Nordic Libraries Annual 2026 – Libraries and preparedness
The theme of the conference is «Libraries and preparedness».
The conference features presentations from Sweden, Norway, Ukraine and Finland.
In Finland, municipalities are required to develop contingency plans to ensure that essential services and functions can continue as effectively as possible even during emergencies and exceptional circumstances. Public libraries are a statutory municipal service in Finland and are expected to remain operational also during crises and exceptional situations. Therefore, the role of libraries must be recognized and integrated into municipal contingency planning.
This event will examine preparedness from different perspectives and from across Europe. What does preparedness mean for the public and for public libraries? How does preparedness take shape in libraries under different circumstances and what examples and experiences already exist within the library sector?
Programme
Moderator Päivi Jokitalo
| 9.00-9.05 | Welcome words, Anu Ojaranta, Finnish Supervisory Agency |
| 9.05-9.35 | When crisis becomes everyday life: What can we learn from Ukrainians? Journalist and writer Maxim Fedorov, Finnish Broadcasting Company |
| 9.35-10.05 | The titel will be updated shortly. Major General Sami Nurmi, DCOS Strategy, Finnish Defence Forces |
| 10.05-10.15 | BREAK |
| 10.15-10.45 | The titel will be updated shortly. Paula Menéndez García-Argüelles, Jefa de Servicio Económico-Administrativo, Subdirección General de Coordinación Bibliotecaria, Ministry of Culture. |
| 10.45-11.15 | Crisis preparedness for libraries based on the experience of Ukrainian libraries. Scientific Secretary Svitlana Kovalchuk, Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine |
| 11.15-12.30 | LUNCH |
| 12.30-13.00 | Swedish libraries in times of crises. Desk Officer Eleonor Grenholm, National library of Sweden |
| 13.00-13.35 | Libraries as Information Points in Times of Crises. Ella Lang-Åberg, Manager, Shared Resources department, Public Library of Lund, Sweden |
| 13.35-13.50 | BREAK |
| 13.50-14.15 | Civil Protection and what the public libraries can do. Stine-Marie Schmedling, Manager of department for democracy and freedom of speech, Tønsberg and Færder Library, Norway. |
| 14.15-14.35 | Lapland Libraries’ Plan for Preparedness. Miia Utriainen, Library Manager, Sompio Library, Sodankylä |
Further Information
The participation link will be sent in the registration confirmation and in a reminder message before the event.
The event is free of charge.
Programme details will be updated as they become available, and changes to the programme may occur.
The presentations will be recorded.
Information about the event:
Senior officer Anu Ojaranta, anu.ojaranta@lvv.fi, +358 295 255061
Senior officer Lena Sundström, lena.sundstrom@lvv.fi, +358 295 255 581.