Next Library

Next Library is an organisation that hosts a series of biennial Danish conferences for librarians and library professionals. International editions of the conference series began in 2014 and are referred to as "satellites."

Background The conference series was started by Aarhus Public Libraries in 2009, with conferences being held at Dokk1 in Aarhus. In 2014, a Next Library satellite conference took place at Chicago Public Library, that Rahm Emanuel attended. In September 2018, Next Library took place at the Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek in Berlin.

It describes itself as "an international gathering of forward-thinking library professionals, innovators and decision-makers who are pushing boundaries and making changes that support learning in the 21st century", and claims that more than 1400 librarians from 96 countries are in its network, with 350 librarians attending the 2015 and 2017 events in Aarhus.

Satellite conference host countries include the USA, South Korea, Germany, and others.

Editions +Main editionsDateLocationThemesRef.2009Aarhus2011Aarhus2013Aarhus2015Aarhus2017AarhusLiteracy; The Learning Library; Emerging Trends; Community Engagement and Democracy; Strategic Partnerships; Design Thinking; Play2019AarhusLibraries in Times of Social Crisis; Civic Media and Data Democracy; Temporary Spaces; Game Changing Tech & Emerging Trends2021VirtualNext Library Online Festival2023Aarhus2025AarhusThe Sustainable Development Goals, Democracy, and Play +Satellite and extra editionsDateLocationThemesNotesRef.2008HelsinkiNext Library Camp2010ReykjavikNORDIC CAMP 12011StockholmNORDIC CAMP 22012OsloNORDIC CAMP 32014Chicago, USA2018Berlin2026Myeong-Dong, SeoulReimagine the Library; Inclusive Libraries: Beyond Open Doors; Content, Experience, Exploration; Why Place Still Matters: Libraries as PlacesFirst Next Library conference hosted in Asia

Advocacy and awards

International Systematic - Joy of Reading Award winners 2017: FunDza Literacy Trust 2019: Za'atari Camp Libraries 2023: Celebrated the winners of the EIFL Public Library Innovation Award Biblioteca de la Creatividad in Colombia; Eastlands Library in Kenya, Naujoji Vilnia Library in Lithuania, Public Library ‘Radislav Nikčević’ in Serbia 2025: first Changemaker Award Take Away Library Packs – Athens Comics Library, Greece Craft, Play, Share - Centro Culturale Multiplo di Cavriago, Italy

Notable attendees

Glòria Pérez-Salmerón Daliana Suryawinata Menno Schilthuizen

Christopher Breedlove, with Burners Without Borders Dr. Louise Bernard, Director of the Museum of the Obama Presidential Center

Nina Simon Sandi Hilal

Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands Deborah Jacobs, Director of the Global Libraries program with the Gates Foundation Rahm Emanuel John G. Palfrey, Jr. Tina Sciabica, CEO of READ Global

Pat Losinski, former CEO of Columbus Metropolitan Library Helene Blowers, founder of 23 Things Gene Tan, Chief Innovation Officer at Singapore's Library Board

June Garcia, winner of the 2019 ALA Medal of Excellence

Next Library

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