Programme
Programme MetLib 2026 | October 25-28, 2026
Hosted by G4 Libraries The Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht)
Minor adjustments are always possible due to unforeseen circumstances.
Registration for sessions is now open. Please check your email for the invitation. Not yet received? Please contact us.
Sunday, October 25 | Utrecht & The Hague
Address: Neude 11, 3512 AE Utrecht
| 12:30 PM | Welcome first participants |
| 12:50 PM | Present at the bus pick-up point (Janskerkhof) |
| 13:00 PM | Departure to The Hague (bus transfer) |
| 02:00 PM | Optional excursion to The Hague Library: |
Step into The Hague Library, at the heart of one of the Netherlands’ most diverse cities, where over 90 languages are spoken. With a central library (at Spui) and 17 branches across the city, it is deeply connected to its communities and to everyday urban life, and you’ll get to experience that firsthand.
As a community library, it starts from residents’ needs, creating spaces to read, learn and connect. Guided by its policy plan Our place, for all, it champions reading, lifelong learning, digital participation and the city’s multilingualism.
Working closely with residents, schools and partners, The Hague Library grows with the city, strengthening social cohesion, supporting equal opportunities and creating room for everyone to participate, learn and engage.
You’ll also be welcomed by keynote speaker Julia Janssen, who explores how technology is shaping our future. Our world is increasingly digital: data and algorithms put information within easy reach, but also raise new questions about who we are.
What happens to our freedom, autonomy and way of thinking in a world built on digital systems? How do we stay human and how can libraries keep engaging people in personal, non-digital ways?
In this keynote, artist and researcher Julia Janssen examines how technology shapes our understanding of the world, bringing this digital reality closer to human experience.
Pre-registration for this excursion is mandatory.
| 05:00 PM | Transfer back to Utrecht (bus transfer) |
| 06:00 PM | Welcome reception @ Utrecht Library Neude Grand Hall |
| 06:45 PM | Welcome dinner |
Dinner in the iconic Grand Hall (included)
Meet your fellow participants for the first time and enjoy an exclusive welcoming dinner in one of Utrecht’s most iconic places: the Grand Hall of the former Main Post Office of Utrecht. Now housing the Utrecht Public Library.
| 08:30 PM | End day 1 |
Monday, October 26 | Amsterdam | OBA Oosterdok
Address: Oosterdokskade 143, 1011DL Amsterdam
OBA (Public Library Amsterdam) Oosterdok is the largest library in the Netherlands and a place in the city to study, work, read, and meet. The building on Oosterdokseiland opened in 2007 and is located within walking distance of Amsterdam Central Station. Here you will find a large and diverse collection of books and magazines, many study and workspaces, exhibitions, and group rooms. The plenary sessions (keynotes) take place here in the morning.
| 09:00 AM | Check-in & registration (7th floor!) |
| 09:30 AM | Welcome by Marjoleine Molenaar, member of the G4 planning commitee, introducing Tommi Laitio, Chair of the Metropolitan Libraries Section, and Martin Berendse, Director of OBA. |
| 09:40 AM | KEYNOTE: Loes Damhof – Can public spaces be futures literate? Futures literacy is the capability to use multiple futures to rethink the present: in decision making, policy and design. In this keynote we explore the impact of the literal space on the role of public spaces in the future. How can libraries promote futures thinking among its visitors, but also: how futures literate are they as spaces and what is their future role in society? |
| 10:10 AM | Introduction: Oba Next Amsterdam by Martin Berendse The Amsterdam Public Library (OBA) is developing the library of the future, OBA Next, a place where the next generation can feel at home. To explore what this library should look like, the OBA Next Lab Kraaiennest opened this year: a temporary building in a vibrant neighborhood. Here, the OBA is testing out all kinds of programs for young people, with a focus on skills for both the present and the future. The large, permanent building will open in 2030. |
| 10:30 AM | KEYNOTE: TUMO, Pegor Papazian – Learning for tomorrow’s world The world is changing faster than ever. Technology, AI and digitalisation demand new skills: critical thinking, creativity, independence, collaboration and the ability to adapt time and again. This presents a significant challenge for libraries, cities and learning environments. How do we create spaces where people not only gain access to knowledge, but are also given the opportunity to explore, create and develop themselves? Pegor Papazian 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. |
| 11:15 AM | Coffee break |
| 11:45 AM | KEYNOTE: Mr. Gene Tan – Meet yourself in the future How can libraries and archives harness generative AI to innovate and experiment? And what can we learn from our colleagues in Singapore? In his keynote Mr. Gene Tan, Chief Librarian of the National Library Board (NLB), takes us on a journey through LAB25, NLB’s transformative vision for the future of libraries and archives. He shares hands-on lessons from GenAI experiments, from Story Gen to ChatBook. A compelling look at how we can move beyond simply being swept along by generative AI, and instead learn to ride it, using AI to enrich storytelling, learning, heritage in the continuous development of a library of the future. |
| 12:45 PM | Mentimeter |
| 13:00 PM | Short lunch OBA Oosterdok + your own travel to OBA Next Kraaiennest Approx. 40 minutes, take metro line 53 towards “Gaasperplas” from Amsterdam Central Station (15 mins. walk from Oosterdok). |
Amsterdam | OBA Next Kraaiennest
Address: Kraaiennest 1, 1104 CH Amsterdam
OBA Next Lab Kraaiennest is located in a temporary building in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. In that Lab, we experiment extensively with all kinds of programs for young people from all over Amsterdam. The focus is on developing skills that are important for both now and the future. In the same building, you will find café The Cornerstone, where you can go for a cup of coffee, a light lunch, or a drink. In 2030, the permanent, large OBA Next building will open in Kraaiennest.
| 02:30 PM | Walking tours around OBA Next Kraaiennest or Workshop TUMO (groups will be formed upon arrival) 1. Area walk & area development Focus on the area development around OBA Next Kraaiennest and the library’s role within it: the development vision, facilities, and the spatial logic behind the new district development. Guided by the architect of the building/pavilion. 2. Community, heritage & neighborhood challenges Focus on the history of Kraaiennest, social and societal questions in the neighborhood, and current challenges and opportunities for residents, organisations and facilities such as the library. Route past the memorial for the plane crash and “the tree that saw it all”, combined with stories from neighborhood networks and local initiators about how the area is developing and what young people want. Both tours position OBA Next as a living lab where international libraries can see, test and discuss what works – and as a flywheel for inclusive area development, connecting library development, social infrastructure and urban transformation into one story. 3. TUMO Workshop A hands-on workshop in which you get to work yourself with AI and digital tools, in TUMO’s experimental and creative way. Not just talking about innovation, but above all building, testing, and discovering for yourself what new technology can mean for the library of tomorrow. |
| 03:30 PM | Tea break |
| 03:45 PM | SESSIONS The Hague Library | The Netherlands Mixing panel approach | Learning track Talk about the ‘mixing panel approach’ of The Hague Library’s local library branches: bridging the statutory tasks of the Dutch Public Library Provisions Act and the community library approach; connecting centrally developed programs with local, specific needs – and training our staff to be able to do so. OCLC | Ellen Hartman Connecting knowledge: Advancing metadata with AI and linked data | Technology Track At OCLC, metadata is the foundation of all that we do. It connects people to knowledge, powering discovery, interoperability, and shared infrastructure across libraries worldwide. In the context of adding value to the work of libraries with future proof technology, we are advancing the use of metadata through new data models and technologies, including linked data and AI-driven approaches. OCLC Research’s Data Insights work demonstrates how these innovations unlock richer, more connected knowledge ecosystems. This development is in close partnership with libraries, and we invite you to actively engage, reflect, and help shape the future of metadata together with us. Jan Pier Brands | Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences | Netherlands Validating skills within metropolitan informal communities | Learning Track Jan Pier Brands has a track record in pop music and popular culture, developing cultural hotspots and network-driven programming methods. He asks how institutions such as (higher) education institutions can fulfil their responsibility for validating skills developed within metropolitan informal communities. How can diplomas be linked to this competency development? And what responsibility do libraries have in this area? |
| 04:15 PM | Tea break |
| 04:30 PM | SESSIONS Nate Hill, Shannon Mattern & Terry Kirchner | Metropolitan New York Library Council | USA The Library Field – open-air library lab NYC | Resilient track Learn about The Library Field, a 26 acre open air library laboratory just 45 minutes north of New York City where library workers from the region and beyond can reconsider the nature of their work – what it is, who they do it for, and why they do it. Anna Au | Vienna University of Technology | Austria The public health value of libraries | Learning track This workshop explores the public health value of libraries. It starts with an introduction to three major public health frameworks. Through these lenses, seven value dimensions are identified. You will learn how to apply them to examples from your own practice to develop the capacity to communicate your work using public health terminology Sidsel Bech-Petersen | Aarhus Public Libraries | Denmark Libraries as Dream Labs: Co-Creating Resilient Cities | Resilient track How can libraries move from user-centred institutions to platforms for sustainable transformation of ways of living and new collective imaginaries? This session explores how future literacy, speculative design, storytelling and participatory methods can help communities imagine and practice more sustainable futures. Inspired by planetary design, we examine how libraries can work within planetary boundaries and in relation to ecosystems, resources and future generations. |
| 05:30 PM | Wrap up day 2 |
| 05:45 PM | End day 2 |
| 05:45 PM | Closing: Music as a gateway to life skills SmartLabel Academy × OBA NEXT How can libraries reach young people who don’t see the library as a place for them? At OBA NEXT in Amsterdam Zuidoost, music is the way in. Through a gamified learning platform, young people learn about ownership, entrepreneurship and economic independence, and record their progress in a personal CreatorPassport. In this closing we show how it works. Visit our table afterwards for a short demo and a conversation about your library. |
06:00 PM – 07:30 PM
End the day with a buffet by The Cornerstone, the bistro inside OBA Next Lab. It’s a social enterprise run by two brothers from the Bijlmer, with the motto “For Zuidoost. By Zuidoost. With love for everyone.” Expect a circular interior, local flavour and an old-school hip-hop soundtrack. Think piri-piri chicken, sticky meatballs and coconut curry chickpeas.
Price: €49 per person, including non-alcoholic drinks.
Book your ticket here. Your spot is reserved as soon as you’ve booked.
Please book before Friday 16 October, 01:00 PM (Amsterdam time), so we can arrange everything in time. Unfortunately, we can’t accept bookings after that date, nor on the day of the conference itself.
Tuesday, October 27 | Utrecht | Utrecht Neude Public Library
Address: Neude 11, 3512 AE Utrecht
Utrecht Public Library has evolved into a place to borrow, read, learn, share knowledge, and reflect. And to meet people and unwind. Every day, curious people of all ages and backgrounds visit the Neude Library and the 11 neighborhood libraries. With nearly 100,000 members, we are the largest membership club in Utrecht. We promote reading and reading enjoyment, digital skills, and democratic citizenship. So that everyone can participate in our society. And together with the people of Utrecht, we create the library.
| 08:30 AM | Check-in with croissants and coffee/tea |
| 09:00 AM | Welcome by Deirdre Carasso, managing director of the Utrecht Public Library. |
| 09:10 AM | KEYNOTE: Jantien Borsboom – Reclaiming the Internet as Public Space Our physical world is intentionally designed. Alongside commercial spaces like shops and offices, we create parks, squares, and libraries as public spaces where people can gather, converse, and organize without any obligation to consume. But what about our digital world? The internet has become an essential public space where people meet, share knowledge, and engage in debate. Yet, unlike its physical counterpart, this digital infrastructure was not designed with the public interest in mind. This has led to concerning developments, such as polarization and the spread of disinformation, posing a growing threat to our societies. In her keynote, Jantien explores the pivotal role libraries could play in shaping the future of our online world, and how this aligns with the library’s mission. |
| 09:45 AM | SESSIONS Brainport Libraries | Karin van den Berkmortel & Klaartje Hilhorst | Rotterdam Public Library | The Netherlands Building a Library Avatar: Technology with Public Values at Its Core The Rotterdam Public Library and the Brainport Public Libraries are joining forces to develop a library avatar: a digital assistant that can help, inform and inspire visitors 24/7 – in their own language, if they choose. But how do you make new technology truly serve the public well? And what happens when you put public values at the heart of an emerging technology? In this interactive session, we’ll take you behind the scenes of our journey so far. We’ll share what we’ve learned, the opportunities we see, and the challenges and dilemmas we’ve encountered along the way. Most importantly, we want to hear your perspective. Join us in exploring what it takes to create an AI based assistant that speaks to humans, delivers meaningful value and is aligned with the values of public libraries. NBD Biblion The Future of the Hybrid Library: Connecting Readers with the Right Books | Learning track Readers are surrounded by algorithms, recommendations, and endless digital content. Yet libraries remain uniquely positioned to connect people with meaningful reading experiences. The question is: how can libraries help readers find the right book at the right moment? In this session, NBD Biblion explores the future of the hybrid library, where physical collections, digital services, metadata, and intelligent technologies work together to improve discovery. Join the conversation and help shape a future in which libraries are not only places where books are available, but where books are truly found. Roos Polman & Deirdre Carasso | Utrecht Public Library | The Netherlands House of Active Citizenship | Resilient track Visit the House of Active Citizenship where citizens plan and work on resilient cities and learn how to develop it in your library. |
| 10:15 AM | Coffee break |
| 10:45 PM | SESSIONS Brooks Rainwater, Brian Bannon, Skye Patrick | Urban Libraries Council, New York Public Library, LA County Library | USA Multiple ‘futures’ – AI, reading, library space, role of librarians in 2126 | Learning track Interactive workshop that proposes multiple “futures,” with a core focus on AI’s impact on reading and literacy, the physical space and place of libraries, and how the role of librarians will shift by 2126. Katelijne Morreel | Permeke Library – Central Library Antwerp | Belgium Radical openness vs. urban reality, open narrative on safety | Resilient track Libraries have embraced the third place concept with enthusiasm, but what happens when radical openness meets daily urban reality? An open story about safety and a panel discussion. Miriam Kort | VluchtelingenWerk Nederland / Dutch Council for Refugees From scenarios to action: planning for futures in practice | Resilient track VluchtelingenWerk Nederland operates in an increasingly polarised society. At the same time, their role has become more important: enabling refugees to participate and contribute, strengthening society as a whole. Under growing financial, societal and organisational pressure, Vluchtelingenwerk had to change fundamentally. Scenario planning became a catalyst. It forced us to make choices about the organisation we needed to become. But what happens when the future you planned for meets an unpredictable reality? How do you keep moving when circumstances change, setbacks occur, or urgency fades? |
| 11:30 PM | Lunchtime |
| 12:30 PM | SESSIONS (parallel, freedom of choice & walk-in): |
Visit Spectacle of Books
2 short tours start @ 12:30 and 01:15PM
In early 2026, the ‘Spectacle of Books’ opened at the Utrecht Library – a place where you can discover books no one knows about yet. Books that have never been published before: novels, poetry collections, life stories, children’s books, and thrillers by writers who have finally found their platform. During this tour, we share the story of how it came about, what works, and what we have learned from the experience.
Lightning Talks
This session features five to 10 minute lightning presentations from public library leaders around the world about a variety of subjects.
Participants:
Rie Bojer Kooistra · Copenhagen Libraries, Denmark
Hanne Vogt · International Library Consultant, Germany
Marjan Marinkovic· Belgrade City Library, Serbia
Janja Maras, Ivančica Đukec Kero · Zagreb City Libraries, Croatia
Hannah Schöller · Städtische Bibliotheken Dresden, Dresden’s Municipal Libraries, Germany
Mirjam Zweers · Probiblio, The Netherlands
Anja Flickr · Cologne City Library, Germany
Angeline Cabré Ametllé · Barcelona Libraries, Spain
Niels ’t Hooft · Immer, Utrecht, The Netherlands
MetLib Learning Circle
Strengthen social connection and community wellbeing in urban life | Learning track
The MetLib Learning Circle, a global talent development programme, creates a valuable international space for peer learning, exchange, and leadership development across metropolitan libraries worldwide. The MetLib Learning Circle Class of
2026–2027 brings together 23 library leaders from 23 library systems in 23 cities, spanning 18 countries and 5 continents. These directors, managers, and senior professionals will explore a shared and timely question: how can public libraries strengthen social connection and community wellbeing in urban life?
Participants:
Library Strategy and Urban Development
Barb Gillard – Calgary Public Library, Canada
Laney Robinson – City of Moreton Bay Libraries, Australia
Programming and Service Development
Mustafa Tuhami – Misr Public Library, Egypt
Riikka Leskinen – Helsinki City Library, Finland
Promotion of Reading
Tanja Skjoldborg Lindboe – Deichman, Oslo, Norway
Jennifer Boyle – Leeds Libraries, United Kingdom
Stephanie Reinbold – Stockholm Public Library, Sweden
Central Library and Branches
Mélanie Le Torrec – Lyon Public Library, France
Kirstine Bruun – Aarhus Libraries, Denmark
Rozemarijn Ludolphij – Utrecht Public Library, Netherlands
Youth Services
Anna Plucknett – Essex County Council Library Service, United Kingdom
Siva Ramakrishnan – New York Public Library, United States
Leadership and Culture
Heather Mathis – Toronto Public Library, Canada
Isotta Burlin – Milan Public Library System, Italy
Madeline Gormley – Edmonton Public Library, Canada
Sustainability
Ana Zdravje – Ljubljana City Library, Slovenia
| 02:00 PM | Tea break |
| 02:30 PM | IFLA Centennial shout-out & Mentimeter |
| 02:45 PM | KEYNOTE: Erin Kissane – Pragmatic Optimism: How Libraries Can Restore Our Collective Knowledge (online) The library world is founded in part on the principle that the stability of our societies rests on our ability to build and share high-quality knowledge. But the foundations of our collective knowledge are heavily damaged-not only by the presence of misinformation or disinformation, but by a broad dissolution of our shared sense of reality accelerated by the worst aspects of the social internet and AI technologies. As our ability to understand our situations and societies degrades, we risk the heaviest consequences, including the global slide toward authoritarianism. Even so, Erin’s talk will be grounded in pragmatic optimism: she draws on experience in journalism and technology to illuminate emerging opportunities for all of us who care about communal understanding, and to offer specific hopes and provocations about the role libraries can play in knitting our knowledge and our societies back together. |
| 03:30 PM | Short break |
| 03:45 PM | SESSIONS Trendsactive | Kees Elands The More Complex the World, the More We Need Libraries | Understanding changing human needs and what they mean for libraries. | Resilient track We live in a world that is becoming harder to navigate. More information, more technology, more uncertainty. At the same time, people are searching for trust, meaning, connection and belonging. This creates a growing opportunity for libraries. By understanding what people need today and why, libraries can strengthen their relevance, make sharper choices and develop services and programs that better fit people’s lives. Drawing on human sciences and societal trends, Kees explores these changing needs and, most importantly, turns them into practical ideas libraries can act on every day. Klaas Gommers, Andrew Cranfield, Dutch Association of Public Libraries, EBLIDA | Europe New EU report: 67,000 European libraries – six strategic enablers | Resilient track A brand-new EU-expert report: Strengthening Europe through Public Libraries shows how 67.000 European libraries simultaneously address and support ten different societal challenges. The report provides policy makers with both a policy vision and practical guidance to maximize the societal impact of libraries and to unlock their full potential. During this session we will present the findings and apply the framework and mechanics of the report on metropolitan libraries. Additionally, will share learnings from European cooperation through the program ELAN. Let’s be bold! Join this session to help create a brand-new report: Strengthening Cities through Public Libraries! Ab Velasco | Toronto Public Library | Canada TPL AI upskilling initiative | Technology track Learn all about the model of TPL’s AI upskilling initiative, a large-scale project that provides Torontonians with free access to Gen AI tools and AI education programs. |
| 04:45 PM | Short break |
| 05:00 PM | KEYNOTE: David Lankes – Librarianship in 2036: A Forecast and Why It Will Be Wrong (online) Predicting the future is a dangerous business, often producing a vision of today dressed in science fiction clothing that downplays the hard work of making change. But a wrong vision still provides direction, and it shapes our actions even as the image gets refined. We are at the start of an information shock that will reshape our communities and our profession, so here is my attempt at 2036: a revived market for human-made work, a federated AI running at the edges of the network, accountable conversants who test what people learn from AI against the public record, and a librarianship split between stewarding that record and direct community work. I do not expect to be right, and I would rather we all guess badly than not guess at all. |
| 05:30 PM | Plenary wrap up day 3 |
| 05:45 PM | End of official program day 3, free evening (we will provide you restaurant tips etc.) |
| 06:00 PM | Meeting Standing Committee Metropolitan Libraries |
Wednesday, October 28 | Utrecht & Rotterdam
Address: Neude 11, 3512 AE Utrecht
| 08:30 AM | Check-in |
| 09:00 AM | Welcome by Maike Vallenga, member of the G4 planning commitee, pokesperson and press officer at The Hague Library, Sam Hermans, managing director The Hague Library and Alice Vlaanderen, managing director Rotterdam Public Library | + Mentimer |
| 09:20 AM | KEYNOTE: Yuliya Vaganova, director Khanenko Museum, Kyiv | Ukraine What is a museum if it is empty? Following the Russian invasion in 2022, the Khanenko Museum in Kyiv was forced to ask itself existential questions. Museum director Yuliya Vaganova discusses the strategies she developed to confront this new reality. And is it even possible to plan for the future as a museum in wartime? |
| 10:05 AM | Coffee break |
| 10:30 AM | SCENARIO PLANNING WORKSHOPS 1. Indra Bijl & Ianthe van Alkemade | AEF | Resilient track What makes a city truly urban? Many think of density, skylines, or concentration of people. Yet the essence of urban life is encounter. Resilient cities are therefore diverse cities—places where multiple perspectives meet. How will we facilitate meaningful interaction a century from now? And what role should libraries play? This interactive workshop combines reflection and prototyping future forms of encounter. 2. Floriane-Marielle JOB | Metz Library | France | Resilient track Metropolitan libraries operate at the intersection of pressures: political fragmentation, climate displacement, social rupture, and the erosion of shared public space. This interactive workshop uses speculative design to test one question: can a single library genuinely serve a city fracturing under political and climatic pressure? Participants prototype resilience interventions across four urban scenarios: the precariat city, the climate-displaced community, the withdrawn citizen seeking slow public life, and the district in chronic crisis. 3. Eva Bosgraaf | Media scholar Netherlands | Technology track Follow this interactive workshop grounded in critical librarianship, the movement that rejects institutional neutrality and advocates for libraries as active agents of social justice. Leave with a practical framework for critical AI tool evaluation and one concrete institutional next step. 4. Joost Vervoort | Utrecht University | Learning track Libraries can be understood as infrastructures of the imagination: they provide access to endless fictional and real worlds that help build our collective capacity to imagine past, present and future. What happens if we take libraries seriously as infrastructures for society’s collective capacity to see and realize a better world? What imaginations are being supported and excluded? In this workshop, we will investigate the notion of libraries as imagination infrastructure and develop visions and pathways to help libraries realize their potential in this regard. |
| 12:00 AM | Presenting scenarios, feedback session, writer Rinske & plenary closing |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch or bus transfer to Rotterdam (optional, lunch to go for excursion participants) |
| 01:30 PM | Optional excursion to Rotterdam |
Stories of Migration: Excursion to Rotterdam
Every story begins with a journey. Join your fellow librarians from around the world for an excursion to Rotterdam: a city built on movement, exchange, and the courage to begin again. We will visit Fenix, the world’s first art museum entirely devoted to migration. Housed in a historic 1920s warehouse once used by the Holland America Line, Fenix brings together over 170 works by 100 artists, exploring the many dimensions ofhuman journeys.
TALK: Alice Vlaanderen- director Rotterdam Library -will focus on the power of cooperation for resilient metropolitan cities and present for the completely new Central Library which will arise in 2029.
At the time of our visit, a language cafe -activity is taking place: a co-production between the Rotterdam Library and Fenix Museum, where the Dutch language is practised via conversations over a cup of tea.
Pre-registration for this excursion is mandatory.
| 04:30 PM | Bus transfer back to Utrecht or make your own way home. |
| 05:30 PM | End day 4 and conference. |
Thank you for participating!