journal costs, aiming to make scholarly work openly available to anyone, anywhere. UNESCO defines Open Access (OA) as the unrestricted availability and use of scientific knowledge in digital form.

In India, centralized and government-supported initiatives such as One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) and Shodhganga have expanded national-scale access to research outputs. In Canada, federated and library-led models such as Scholaris and platforms like Érudit emphasize library-supported infrastructure to provide scholarly communication.

OA Initiatives: India vs Canada

The Action: How is the library implementing this service?

This project undertakes a comparative analysis of Open Access infrastructures in Indian and in Canada to identify complementary strengths. It examines national funding models, repository systems, open access publishing repositories and community engagement strategies. Building on this analysis, the project proposes a library-led framework to enhance discoverability and integration of open access resources through improved metadata practices to facilitate users ability to find research in local languages.

The Impact: What are the tangible benefits for the users?

Ability to access high quality Open Access research articles. Metadata enhancements can support users' ability to find diverse scholarly outputs, strengthen international collaboration and positions libraries as active agents of change in advancing inclusive, community-focused open access ecosystems.

Prior to the week of final exams, outreach and instruction librarians at the University of Texas at Dallas’ McDermott Library hosted a gathering for students called Good Luck with Finals. Librarians provided drinks, snacks, university-branded goodies, materials promoting library services and collections, and relaxing activities such as coloring pages.This event is held every semester as a way to provide an easy environment that also familiarizes students with how the library can help them in their studies. This semester was wildly successful; 100 students arrived within the first 10 minutes, with over 250 streaming in over the course of the evening. Librarians achieved this success by identifying and providing what students need and are interested in during this stressful time of the year. Librarians truly met students where they were, providing a place for them to relax, socialize, study, and become more comfortable within the library. By creating this welcoming and cozy space, the library proved that it’s not just a place for books, but a real second home where students feel cared for and supported when they need it most. 

The evolution of Artificial Intelligence has sparked a global debate regarding the future of information professionals and librarians. Often this is overshadowing the indispensable human element of curation and ethical guidance. Addressing this challenge, we exchanged perspectives from the UK health library sector and the American Spaces and librarians network of Cameroon. We found out that our library users need for clarity and professional oversight in an increasingly automated world.

To implement this, we are going to create awareness sessions. These sessions focus on public workshops and guided discussions that demystify AI while championing the librarian as an irreplaceable human element. By highlighting how human expertise filters through bias and ensures research integrity, the action moves into practical advocacy for the profession.

The impact for users is a heightened state of critical AI literacy. Participants are equipped with the skills to distinguish between AI-generated "hallucinations" and verified facts, ensuring they can utilise emerging tools safely and effectively. Ultimately, this program empowers the community to engage with technology with confidence, knowing that the librarian remains a grounded, human safeguard against misinformation.

Reading Aloud from Day One: A Library Workshop for Babies and Parents, Belgrade City Library, Serbia

Context

Location: Neven Library branch – bringing families together to spend quality time in a safe, welcoming smoke-free environment with carpet and warm vinyl flooring, suitable for infants through young children (0–5 years).

Frequency: Twice a month – one weekday session and one Saturday session to encourage attendance of Dads.

Time: 11 a.m.

Participants: Babies aged 4–18 months and parents. Up to 8 families per session.

Duration: Approximately one hour.

Action

Sessions begin with music while babies settle in. Parents sit on floor cushions in a circle with babies on their laps.

The librarian reads a short, age-appropriate story (e.g. Brown Bear, The Very Hungry Caterpillar), bringing it to life through animal sounds and movements — waddling like a duck, jumping like a frog — so babies experience storytelling through movement, sound, and rhythm. Popular stories may be repeated.

Afterwards, babies explore books and simple story props such as rubber ducks or soft toys. Older babies may scribble story characters with paper and crayons alongside their parents.

Sessions continue with educational toys, many donated by library families. Parents are introduced to the library's parenting collection and occasionally joined by speech therapists, pediatricians, and educators for informal guidance.

Registration

Announced five days in advance via Instagram and Facebook. Registration closes at 12–14 applications, with typical attendance of 8–9 babies.

Impact

At these sessions babies enjoy a shared story experience while parents gain practical techniques for reading aloud at home — building confidence, connection, and a love of books from the very start.

Project "Let us read togheter" began in our library in March 2025, after the purchase of new furniture in the library's children's corner. The purchase of new furniture was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Lepoglava.

Lepoglava is a town in the northwest of Croatia and is a rural area, so we are experiencing a decline in population numbers, which has a negative impact on the library. In order to attract our users to use library services from an early age, we have created this project. The reading of the story and a workshop related to what was read are led by a teacher from one of our elementary schools, and we are financing it with funds received from Varaždin County. We celebrate many important dates through readings and workshops.

In 2025, we held 25 readings with workshops and hosted over 350 children plus parents, which we are extremely pleased about because entire families participate in our project.

The readings and workshops continue this year, so far we have held 18 of them and hosted over 390 children plus parents.

Our meetings are not just reading, they are socializing, playing, meeting, creativity, exchanging ideas, meetings for parents and children, fun, research, but also experiential learning.

We chose this topic because my colleagues and I are extremely involved in the daily life of our communities and this example shows both the engagement of the library as well as the community.

Books have a unique way of finding the right reader at the right time. Find Your Literary Soulmate is an exciting journey of discovery that invites readers to step beyond their usual choices and embrace the magic of surprise. In this activity, books are carefully wrapped so that their titles and covers remain hidden, allowing readers to choose based only on a few intriguing clues. The mystery creates a sense of anticipation and encourages participants to explore stories, genres, and authors they may never have considered before.

Just as people sometimes find unexpected friendships, readers can discover a special connection with a book they would otherwise have overlooked. Each selection becomes a blind date with a story waiting to be explored. Some books may inspire, others may challenge, and many will leave lasting memories long after the final page is turned.

This experience celebrates the joy of reading, curiosity, and open-mindedness. It reminds us that great books are not always the ones we expect to love, but often the ones that surprise us the most. By taking a chance on an unknown title, readers may uncover a new favorite author, a captivating adventure, or a meaningful story that speaks directly to their hearts. In the end, every book has the potential to become someone's literary soulmate. 

Since the global pandemic, our patrons have been challenged by social isolation and the rising cost of living. In 2024, our library partnered with a local rural agricultural society to create the Community Growing Patch, where people can come together to address food insecurity and learn sustainable gardening practices.

The land for the garden, located approximately 12 km from the Main Library, was donated by a local library lover. The produce and flowers from the Growing Patch are harvested and sold at a weekly farmer's market and shared amongst the program participants and garden volunteers.

During the growing season, weekly programs are held at the Growing Patch. One of our favourites include Little Wigglers, which provides a space for babies and their caregivers to socialize and garden together. We are also honoured to have an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper lead an annual Three Sisters planting, which brings people of all ages together in an act of reconciliation and garden joy!