The 17th International Bibliotheca Baltica Symposium “Reading, Libraries, and Cultural Sustainability”
The Finnish Literature Society, Helsinki, Finland, 5-6 November 2026
| Thursday, 5 November | ||
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| 9.30-10.00 | Registration at the Finnish Literature Society | Finnish Literature Society, Hallituskatu 1 |
| 10.00-11.00 | SESSION 1 Chair: Ulriikka Puura, (Library of the Finnish Literature Society) ⚬ Opening words from the hosting organisation. Kati Mikkola, Secretary General of the Finnish Literature Society ⚬ Greetings from the Bibliotheca Baltica. Liisa Savolainen, President of Bibliotheca Baltica Keynote 1: ⚬ Riie Heikkilä, (University of Tampere). The Transformations of Reading in the Digital Era: What Should Libraries Know? |
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| 11.00-11.15 | Short Break | |
| 11.15-12.45 | SESSION 2 Chair: Jolanta Budriūnienė, (National Library of Lithuania) ⚬ Maija Treile, (National Library of Latvia). Restarting Reading: Libraries Connecting Data, Experience, and Politics ⚬ Renata Lygienė, (Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania). In Dialogue with Readers: Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania Experience ⚬ Jaanika Anderson, (Tartu University Library, Estonia). Librarians as Shapers of Reading Culture: Future Skills as Opportunities and Challenges |
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| 12.45-14.00 | Lunch Break | |
| 14.00-15.00 | SESSION 3 Moderator: Christophe Didier, (National and University Library of Strasbourg) ⚬ Panel Discussion: Social Cohesion and the Libraries. Participants: Kimmo Tuominen (National Library of Finland), Dagnija Baltiņa (National Library of Latvia), Karin Grönvall (National of Sweden), Robert Zepf (State and University Library Hamburg, Germany) |
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| 15.00-16.00 | Coffee and Bibliotheca Baltica General Assembly | |
| 16.30-17.30 | Option I. Tour at Oodi | Helsinki Central Library Oodi, Töölönlahdenkatu 4 |
| 16.30-17.30 | Option II. Tour at Helsinki University Library | Helsinki University Library, Fabianinkatu 30 |
| 18.00-20.00 | Tour and Dinner at the National Library of Finland | National Library of Finland, Unioninkatu 36 |
| Friday, 6 November | ||
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| 9.15-10.00 | Tour at the Finnish Literature Society | Finnish Literature Society, Hallituskatu 1 |
| 10.00-11.00 | SESSION 4 Moderator: Karin Grönvall, (National Library of Sweden) ⚬ Panel Discussion: Why Should We Read? Four Perspectives on Literacy. Participants: Marjo Sirén (University of Jyväskylä), Christophe Didier (National and University Library of Strasbourg, France), Jolanta Budriūnienė (Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania), Kristina Pai (Tartu Public Library, Estonia) |
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| 11.00-12.00 | SESSION 4 continues ⚬ Gudrun Wirtz, (Bavarian State Library, Germany) and Ruth Sindt, (Kiel University Library). Baltic (Sea) Studies in Germany: How, Why and What Academics Read? ⚬ Anne Holappa, (HUMAK University of Applied Sciences, Finland). Going 100% E(lectronical): How All-Digital Course Collections Reshape Academic Reading Habits and Library Practices |
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| 12.00-13.00 | Lunch Break | |
| 13.00-13.45 | SESSION 5 Chair: Jürgen Warmbrunn, (Herder-Institut Library) Keynote 2: ⚬ Maria Deskur, (Universal Reading Foundation, Poland). Literacy is not for Culture |
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| 13.45-14.00 | Short Break | |
| 14.00-15.30 | SESSION 5 continues ⚬ Susana Margarida dos Silvestre, (Lier Library, Norway). Reading, Dialogue and Democracy: The Active Citizenship: Participation Game in Public Libraries ⚬ Katarzyna Regulska, (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań). Evolving Competencies of Cataloguers in the Age of Artificial Intelligence ⚬ Christian Winterhalter, (Greifswald University Library, Germany) and Przemysław Wraga, (Pomeranian Library in Szczecin, Poland). Promoting Civic Society and Digital Literacy in Pomerania: the Project “In Terris Gryphi” |
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| 15.30-16.00 | Coffee and Closing Words |