Welcome to the August 2025 LIBER Mailing
This mailing is sent directly to LIBER Libraries and is posted publicly on the LIBER website. Please feel free to share this mailing with others.
Dear participants, members and friends of LIBER,
Welcome to the August 2025 LIBER Mailing.
The long-awaited LIBER Annual Conference 2025 was held last month at the Cantonal and University Library of Lausanne (BCUL) in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was a pleasure to reconnect with old colleagues and welcome many of the new members who have joined our community over the past year. A heartfelt thank you goes once again to our wonderful host, BCUL.
During this year’s conference, we were inspired not only by the range of presentations, workshops, and discussions, but also by the many initiatives being carried forward within the LIBER network. I’m therefore pleased to share updates and key developments planned for the next few months. Hope you enjoy reading them!
Kind regards,
Anja Smit
LIBER Secretary General
WELCOMING OUR NEW MEMBERS
LIBER is thrilled to introduce its newest participants to the network. In the past months, we have welcomed:
- University of Split Library, Split, Croatia
- National Hellenic Research Foundation – Libraries, Athens, Greece
- Slovenian Library Association, Ljubljana, Slovenia
SUPPORTIVE MEMBERSHIP FEE PROGRAMME 2026
The Supportive Membership Fee Programme 2026, launched in June, is now well underway. We’re delighted that several institutions have already joined, and grateful for the support and generosity that continue to drive this initiative.
Ready to extend your support to LIBER in 2026? The contributions support the work of LIBER and enable us to carry on our mission in fostering a powerful research library network in Europe and enhancing the work of library and information professionals across our community.
Sign me up! Contributions are welcome over an extended period. In the form, please indicate your preferred contribution amount and check the box if an invoice is needed in 2025. Please send the completed and signed form to LIBERAdmin@libereurope.org.
LIBER ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2025
LIBER 2025 was a resounding success, thanks to all the wonderful speakers, delegates, organisers, volunteers, sponsors, and all who made the three days in Lausanne possible.
To revisit some of the moments from the conference week, you can find the Annual Conference highlights here.
LIBER 2026: TRONDHEIM, NORWAY – SAVE THE DATE
Join us at the next LIBER Annual Conference hosted by the NTNU University Library in Trondheim, Norway, from 1 to 3 July 2026. The theme for next year is ‘The Power of Libraries in an Uncertain World.‘
Get to know next year’s host NTNU Library – watch the teaser video here and stay tuned for more conference updates.
LIBER ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2028: CALL FOR A HOST
Could your library be the stage for LIBER 2028? The search is on, and we’re now looking for a host to bring together Europe’s research librarians and information professionals.
Have questions or want to express interest in hosting our field-leading research library conference? Please contact LIBER Executive Director Martine Pronk by email (martine.pronk@libereurope.org).
CALL FOR PROPOSALS – LIBER ARCHITECTURE SEMINAR 2026
The 22nd LIBER Architecture Seminar will be held on 6-8 May 2026 at Technological University Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. The theme of the seminar is ‘Invest – Involve – Inspire: Shaping the next generation of Library Buildings‘.
Abstract submission for LAG 2026 is now open, and we extend the invitation for our members to submit a proposal – a standard presentation or a lightning talk – discussing current projects and emerging trends in library architecture and design.
The deadline for submitting a proposal is 15 September 2025. More information, including the topics of interest, can be found on the LAG 2026 event page.
COMING SOON: LIBER JOURNÉES FOR LIBRARY DIRECTORS APPLICATIONS
The 5th edition of the LIBER Journées leadership programme will take place from 27-29 May 2026 at the Copenhagen University Library/Royal Danish Library, themed ‘Charting the Future? Strategic leadership of research libraries.’
The applications will be open later this year. Learn more about this leadership development programme on our website and stay tuned to our channels for the official call.
ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
The publication includes updates from our Executive Board and Steering Committees, our impact and achievements, events and project updates, financial reporting, & much more. We thank everyone who contributed to LIBER‘s work in the past year and continue to support our mission in the future.
INDEXING OF MEMBERSHIP FEES 2026
As approved by the Executive Board and Meeting of Participants (MoP) in 2022, Annual Fees will be adjusted for inflation on a yearly basis, starting in 2023.
The fees will be indexed based on the consumer price index that is calculated monthly by the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS), based on the inflation level in the Netherlands and referencing the index for the previous financial year (2024). LIBER will continue to maintain transparency in its financial model, with tier distinctions based on national GDP per capita.
In 2024, the inflation level in the Netherlands was 3.3% on average based on the 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Netherlands. This Dutch index was chosen as nearly all LIBER costs are incurred in the Netherlands. The Board approved the indexing of the 2026 LIBER Fees at 3.3%
More information about the LIBER Annual Contribution Fees and the Fee Tiers can be found on the LIBER website.
MEETING OF PARTICIPANTS 2025
On Thursday, 3 July, the annual Meeting of Participants (MoP) took place in Lausanne, Switzerland. You can find the minutes of the Meeting here, to be formally approved at the next Annual General Meeting in July 2026.
During the Meeting of Participants, changes in the Executive Board were announced, including bidding farewell to Hilde van Wijngaarden, Andreas Brandtner, Heli Kautonen, and Birgit Schmidt, who completed their terms.
Following a selection process, four new members were chosen to join the LIBER Executive Board:
- Jonathan White, LIBER Treasurer, Director of Library and Cultural Services and University Librarian, Library and Cultural Services at the University of Essex, United Kingdom
- Ann-Sofie Axelsson, Head of the Department of Communication and Learning in Science and Library Director at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Alicia Fátima Gómez, Library Director, IE University, Madrid, Spain
- David Tréfás, Head of Modern Collections, Basel University Library, Switzerland
Approval of Minutes MoP 2024
The approval of minutes for the Meeting of Participants 2024 took place during
EXECUTIVE BOARD MINUTES
At their July 2025 meeting, the LIBER Executive Board formally approved the Minutes of the February 2025 Executive Board meeting, published here.
If you have any queries about the content of this mailing, or if there is any further information that we can provide, please contact us at liber@libereurope.org.
Kind regards,
Anja Smit
Secretary-General
LIBER EUROPE
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