Presenters Bio
MONDAY 26 OCTOBER
Amsterdam
Tommi Laitio
Chair | IFLA Metropolitan Libraries
Tommi is is an internationally recognized city leader and strategist and the Principal and Founder of Studio Laitio, an urban consultancy specialized in in public innovation, public life, youth engagement, civic participation, and public sector leadership. Tommi consults libraries and other civic institutions around the worl on pragmatic solutions to urban friction. The work builds on his award-winning work as City of Helsinki’s Director of Youth Affairs and as the city’s inaugural Executive Director for Culture and Leisure. Based on his innovative leadership, Tommi was appointed by Johns Hopkins University as the inaugural Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow where his international research focused on friction in partnerships for parks and public libraries. Tommi holds an MA in Political Science and an Executive MBA and lives in Los Angeles.
Martin Berendse | CEO of the OBA (Amsterdam Public Library) | The Netherlands
Martin lives and works in Amsterdam and has been CEO of the OBA (Amsterdam Public Library) since 2014. With a network of 30 branch libraries, the OBA is the largest urban library network in the Netherlands. He also serves as vice chair of the Advisory Committee on Open Government and Information Management (ACOI), an advisory body to the Dutch government on the topics of freedom of information (FOI) and information management in the public sector.
From 2008 to 2014, Berendse served as National Archivist and CEO of the National Archives of the Netherlands. At that time, he was also president of the International Council on Archives. Prior to that, he held positions including Director of the Arts Department at the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and served in various roles in the theater sector. Berendse majored in law and archival sciences.
Marjoleine Molenaar, member of the G4 planning commitee
Executive Secretary at Rotterdam Public Library | The Netherlands
Marjoleine Molenaar is Executive Secretary at Rotterdam Public Library and holds wide experience in library innovation and cultural programming. She is also the author of the acclaimed non-fiction book Banned Books. Through her writing, podcasts and programming, she aims to create space for profound and joyful public dialogue on literary and academic freedom -from classrooms and lectures to language cafés.
Loes Damhof
Keynote
Loes Damhof is an award-winning educator and public speaker, internationally recognised for developing Futures Literacy Laboratories and training programs.
She currently is the UNESCO Chair holder on Futures Literacy in Higher Education at Hanze where she helps students, professionals and organisations around the globe to embed futures thinking into their strategy, learning and decision-making to strengthen long-term resilience and embrace uncertainty. Her doctoral thesis is on the agency of space and time in public works.
Pegor Papazian
Keynote
Pegor is co-founder and Chief Development Officer of TUMO Centre for Creative Technologies, an international educational model where young people develop skills at the intersection of technology, design and creativity. At OBA Next, TUMO now has a permanent home where young people can explore technology, design and creative learning. Pegor Papazian takes us on an inspiring journey through curiosity, ownership and the skills needed for tomorrow’s world.
Gene Tan
Keynote
Gene is Chief Librarian and Deputy Chief Executive (Strategy & Experience) at Singapore’s National Library & Archives Board (NLB), leading professional development, strategic planning, and user experience transformation.
He spearheaded LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025) and directed two 2025 showcases for Singapore’s 60th anniversary: the SG60 Heart&Soul Experience and the Albatross File Exhibition.
Previously, as Executive Director of the Singapore Bicentennial Office, he led the Singapore Bicentennial commemoration, including the record-breaking Bicentennial Experience at Fort Canning, and was Creative Director of the SG50 capstone event, The Future of Us Exhibition. Earlier, he was Director of the National Library (developing the Singapore Memory Project) and President of the Library Association of Singapore.
Nate Hill | Metropolitan New York Library Council | USA
Nate is the Executive Director of the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), our local library network which serves as the institutional home for projects like the Archipelago Commons, the Cross-Reference Coalition, the Library Field, as well as many others. In the past, Nate has worked at the Brooklyn Public Library (NY), San Jose Public Library (CA), and Chattanooga Public Library (TN). Nate was a past affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, is currently a fellow with Library Futures at New York University’s Engelberg Center, and was a past participant in the International Network of Emerging Library Innovators (INELI) with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Nate studied art as an undergraduate at Skidmore College, and got his Masters degree in Library and Information Science at Pratt Institute. Nate is at his happiest when he’s making, building, or contributing to new things, whether those things are sculptures, gardens, communities, or organizations.
Terry Kirchner | Metropolitan New York Library Council | USA
Terry joined the Westchester Library System (WLS) as Executive Director in January 2009. In this role he works with the 38 independent public libraries in Westchester County to provide professional development and training opportunities for library staff and trustees; to offer administrative support, shared services and group purchasing to the public libraries; and to expand the community engagement of libraries, with a focus on outreach services to the unserved and underserved populations within the county. Prior to WLS, he worked at Columbia University and the New York Public Library.
Terry trained as an executive coach, earned his doctorate in Human Development, a Masters in Library Science and a MBA in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. He is currently the Chair of the New York State Public Library Systems’ Directors Organization , Chair of the Hudson Valley & Long Island 211 Policy Committee, and Vice President of the METRO Board. Terry was a founding board member of Nonprofit Westchester (NPW), serving as the Board Chair in 2018-19 and he received NPW’s Keep Westchester Thriving Service Excellence Award in 2024.
Shannon Mattern | Metropolitan New York Library Council | USA
Shannon is the Director of Creative Research at the Metropolitan New York Library Council. Previously, she held tenured full professorships in media studies, anthropology, and art history at The New School and the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of four books and the (co-)editor of six collections about media architecture, urban technology, knowledge infrastructures, local media maps, and maintenance. She was the 2025 Kluge Chair in Modern Culture at the Library of Congress. You can find her at wordsinspace.net
Anna Au | Vienna University of Technology | Austria
Anna is a scientist studying the public health value of the public library. She is currently serving as the Information Coordinator of IFLA’s SciTech Section. Her work at the section includes raising its profile in the scientific community and science engagement community. She is also a science communicator with the occasional dark sense of humour.
Sidsel Bech-Petersen | Aarhus Public Libraries | Denmark
Head of Innovation and Co-Creation at Aarhus Public Libraries, where she supports innovation projects and user involvement practices across the library system.
From 2005–2015, she supported the process of transforming the Main Library in Aarhus into Dokk1, Scandinavia’s largest public library, which opened in 2015. Since 2017, she has focused on strengthening community engagement and library transformation through co-creation and design-driven approaches.
Between 2013 and 2020, she was part of the team at Aarhus Public Libraries that worked with Chicago Public Library and IDEO to develop the Design Thinking for Libraries toolkit, helping libraries better understand and respond to community needs.
Her work also includes Next Library, an international platform for conferences and innovation camps. She holds a Master’s degree in Information Science and Multimedia from Aarhus University (2005) and was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2019.
Ellen Hartman | OCLC
In her role as OCLC’s Leaders Council Manager, Ellen Hartman facilitates engagement with library leaders worldwide. With a background in libraries, archives, and research she has been with OCLC for 11 years, during which she has worked directly with libraries and library leaders on strategy and service improvement. Ellen brings a holistic approach to libraries and information management. Passionate about bringing stories about librarianship to life, she explores how technology can support the library of the future and shares how OCLC makes knowledge and information accessible worldwide.
Janpier Brands | Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences | The Netherlands
Janpier Brands (1967) works for Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. In Leeuwarden, he was instrumental in establishing the Minerva Academy for Pop Culture (BA), which eventually resulted in an independent, officially accredited (CROHO) degree program in Popular Culture. He also developed the cultural hotspot Neushoorn—a venue that also serves as a vocational training center for creative professions. In Rotterdam, he served as director of the alternative cultural center WORM, where he introduced a network-driven programming approach. Since September 2025, he has been the program director of Cultuur&Campus Putselaan in Rotterdam-Feijenoord.
TUESDAY 27 OCTOBER
Utrecht
Jantien Borsboom
Keynote
Director of PublicSpaces
Jantien has been committed to a fair digital society for a long time. In the past, Jantien worked for various cultural institutions in the Netherlands where she led digital projects, often with a critical approach. For example, she founded the DigiLab at the Library of Midden-Brabant, a place for getting acquainted with and critical discussions about new media and new technology. She also developed KennisCloud: a hybrid community platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration on societal issues. Jantien has a strong interest in the possibilities of the digital world, specifically in the boundary between digital and physical and how they merge. She likes to connect ideas, people, projects and organizations to shape a better future together.
R. David Lankes
Keynote
Virginia & Charles Bowden Professor of Librarianship | The University of Texas at Austin | USA
R. David Lankes is the Virginia & Charles Bowden Professor of Librarianship at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Computing. He is the recipient of ALA’s Reference and User Services Association 2021 Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award for distinguished contribution to reference librarianship. His book, The Atlas of New Librarianship won the 2012 ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Award for the Best Book in Library Literature. Lankes is a passionate advocate for librarians and their essential role in today’s society.
Erin Kissane
Keynote
Writer, researcher and speaker | USA
Erin Kissane is a writer, researcher, and speaker focused on the way the internet shapes what we know and how we live. She publishes at wreckage/salvage and co-runs Unbreaking, a networked volunteer collective making sense of the hollowing-out and weaponization of the US government. Previously, she co-founded The Covid Tracking Project at The Atlantic and was part of the founding team at OpenNews, a nonprofit organization and conference series dedicated to bringing journalists together to strengthen the media landscape.
Roos Polman | Programme Lead for Citizenship at Utrecht Library | The Netherlands
Roos Polman is Programme Lead for Citizenship at Utrecht Library, where she works with a team of programme makers to create space for residents and communities to share their stories, knowledge and perspectives in libraries across the city.
She is also the coordinator of the House of Active Citizenship, a space where residents develop citizen-led initiatives and work on social challenges. It brings together citizens, organisations and government and new coalitions are built.
Roos has a background in working with grassroots movements, social design and community building. Throughout her career, she has worked as a project leader, placemaker and community builder, focusing on creating spaces and conditions for people to connect, take initiative and contribute to their communities.
Deirdre Carasso, member of the G4 planning commitee
Managing Director Utrecht Public Library | The Netherlands
Deirdre Carasso (1970) was appointed director of the public Library Utrecht, The Netherlands, in December 2020. One of her assignments was to collaborate with the inhabitants to create the library. Democratizing the library is her mission. In accomplishing this she uses her experience as a museum director of the Municipality Museum of Schiedam (2016-2020). Before that she worked in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam and the National Archives. Deirdre is a member of the Dutch Council for Culture, a body established by law to advise the Dutch Government and Parliament on the arts, culture and media.
Karin van den Berkmortel | Programme lead Building the Library of the Future, Brainport Libraries | The Netherlands
Karin is an independent programme lead with a background in multi-year digital transformation for organisations with a public task, mainly libraries and healthcare. I work co-creatively, with the people who will use a service and the people who will have to keep it running. I am particularly interested in how public organisations can stay in charge of the technology their services depend on, and in what that asks of them in practice.
Klaartje Hilhorst | Manager Marketing, Research & Communications at Rotterdam Public Library | The Netherlands
Klaartje is an experienced Marketing & Communications professional with a background in organizations with a strong social purpose. I work from identity and positioning to create meaningful communication and customer experiences. I’m particularly interested in how technology can be made more human and how it can contribute to equal opportunities, access to knowledge and a more inclusive society.
Jos van Leeuwen | Managing Director NBD Biblion | The Netherlands
Jos is passionate about supporting the future of libraries and their public mission in an increasingly digital world. He focuses on how metadata, digital platforms, and emerging technologies can help the right books reach the right readers, enabling libraries to thrive in an increasingly hybrid society.
Brian Bannon | The New York Public Library | USA
Brian is The New York Public Library’s first-ever Merryl and James Tisch Director. Bannon is the chief librarian responsible for directing NYPL’s 88 neighborhood branches, as well as the Library’s educational strategy. Most recently, Bannon was commissioner and chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Library, serving as chief library officer for one of the largest urban public library systems in the world.
Bannon came to NYPL in 2019 with 20 years of experience in developing and implementing educational programs and leading large-scale operations that maximize impact for all citizens and contribute to a culture of learning, reading, and community learning. Before his successful tenure in Chicago, Bannon was Chief Information Officer at the San Francisco Public Library, and worked at the Seattle Public Library and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Dr. Skye Patrick | LA County Library | USA
Dr. Patrick was appointed to lead LA County Library on February 1, 2016. With a career that spans leadership roles at Broward County Library, Queens Public Library in New York, and San Francisco Public Library, she oversees LA County Library’s $230 million annual budget and 87 libraries serving over 10 million residents. From the beginning of her tenure, Dr. Patrick has centered community voice through inclusive processes ensuring residents and staff help shape library services and priorities. Her mission has been to break down barriers and expand access by developing programs that meet the needs of LA County’s diverse communities.
Dr. Patrick has focused on expanding access through fine-free policies, extended hours, in-person tutoring, modernized programs and marketing, facility and IT improvements, and cross-sector partnerships, while leading through fiscal challenges. She has led over 30 library renovations, new builds, and refurbishments. Under her leadership, the library amassed more than $50 million in grant funds and collaborations with other service entities.
Katelijne Morreel | Permeke Library, Central Library Antwerp | Belgium
Katelijne Morreel is the General Manager of the Permeke Central Library in Antwerp. With a background in communications focused on the public promotion of culture and leisure, she is deeply committed to fostering cultural participation and inclusion. Her work aims to create a lasting impact on literacy and community engagement.
Mirjam Kort | VluchtelingenWerk Nederland / Dutch Council for Refugees
Mirjam is Director of Operations at VluchtelingenWerk Nederland, where she is responsible for HR, finance and organisational development. Her work covers scenario planning, organisational design, culture and leadership. She is currently leading the development of a new operating model designed to strengthen the organisation for the years ahead.
Alongside her executive role, she serves on three municipal audit committees, researching the effectiveness and impact of local government policy. Earlier in her career, she worked for a major Dutch bank. She holds a BSc in International Business, an MSc in Strategic Management and an Executive MBA.
She combines strategic thinking, research and analysis with a strong focus on people and execution. She brings people together around complex challenges, together clear choices are made, and results are delivered. Her guiding principle is simple: turn strategy into action, while keeping the people the organisation serves at the heart of every decision.
Kees Elands | Founder TrendsActive
Kees helps organizations unlock growth by aligning what people value with what businesses do. Drawing on human sciences and societal trends, he turns human insight into strategic advantage. As founder of TrendsActive, he has spent more than two decades decoding societal change and turning human insight into strategic advantage. His work spans from global consumer brands to journalism, cultural institutions and organizations responsible for society’s long-term value.
Klaas Gommers | Vereniging Openbare Bibliotheken | The Netherlands
Klaas (he/him) is the chair of the OMC-group on public libraries which is set up under the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-26. The OMC-Group of Member States’ experts focusses on how to promote and strengthen the multiple role and visibility of libraries as key facilitators for democracy-building and citizen engagement and as access points and transmitters of cultural works, skills and European values. Klaas works for the Dutch Association of Public Libraries as a policy advisor and has degrees in political science, history and public policy from the University of Leiden and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Andrew Cranfield | EBLIDA
Andrew is the current director of EBLIDA (European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations), a position he previously held from 2006-2009. Andrew has held a variety of public library management positions in various municipalities in Denmark. At present the main task of EBLIDA is the implementation of the ELAN (European Libraries Associations Network) programme, where the focus is to strengthen the role and robustness of the national library associations in Europe. The perspectives are many but advocacy, digital transformation, democracy and sustainability are very much on the table.
Ab Velasco | Toronto Public Library | Canada
As Manager (Innovation – AI Services), Ab. Velasco (he/him) leads Toronto Public Library’s AI Upskilling Initiative. In previous roles, Ab. led TPL’s Digital Innovation Services, which include Digital Innovation Hub makerspaces, Pop-Up Learning Lab mobile makerspace programming, chaired TPL’s Innovation Council advisory group and implemented TPL’s Innovation Strategy, which seeks to foster a workplace culture of innovation.
Lightning talks
Rie Bojer Kooistra | Copenhagen Libraries | Denmark
Rie Bojer Kooistra is Head of the development department for libraries and culture in Copenhagen. She has for the past 10 years worked with implementation of library strategy and action plans. Rie has previously worked in the national government with media, public information and libraries in The Danish Agency for Culture. She has a MSc in English literature from University of Copenhagen and a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (Organization and Management) from Copenhagen Business School.
Dr. Hanne Vogt | International Library Consultant | Germany
Dr. Hanne Vogt, long-time director of the Cologne City Library and the Würzburg City Library, both of which received the national library award “Library of the Year,” holds a degree in library science, a master’s degree in cultural management, and a doctorate in cultural marketing. In 2019, she was awarded the Karl Preusker Medal, the highest honor in German librarianship, by the German Library Association (BID) “for her innovative thinking and actions.” Since 2023, she has been Transformation Manager for Sustainable Culture (IHK Cologne) and now works internationally as an expert on library marketing, customer orientation, innovation and change management, human resources development, and sustainable library concepts.
Marjan Marinković | Belgrade City Library | Serbia
Marjan Marinković (Master’s degree in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory) is a library advisor who has spent the past nine years serving as the assistant director of the Belgrade City Library (BCL), Serbia’s largest public library network, comprising over 65 local libraries and branches. Prior to that, he worked for more than 12 years at BCL as a cultural and project coordinator. Currently, he oversees the Librarianship Sector, evaluates staff performance, contributes to strategic planning, manages international cooperation, and develops innovative services and projects. He has created or co-created several award-winning initiatives. His passions include books, libraries, innovative library services, and fishing.
Janja Maras | Zagreb City Libraries | Croatia
Janja Maras is a communications and public relations expert at Zagreb City Libraries. Actively involved in professional education and international collaboration, she is an Erasmus+ ambassador in adult education and a member of the IFLA Metropolitan Libraries Section (MLS), where she contributes to leadership development and advocacy in libraries.
Ivančica Đukec Kero | Zagreb City Libraries | Croatia
Ivančica Đukec Kero is a senior librarian at Zagreb City Libraries and Head of the Research & Development Dep., with extensive experience in communication with funders, partners, the professional community and library users. Through both direct engagement and research-based insights, she has developed strong expertise in library advocacy. She also served two terms as a member of IFLA MLS.
Hannah Schöller | Städtische Bibliotheken Dresden, Dresden’s Municipal Libraries | Germany
Hannah is the PR Manager of Dresden’s municipal libraries. With a total of 20 branches, the libraries fulfil a key role for the local authority in providing knowledge, information and opportunities for cultural and social participation. As a municipal education and information service provider for all citizens of Dresden, they offer support at every stage of lifelong learning. They are places for meeting and exchange. They ensure equal opportunities by providing access to information for all, and promote reading as a cultural skill with a key role from the very beginning.
Mirjam Zweers | Probiblio | The Netherlands
Presenter Mirjam Zweers from Probiblio, an institution in the Netherlands for public libraries in the provinces of North and South Holland, will talk about the democratic code and will work with the attendants on gaining grip on everyday friction in the library. Together with libraries and other partners, they developed the so-called ‘Democratic Code’ in 2024. This mission statement is intended to help libraries fulfill their role as places of democracy and shape it in a positive way. The mission statement is now used by circa 40 libraries in the Netherlands. Last year, accompanying guidelines were developed to make the mission statement even more practical and usable. These guidelines are intended to enable a constructive approach to challenging situations in everyday library life by providing numerous practical examples. In groups we will discuss these challenging situations during the session.
Anja Flicker | Cologne City Library | Germany
Anja began her career in 1992 with a degree in library science, followed by eight years at Munich City Library. She then took a notably different path: from 2001 to 2010 she worked in the corporate world in knowledge management, a period crowned in 2003 with the title “Knowledge Manager of the Year.”
Since 2010, she has brought that business experience – particularly in knowledge and intellectual capital management – together with her international network back into library work. She first led Würzburg City Library (2010-2020), then Essen City Library (2020-2024), and has been Director of Cologne City Library since January 2025.
Since 2013, she has also been a member of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s International Network of Emerging Library Innovators (INELI) – a fitting reflection of her role as a connector between knowledge, innovation, and library practice.
Angelina Cabré Ametllé | Barcelona Libraries | Spain
For the past 26 years, I have served as a Library Director in the Barcelona City Library Network, leading libraries across several neighbourhoods and helping to strengthen public library services. I currently manage a large central library with a focus on science, gender, and LGTBIQ+ inclusion. My career has included collaboration with diverse professional teams and international experience, such as working with the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Public Libraries Network, participating in several European projects, and completing a residency in Medellín. I am currently a member of the Standing Committee of IFLA’s Metropolitan Libraries Section.
Niels ’t Hooft | Immer| Utrecht, The Netherlands
Niels ’t Hooft (1980, The Netherlands) is a writer of novels and videogames, and a researcher and designer of digital literary experiences. He’s one of the founders of Immer, a Dutch company that develops better technology for reading books on the digital screen. Immer is winner of the Renew the Book Award (NL) and ContentShift Startup of the Year (DE), and a FutureBook Startup of the Year (UK) finalist. Immer also heads the Creative Europe project ENTALE: Exploring New Technology to Advance Literature in Europe.
WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER
Utrecht
Yuliya Vaganova
Keynote
Art historian, curator, and Director General of the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts in Kyiv. Vice President of ICOM Ukraine.
She led the museum through the full-scale war, ensuring protection of collections and transforming the institution into a space of resilience, dialogue, and cultural continuity. Her professional interests include museum ethics, heritage preservation in crisis, and institutional transformation.
Recipient of Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (France, 2025). Under her leadership, the Khanenko Museum was shortlisted for the EMYA 2024 Award and received the CIMAM Award for Outstanding Museum Practices (2025).
Alice Vlaanderen | Managing Director Rotterdam Public Library | The Netherlands
Alice has a broad background in the social domain and worked for years within the municipal organizations on complex social and organizational issues. She also held the position of head of Culture within the municipality and was involved in the development and implementation of policies and programs with social impact. During that period, she worked on various large-scale change and innovation projects at the intersection of policy, implementation and services. She is currently director of the Rotterdam Library. In addition, she holds several board positions within social and cultural organizations.
Sam Hermans | Director, The Hague Library | The Netherlands
Sam Hermans believes the most important product of a library is attention. As Director of The Hague Library, she leads the public library service of the Netherlands’ third-largest city: a diverse and international city where people of more than 180 nationalities live together. Understanding who lives in each neighbourhood is essential. Data helps, but listening to residents and local partners matters just as much.
She believes there is no single model for the perfect library. Attention means something different in every community. Her ambition is to create libraries that are welcoming, thought-provoking and recognisable to the people they serve: places to read, learn, meet and participate.
Before joining The Hague Library, Hermans was Director of Education, Culture and Media for the Municipality of The Hague. With a background in education, she believes strongly in learning from and with each other.
Maike Vallenga | Member of the G4 planning commitee | Spokesperson and press officer at The Hague Library | The Netherlands
With a background in programme management, process facilitation and communication, she has extensive experience in bringing people together and creating gatherings that spark meaningful conversations and new perspectives. In her current role, she focuses on media, current affairs and making the library’s impact visible. For Maike, being bold means challenging what is familiar, creating space for different perspectives and bringing people together for conversations that matter.
SCENARIO PLANNING SESSIONS
Indra Bijl | Andersson Elffers Felix (AEF) | The Netherlands
Indra Bijl is Associate Partner at Andersson Elffers Felix (AEF), a Dutch consultancy specialising in complex societal and public-sector challenges. She advises public organisations on strategy, organisational development and the design of services that create public value.
Over the past years, Indra has developed particular expertise in the public library sector. She works with individual libraries, the Dutch Public Library Association and national government on issues ranging from the societal role and accessibility of libraries to organisational development, funding, safety and the future of library services.
Her work combines research and strategic advice with design-driven approaches such as scenario building, prototyping and interactive workshops. She is particularly interested in libraries as public spaces: places where people meet, different perspectives come together and new forms of community can emerge.
Floriane-Marielle JOB | Metz Library | France
Floriane-Marielle Job is Head of Digital Innovation & Cooperation at GIP Limédia / Sillon Lorrain, a metropolitan library network connecting four mid-sized cities in France’s Grand Est region (Metz, Thionville, Épinal, Nancy).
She leads the co-design and migration of the Limédia Mosaïque platform — a process that has confronted her directly with the gap between institutional strategy and the populations most absent from the data.
She teaches metropolitan governance and participatory methodology at Sciences Po Strasbourg, and has spent the last several years building shared digital infrastructure across institutions whose publics are quietly diverging.
Eva Bosgraaf | Media scholar | The Netherlands
Eva Bosgraaf is a Dutch trainer, curriculum developer, and media literacy educator working at the intersection of digital literacy, feminist media criticism, and AI education. Under her brand School voor Media, she develops training programs for library organizations and government institutions across the Netherlands. She contributes to national initiatives on digital citizenship and specializes in making critical AI literacy practical for professionals who work with the public every day.
Joost Vervoort | Utrecht University | The Netherlands
Joost Vervoort is Associate Professor of Transformative Imagination at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University. He focuses on the roles culture and creative sectors have in societal transformation. One of his specific interests is in how societal infrastructures enable or close off public imaginations when it comes to pathways to better futures.
Rinske Bouwman | Writer and theatre maker | The Netherlands
Rinske Bouwman (1988) is a writer and theatre maker whose work often explores the theme of grief with a macabre, humorous, and absurd twist. Her debut novel Een soort eelt was published in 2024 and nominated for the Anton Wachterprijs, followed by her second novel Korstmos in 2025, for which she received a C.C.S. Crone Grant. She has performed at events such as Lowlands, and her original book-performance De Mismis featured at festivals including ILFU and Crossing Border. She is currently working on her third novel.