MEP Library lover group
30 November 2016
Officially launched at the "Generation Code: Born at the Library" event
The Generation Code: Born at the Library was a great event with a lot of examples of different activities related to coding, digital skills etc taking place in libraries.
Four representatives of the EBLIDA Executive Committee were there:
- Vice-President Barbara Lison,
- Treasurer Jean-Marie Reding,
- EC member Steen Bording Andersen, and
- EBLIDA Director Vincent Bonnet.
Before the event, EBLIDA contacted the 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). EBLIDA Director met with 5 of them (or their assistants), received apologies from about 30, and 3 requests to follow-up.
According to Public Libraries 2020:
“We met our target of over 100 conversations with MEPs” who stopped by the booths for short visits and chats.
You can find pictures at https://www.facebook.com/pl2020.
Additionally, others MEPs came to visit the booths related to libraries in their countries.
Several high-level representatives of the European Parliament, the Commission and other groups attended the opening of the exhibition, opened by HRH Laurentien of the Netherlands who made a speech in support of libraries and invited the Commissioner for Education and Culture, Tibor Navracsics, to underline the importance of libraries for the EU. Navrarcsics mentioned among other things that libraries are beacons of our society.
Clair Bury, deputy Director General of DG Connect gave a very interesting speech and most of her remarks are noted in the blogpost "Libraries and coding – a match made in heaven".
4 MEPs hosted the event and were present at the opening: Antanas Guoga from Lithuania (you can check his interesting biography here), Eva Paunova from Bulgaria, Michał Boni from Poland and Sean Kelly from Ireland.
MEP Library lover group
Catherine Stihler officially launched the MEP library lover group.
The MEP Library Group brings together Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from across the EU and from both sides of the political spectrum who are passionate about libraries, who believe that libraries support literacy and lifelong learning, build communities, are the great equaliser, protect our right to know, promote authors and reading for pleasure.
PL2020 informed us that “58 MEPs [joined] in the MEP library lover group from 22 countries. Please take a look at those who are registered on the site here: http://meplibrarygroup.eu/index.php/members/ and don’t be shy to invite more to join. All the MEPs who join the group will receive a special Library Lovers Coffee mug and a thank you note from us.”
The MEP library “ambassadors” that are part of this group believe that:
Libraries support literacy and lifelong learning
Many children and adults learn to read at their school and public libraries via story times, research projects, summer reading, tutoring and other opportunities. Others come to the library to learn the technology and information skills that help them answer their questions, discover new interests, and share their ideas with others.
Libraries build communities
Libraries bring people together, both in person and online, to have conversation and to learn from and help each other. Libraries provide support for the elderly, immigrants and others with special needs.
Libraries are the great equaliser
Libraries serve people of every age, education level, income level, ethnicity and physical ability. For many people, libraries provide resources that they could not otherwise afford – resources they need to live and, learn work and participate in civic life.
Libraries protect our right to know
Our right to read, seek information, and speak freely must not be taken for granted. Libraries and librarians actively defend this most basic freedom.
Libraries promote authors and reading for pleasure.
Libraries are often the first place where young and old develop a passion for reading. Europe’s libraries promote and defend a vibrant reading culture.
For more information please visit the MEP Library Group website: http://meplibrarygroup.eu/index.php/about/
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