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Who is the event for?

Step into a world where visionary ideas blend with real-world library transformations.

At LIBER LAG 2024, library professionals embarking on visionary building projects refine their concepts and planning blueprints. LIBER LAG is dedicated to nurturing a dialogue between librarians and architects throughout Europe.

Every two years, librarians, architects and an array of stakeholders in library architecture and design come together to discuss and raise awareness on new projects and trends. This conference is a tapestry of insights and trends from all over Europe, showcasing projects that are redefining our collective future.

Are you:

  • a librarian spearheading a transformative building project?
  • an architect or a designer specializing in library spaces?
  • a curious mind, passionate about the symbiosis between architecture and how it can shape the future of libraries?

Then this event is for you.

It’s where challenges are transformed into innovations, ideas into movements, and visions into realities. Join us, and be part of a journey that’s shaping the libraries of tomorrow, today.

Registration

Registration is now open! Secure your place whilst tickets remain.

Ticket prices:

  • Early bird (until 16/02/2024) EXTENDED until 23/02/2024 – 275 EUR
  • Regular ticket (closes 16/04/2024) – 325 EUR
  • Conference Dinner – 60 EUR

 

REGISTER HERE

Call for Proposals

[NOW CLOSED]

We are delighted to invite you to submit your papers for the LIBER Architecture Group Seminar 2024, themed “Building bridges: libraries as engaged and trusted hubs”. 

We are looking for new library projects in Europe, but topics of interest can include, but are not limited to: 

  1. Innovative Library Spaces: The evolution of library spaces, from traditional to flexible and multifunctional designs. 
  2. Sustainable and Environmental Impact: Strategies for designing environmentally friendly and sustainable library buildings. 
  3. Digital Transformation: The impact of digital transformation on library architecture and design 
  4. Community Engagement: Designing libraries that serve as vibrant community hubs. 
  5. Accessibility and Inclusivity: Creating library spaces that are welcoming and accessible to all patrons. 
  6. Preservation of Heritage: Strategies for preserving historical libraries while meeting modern needs. 
  7. Adaptive Reuse: Converting existing structures into functional and efficient library spaces. 
  8. Future trends and Emerging Technologies: Exploring the future of library architecture in a rapidly changing environment. 

All submissions will undergo a peer-review process. Selected authors will be invited to present their work during the LIBER Architecture Group Seminar at eh KBR in Brussels on 26 April 2024. 

Please submit your abstract (250-300 words) along with contact information to lag@libereurope.org by 29th January 2024. Accepted authors will be notified by 15 February 2024 and should submit their full presentation by 1 April 2024. 

For inquiries and further information, please contact lag@libereurope.org.

Theme & Topics

This year, the Seminar will follow the theme: “Building Bridges: Libraries as Engaged and Trusted Hubs.” More than a theme, this is a call to action, an invitation to be part of LIBER’s mission to redefine the role of libraries in society. The theme will explore how libraries are evolving into dynamic hubs of engagement, trust, and community integration.

More than 20 innovative projects from all over Europe will be showcased and discussed through keynote interventions, workshops and panel discussion. As the seminar will be focusing on new trends in architecture and design, topics such as inclusivity, community engagement and sustainability will be high on the agenda.

The seminar will be the opportunity for attendees to exchange with people within the field who are undergoing the same changes and challenges in terms of building. This will also be the occasion to network and bring inspiration back home.

Preliminary Programme

  • Wednesday 24 April

    09:00 – Registration desk opens KBR

    Visit to the Free University of Brussels Learning and Innovation Centre (LIC) Construction Yard

    (OPTIONAL: Pre-registration needed)

    13:30 – Opening & Welcome

    • Sara Lammens, Director General KBR
    • Marie-Pierre Pausch, Chair LIBER Architecture Group

    14:00 – Opening Keynote – The British Library: Building the Future at St Pancras

    • Sir Roly Keating, CEO British Library, London, United Kingdom

    15:00 – Coffee Break

    15:30 – Session 1: Transforming places: libraries as catalysts for regeneration.

    By Jo Coenen, Architect & Urbanist, the Netherlands.

    Followed by a panel discussion moderated by Martine Pronk, LIBER Executive Director

    • Sara Lammens, General Director Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), Brussels, Belgium
    • Jo Coenen, Architect, Architect & Urbanist, Netherlands
    • Sir Roly Keating, CEO British Library, London, United Kingdom

    16:20 – Library Tour: Exploring the Venue

    17:30 – Social Event

  • Thursday 25 April

    08:45 – Welcome

    09:15 – Session 2: New Tends in Designing Libraries

    Presentations and Q&A.
    Chaired by Michael Mönnich

    • Low-cost interventions for an Inclusive Library: Reinventing space with user-oriented inclusive design, David Oldenhof, Vrij Universiteit Amsterdam
    • Recollections & Connections for Resilience – Helsingborg City Library and other case studies, Elif Tinaztepe
    • Reinventing the laboratory library : the Humathèque Condorcet, a new research library for new uses, Stéphanie Groudiev, director, Humathèque Condorcet, France

    10:45 – Coffee Break

    11:15 – Session 3: Spaces for Collaboration and Audience Engagement

    Presentations and Q&A.
    Chaired by Linda Vidlund

    • Library Space as a Tool for Social Change
      Reinert Mithassel, Head of Deichman Tøyenbibliotekene, Oslo, Norway.
    • Space as a Service: Collaborative, creative and community spaces in the new library at the University of Limerick
      Ciara McCaffrey, University Librarian, University of Limerick, Ireland.
    • Transformation: Lighthouse KUB Nord, DK – a radical new hybrid-flexible facility, Anna Kathrine Bisgaard Sørensen,

    12:45 – Lunch Break

    13:45 – Session 4: Designing Future Libraries in Buildings of the Past

    Presentations with Q&A.
    Chaired by Ciara McCaffrey

    • A Portrait of the library as an office block and an asylum: how Technological University Dublin converted, adapted and reused its buildings to create functional, efficient and modern libraries, Allison Kavanagh, Head of Library Services, Technological University Dublin and Catherine Cooke, Academic Hub Library Senior Project Manager, Technological University Dublin
    • The New University Library at the University Library of Amsterdam
      Lucille Hegger, Communications Advisor, and Marloes van Wagtendonk, Project Manager, University of Amsterdam.
    • A Portrait of the Library as an Office Block and an Asylum: How Technological University Dublin Created, Adapted and Reused its Buildings.
      Allison Kavanagh, Head of Library Services, Catherine Cooke, Academic Hub Library Senior Project Manager, Technological University Dublin.

    14:45 – Session 5: Designing Spaces: A Contemporary Approach to Library Interiors

    Presentations with Q&A.
    Chaired by Stéphanie Groudiev

    • Lighting in librairies : quality and sustainability, Ivanna Voronkova
    • KBR, Re-use and durability in renovation, Celine Ben Amar, Head of the Contemporary Books Collection

    15:45 – Coffee Break

    16:15 – Session 6: New Library Projects

    Presentations with Q&A

    • A New University Library for the University of Bristol
      Ed Fay, Director of Library Services, University of Bristol
    • The Joint Learning and Innovation Centre (LIC) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
      Stefaan Reynard, University Library Director, VUB

    17:15 – Practical information on conference dinner

    17:30 – End

    19:30 – Seminar Dinner

  • Friday 26 April

    08:45 – Doors Open

    09:15 – Session 7: Building Bridges to the Future of Knowledge – Transformative Evolution in University Libraries

    Presentations with Q&A
    Chaired by Marie-Pierre Pausch

    • The Concept and Realisation of Branch Libraries at the University of Frankfurt, Angela Hausinger, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Germany
    • Library Transformation at Manchester Metropolitan University: Communities in Dialogue, Rachel Beckett, Director of Library and Cultural Services
    • Creating in the created: the renovation of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library at the University of Lille, Frédéric Caudoux, Associate Architect at Carta – Reichen et Robert Associés Frédéric Souchon, Project Manager HSS Library renovation, University of Lille

    10:45 – Coffee Break

    11:15 – Session 8: Designing Future Libraries – Stories Change Lives

    Chaired by Joachim Spyns

    Closing Keynote by Eric Boekesteijn, National Library Netherlands

    12:15 – Closing Remarks

    • Julien Roche, President of LIBER

    12:30 – End of Seminar

Venue

LIBER LAG Seminar 2024 will take place at KBR (Royal Library of Belgium) in Brussels, Belgium. An exceptional location in the cultural center of Brussels, capital of Belgium.

As the country’s national library, KBR collects all Belgian publications and counts more than 8 million documents. We preserve, manage and study a rich cultural and historical heritage. Our is mission is to provide the public with access to information, facilitate research and offer a broad cultural experience.

Preserving a heritage collection of 8 million documents and making it accessible to the public is hard work. That is why we have specialists in restoration and digitisation on call. Since 2020, KBR also owns its museum. It displays a national treasure: the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy and its fabulous collection of 15th century manuscripts.

KBR welcomes the LIBER LAG Seminar 2024 in a particularly relevant period for the institution as it will itself soon undergo major building changes with the renovation of its Reading Room.

Besides being a central place for the preservation of Belgian’s cultural and historical heritage, KBR offers event and meeting spaces in the heart of Brussels. The elegant and professional meeting spaces, its central location and the number of cultural activities in the area make for the perfect venue for events, meetings, conferences, presentations, trainings or workshops.

Address:

Mont des Arts 28,
1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 519 53 11
info@kbr.be

Staying in Brussels?

Brussels, the vibrant capital of Belgium, offers an enchanting blend of historic charm and modern allure, making it an ideal destination for attendees of the LIBER LAG Seminar. Delve into the city’s rich history by exploring iconic landmarks such as the Grand Place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its stunning architecture and lively atmosphere. Marvel at the intricate details of the Gothic-style Town Hall and the opulent guild houses that adorn the square. Immerse yourself in Belgian culture by sampling delicious chocolates, indulging in mouthwatering waffles, and savoring exquisite Belgian beers at one of the city’s many quaint cafes and brasseries. For art enthusiasts, a visit to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium is a must, housing an impressive collection of masterpieces by renowned artists such as Rubens, Magritte, and Bruegel. Have a look at the website of visit.brussels for more information.

For more practical information about your stay, see here.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about the event, contact liberlag@kbr.be.