The conference attracted a wide range of public and university library professionals from 13 European cities. They came together to explore the challenges and opportunities for the future of city and university libraries. The overall aims of the event were:

• To assess the role of libraries as meeting places for students and citizens;
• To discuss, both retrospectively and prospectively, ways in which to strengthen the cross-fertilisation of audiences within libraries;
• To ask questions about the common spaces in cities where the academic world and citizens meet;
• To question the place of libraries in a world where the media for disseminating knowledge has multiplied, and where books no longer have the dominant position they had until the end of the 20th century.

This year holds a special significance for Strasbourg during which to host a meeting on the theme of libraries. In addition to having a long association with books, including the invention of the Gutenberg printing press, having many historic book and manuscript collections, and as the home to the only French national university library outside of Paris (the Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire), the city has been named UNESCO World Book Capital for 2024-2025.

The opening session included a thought-provoking keynote address from Dagnija Baltiņa, the new Director of the National Library of Latvia (NLL), where she explored the question ‘Will there still be libraries in 100 years?’.

Her talk covered a wide range of perspectives including looking at libraries as critical infrastructure; places that promote informed citizenship; that offer equal access; that provide purpose for the public; and that help to shape public debate. She concluded that ultimately, the answer to the question is likely to hinge upon what kind of society we want to build for the future.

The 3-day programme was divided into workshop sessions where contributors from many of the visiting city and university libraries shared their experiences and discussed different approaches.

The topics included questions such as how can libraries help students and the public to be more discerning regarding fake news, and on the use of AI; how libraries can help to make science more accessible to the public; how to attract a more diverse audience into libraries; how to transform libraries into learning centres; what is the added social value of libraries; and importantly, what students look for from libraries and whether there is scope for greater integration between students and citizens in libraries.

As part of the programme, delegates were able to explore several of the iconic library buildings in Strasbourg, including the BNU, and the new university library which has been thoughtfully designed with options for quiet study, group work, large meeting spaces, and social areas including a café, all equipped with the latest technology.

The final day of the conference was held at the Médiathèque André Malraux, a large public library venue which provides many additional services to the public such as exhibitions, a television viewing area, a gaming area and a café.

The conference demonstrated once more the crucial interaction between city councils and universities, highlighting the scope for increased collaboration around the evolving role of libraries, particularly in encouraging greater integration between students and the public and preserving the domain of libraries as valued public institutions.

The conclusions and case studies from the conference will be synthesised into a shareable format in due course, adding to the Network’s library of publications from previous gatherings. Our Network colleagues in Bolzano will host the next meeting in April 2025, further details will follow in due course.