Libraries for Europe

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Libraries for Europe

A strategic focus of the European Cultural Foundation. Building on 5 years of collaboration with 100+libraries in 30 countries.

Driving The Europe Challenge, a programme empowering libraries & communities to shape a better future for Europe.

03/09/2026

Introducing the partners and organisations behind BUDDIES! Say hello to Dina Ntziora from Athens Comics Library and We are Community. Swipe to learn what excites Dina about being part of BUDDIES, her favourite book, and more. ⬇️

BUDDIES is a project funded by Erasmus+, working with The Europe Challenge to support library and community workers through mentoring, networking, and policy recommendations. It is coordinated by the European Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with Aarhus Public Libraries Aarhus Bibliotekerne, Athens Comics, Library and Public Libraries 2030, and co-funded by the European Union.

25/08/2026

Meet Anna Shkreli 👋

Anna co-founded Berk, an independent publishing house in Tirana, working on intersectional research, climate education, and gender studies. With support from The Europe Challenge, Berk opened the Tirana Feminist Library in 2021.

Once the library opened, people didn't just borrow books but started donating their own, trusting the space enough to share their personal collections and exchange them with others.

As a BUDDIES mentor, Anna's biggest lesson to pass on is to actually listen! Every project and community is different, so staying open to what mentees bring matters most.

💻️ Read the full interview: https://theeuropechallenge.eu/resources/libraries-as-places-of-abundance-a-conversation-with-mentor-anna-shkreli/

BUDDIES is a project funded by Erasmus+, working with The Europe Challenge to support library and community workers through mentoring, networking, and policy recommendations. It is coordinated by the European Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with Aarhus Public Libraries, Comicdom Press and Public Libraries 2030, and co-funded by the European Union.

20/08/2026

At Immanuel Kant Public Library (Klaipėda, Lithuania), the Tastier — Together project used shared meals to address social isolation and promote sustainable living. Participants cooked and ate together, exploring healthy recipes, everyday food choices, food waste and circular economy principles, using seasonal and local ingredients.

The project itself has ended, but the food club it created hasn't. Members now meet regularly, continuing to learn and build community together.

Know more here: https://theeuropechallenge.eu/resources/41-community-led-learning-practices-to-inspire-you/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnoQOvCeX736AZqw5qKaa09Wi5JXu2Q0r9nzem8kx_Kg7atPNjHQFjNZ7JPMM_aem_saCWGYouS-LFZxQ9QaX2CQ

BUDDIES case studies collection, curated by our partner Public Libraries 2030, looks at building, belonging and community. These cases focus on social cohesion, intercultural encounter, and welcoming newcomers.

The 41 cases were collected by the four BUDDIES partners across 18 countries, drawn from their professional networks. Together, they offer a snapshot of how European public libraries are reinventing their role today, not as a single model, but as a varied, locally grounded, and continuously evolving practice.

BUDDIES is a project funded by Erasmus+, working with The Europe Challenge to support library and community workers through mentoring, networking, and policy recommendations. It is coordinated by the European Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with Aarhus Bibliotekerne, Athens Comics Library and Public Libraries 2030, and co-funded by the European Union.

14/08/2026

In Bogotá, with a 2-hour average commute and 8M+ residents, waiting for people to visit libraries isn't always an option. So the libraries stopped waiting.

To learn more about outreach strategies that bring community and public libraries together, through Alexander Zambrano's work as Head of Knowledge Management and Public Innovation at the Bogotá Library System, watch the session here: https://youtu.be/Gz3ugt2LMvk?si=qfMdachE7E402lCJ

As part of our Erasmus+ project BUDDIES – Connected Libraries & Communities, the Aarhus Public Libraries is organising a series of masterclasses along the themes of The Europe Challenge programme: Digital, Green, and Social.

BUDDIES is a project funded by Erasmus+, working with The Europe Challenge to support library and community workers through mentoring, networking, and policy recommendations. It is coordinated by the European Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with Aarhus Public Libraries, Athens Comics. Library and Public Libraries 2030, and co-funded by the European Union.

13/08/2026

🎲 ZUGOM is an annual board game festival held in the park next to the Biblioteca comunale di Concesio. The name comes from the Brescian dialect and means "let's play". The festival turns the library and its outdoor space into a shared gaming area where people of different ages can meet at the same table.

The case shows how games can be used as a serious community-building tool without losing their informality and joy. Gaming helps people interact quickly, including across age groups and levels of previous library use.

Know more here: https://theeuropechallenge.eu/resources/41-community-led-learning-practices-to-inspire-you/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnoQOvCeX736AZqw5qKaa09Wi5JXu2Q0r9nzem8kx_Kg7atPNjHQFjNZ7JPMM_aem_saCWGYouS-LFZxQ9QaX2CQ

BUDDIES case studies collection, curated by our partner Public Libraries 2030, looks at building, belonging and community. These cases focused on social cohesion, intercultural encounter, and welcoming newcomers.

The 41 cases were collected by the four BUDDIES partners across 18 countries, drawn from their professional networks. Together, they offer a snapshot of how European public libraries are reinventing their role today, not as a single model, but as a varied, locally grounded, and continuously evolving practice.

BUDDIES is a project funded by Erasmus+, working with The Europe Challenge to support library and community workers through mentoring, networking, and policy recommendations. It is coordinated by the European Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with Aarhus Bibliotekerne, Athens Comics Library and Public Libraries 2030, and co-funded by the European Union.

06/08/2026

Our partner, Public Libraries 2030, surveyed 222 library staff across 32 countries. They discovered unexpected things, useful for understanding where libraries stand and where they are going, through the eyes and feelings of librarians.

Libraries are rich, active, community-minded spaces, run by people who know exactly where they want to grow. What stands between them and deeper co-creation is not a lack of skill or commitment: it is time, support, and the chance to learn from one another.

Read more here: https://theeuropechallenge.eu/resources/what-we-learned-from-our-pan-european-librarians-survey-three-key-takeaways/

BUDDIES is a project funded by Erasmus+, working with The Europe Challenge to support library and community workers through mentoring, networking, and policy recommendations. It is coordinated by the European Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with Aarhus Public Libraries, Athens Comics Library and Public Libraries 2030, and co-funded by the European Union.

30/07/2026

Belém Public Library's Time Bank in Lisbon is a community-led exchange system in which members trade hours of their skills instead of money. From pet-sitting to language sharing to soup-making lessons. 🥘

Since September 2025, it's connected people across ages, neighbourhoods, languages and backgrounds who'd otherwise never meet.

Time banks aren't new, but inside a public library, they turn visitors into both givers and receivers. A small, low-cost idea that reshapes how a library is perceived.

💡 Know more here: https://theeuropechallenge.eu/resources/41-community-led-learning-practices-to-inspire-you/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnoQOvCeX736AZqw5qKaa09Wi5JXu2Q0r9nzem8kx_Kg7atPNjHQFjNZ7JPMM_aem_saCWGYouS-LFZxQ9QaX2CQ

BUDDIES case studies collection, curated by our partner Public Libraries 2030, looks at building, belonging and community. These cases focus on social cohesion, intercultural encounter, and welcoming newcomers.

The 41 cases were collected by the four BUDDIES partners across 18 countries, drawn from their professional networks. Together, they offer a snapshot of how European public libraries are reinventing their role today, not as a single model, but as a varied, locally grounded, and continuously evolving practice.

BUDDIES is a project funded by Erasmus+, working with The Europe Challenge to support library and community workers through mentoring, networking, and policy recommendations. It is coordinated by the European Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with Aarhus Bibliotekerne, Athens Comics Library and Public Libraries 2030, and co-funded by the European Union.

29/07/2026

Libraries have always been quiet anchors in their communities, but what does it look like when they actively become BUDDIES to the people they serve?

That's what we are exploring through this project: how public libraries across Europe are evolving into spaces for connection, co-creation, and community resilience, not just access to books.

Explore BUDDIES and see how libraries are stepping into this role:
theeuropechallenge.eu/buddies

BUDDIES is a project funded by Erasmus+, working with The Europe Challenge to support library and community workers through mentoring, networking, and policy recommendations. It is coordinated by the European Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with Aarhus Public Libraries, Athens Comics Library and Public Libraries 2030, and co-funded by the European Union.

28/07/2026

Libraries are among Europe’s most important social infrastructures, supporting millions of people every day.

A new EU report, Strengthening Europe through Public Libraries, brings together insights from 36 experts across 25 EU countries, highlighting the vital role libraries play in strengthening communities, promoting inclusion, and tackling today’s key challenges.

The report also shares inspiring examples and practical recommendations to help libraries maximise their impact across Europe.

Check it out, together with more resources, at theeuropechallenge.eu/omcreport - link in our bio!

Illustrations by Katrina Günther, Katrina Günther (Kitty).

24/07/2026

🪴 Our Garden is a community project in the reading garden of Bibliotheek Permeke, Antwerp's central public library.

The project is a collaboration between Bibliotheek Permeke, community organisation SAAMO, the Red Star Line Museum and research bureau Endeavour.

Know more here: https://theeuropechallenge.eu/resources/41-community-led-learning-practices-to-inspire-you/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnoQOvCeX736AZqw5qKaa09Wi5JXu2Q0r9nzem8kx_Kg7atPNjHQFjNZ7JPMM_aem_saCWGYouS-LFZxQ9QaX2CQ

BUDDIES case studies collection, curated by our partner Public Libraries 2030, looks at building, belonging and community. These cases focused on social cohesion, intercultural encounter, and welcoming newcomers.

The 41 cases were collected by the four BUDDIES partners across 18 countries, drawn from their professional networks. Together, they offer a snapshot of how European public libraries are reinventing their role today, not as a single model, but as a varied, locally grounded, and continuously evolving practice.

BUDDIES is a project funded by Erasmus+, working with The Europe Challenge to support library and community workers through mentoring, networking, and policy recommendations. It is coordinated by the European Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with Aarhus Bibliotekerne, Athens Comics Library and Public Libraries 2030, and co-funded by the European Union.

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