In today’s world, libraries are evolving to address some of the most pressing societal challenges. No longer limited to their traditional roles centered on books and readership, a new generation of libraries is emerging as dynamic hubs of community engagement, identity building, and societal well-being. These modern libraries foster citizen participation, meet the needs of vulnerable populations, preserve cultural heritage, and contribute to sustainable development and growth at local, regional, and national levels.
Libraries have the potential to act as catalysts for service innovation, tackling 21st-century European challenges such as aging populations, migration, and social inclusion. By offering high-quality, forward-thinking services, libraries are becoming vital players in addressing societal demands. Technology plays a pivotal role in this transformation, leveraging digital advancements and innovative tools like artificial intelligence to deliver impactful solutions.
The foundation of innovation in libraries lies in a new paradigm of service provision. This paradigm prioritizes:
√ Co-creation and active user engagement.
√ Multi-agent collaboration, bringing together diverse stakeholders.
√ Technological and organizational transformations, complementing each other to create synergy.
√ An open innovation culture that fosters collaborative skills, advanced managerial models, and robust policy support.
Researchers, practitioners, publishers, authors, and policymakers have a unique opportunity to collaborate and transform libraries into engines of economic, social, cultural, and public value creation. Through joint efforts, this new generation of libraries can unlock their immense potential to shape a brighter future.
The upcoming international conference builds on the groundbreaking work of the Horizon Europe project LibrarIN (https://librarin.eu/), focusing on value co-creation and social innovation in libraries. Together, let’s reimagine libraries as key players in addressing societal challenges and creating lasting impact.
We are looking forward to seeing you in Alcalá de Henares, an historical and cultural town, declared a World Heritage Site in 1998 and is the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, universally renowned for his novel “Don Quixote”. Furthermore, Alcalá University is a modern Institution, founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499: a novel educational project at the time.
The Local Organizing Committee
