Presenters Bio
MONDAY 26 OCTOBER
Amsterdam
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 the Chief Librarian and Deputy Chief Executive (Strategy & Experience) of the National Library & Archives Board (NLB), Singapore. He watches over the professional development of all librarians in NLB and oversees strategic planning and user experience transformation across the organisation.
Gene spearheaded the development of LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025), a transformative vision for the National Library, the National Archives, and the public libraries in Singapore. He directed two major showcases in 2025, The SG60 Heart&Soul Experience and The Albatross File Exhibition, the flagship and capstone events to commemorate Singapore’s 60th anniversary.
Previously, as the Executive Director of the Singapore Bicentennial Office at the Prime Minister’s Office, Gene helmed the Singapore Bicentennial which commemorated the 200th anniversary of Raffles’ arrival in Singapore in 1819. The commemoration included The Bicentennial Experience at Fort Canning which broke attendance records for exhibitions. He was also the Creative Director of the SG50 capstone event, The Future of Us Exhibition that captured the hopes and dreams of Singaporeans.
Gene was formerly the Director of the National Library, where he developed the Singapore Memory Project, and also the former President of the Library Association of Singapore.
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.
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.
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.
TUESDAY 27 OCTOBER
Utrecht
Brooks Rainwater | Urban Libraries Council, New York | USA
Brooks serves as President and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, an outcomes-driven research and innovations network of nearly 200 leading North American public libraries. Under his leadership, ULC champions the future of public libraries by engaging and uplifting members , strengthening the essential role of public libraries as dynamic places for innovation, equity, and opportunity. Rainwater advances the core vision that urban libraries are the key civic anchor institutions that provide critical resources for transforming lives and strengthening communities.
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.
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
degree in library science in 1992.
1993–2001 Munich City Library.
2001-2010, I worked for companies in the field of “knowledge management” (in 2003 my company received “Knowledge Manager of the Year” award).
Since 2010, I apply my experience from the business sector-particularly principles of knowledge and intellectual capital management-as well as my experience from national and international networks to library work:
2010–2020 Director of Würzburg City Library
2020–2024 Director of Essen City Library
Since January 2025: Director of Cologne City Library
Since 2013: Member of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s International Network of Emerging Library Innovators (INELI)
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).
SCENARIO PLANNING SESSIONS
Indra Bijl | AEF
The session is developed by consultants from AEF, a strategy and research firm with extensive experience in the public and cultural sector, including libraries. AEF combines deep knowledge of the library field with research on the functioning and future of metropolitan regions such as Amsterdam and Eindhoven, where questions of social cohesion, spatial development, and resilience are highly relevant. The team brings both analytical and practical insight into how institutions contribute to strong social infrastructures and bridge policy, research, and practice, enabling participants to explore how libraries can play a bold role in shaping resilient urban futures.
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 | 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.