Stronger, Bolder, Together: Conclusions and Resources
31 October 2025
Welcome to the collected resources from the Stronger, Bolder, Together series of webinars co-hosted by IFLA President 2023-25 Vicki McDonald, and IFLA President 2025-27 Leslie Weir!
Across the series, we discussed what the world needs from its libraries in turbulent times, and what in turn we can do to respond. On this page, we are happy to share overall conclusions from the sessions, video contributions from our key thinkers, and recordings of the sessions.
You are welcome to draw on all of these in your own reflections, either individually, or with colleagues or in your association!
Conclusions from the series
Across the six sessions – sets of webinars in June, August and September – we collected a wide variety of insights and inputs. We have summarised the major ones in 12 conclusions below:
1) Communities continue to have diverse expectations of their libraries
there are a wide range of needs that communities have of their libraries, from providing spaces and support for social integration and reskilling, to access to government, early years support, and mental wellbeing.
2) We should not underestimate the impact we have
We should be attentive to the diverse ways in which we change people’s lives. It can often be something unsaid and everyday, such as a routine or a quiet space, that makes the difference.
3) Telling our story is an investment
Libraries too often are hiding in plain sight, focused on providing such smooth service that they are not noticed. However, by telling our story, we can also create new advocates for us. In particularly we need to be sure to be concise and consistent in our messaging.
4) There is a perceptions gap around innovation
We see libraries as far more innovative ourselves than we are perceived to be by others. Externally, we were too often seen as slow to adapt to change, leading other stakeholders to underestimate our contribution.
5) Intellectual freedom is a radical proposition
The idea that people should have access to a wide range of ideas and materials and come to their own conclusions is not consensual, but is essential for the world we want. We need to defend it!
6) We have a legitimate and necessary voice
Information questions lie at the heart of many of the grand challenges and questions we face today. We bring a unique, human-centred perspective to the table and should be ready to share it.
7) We can learn from each other around advocacy
Some of us are already confident advocates, while others feel the need to learn more about how to explain why libraries and intellectual freedom matter for societies.
8) Success in building support does not necessarily translate into funding
Even those who felt that they could convince others of the potential of the library, as well as engaging partners noted that we still need to translate sympathy into financial support.
9) We need to advocate beyond our most immediate stakeholders
Participants saw higher levels of support from their boards and parent organisations than from their communities. We need to be ready to set out how we contribute to wider
10) We need to be imaginative about our partnerships
Either due to our own perceptions, or those of others, we too often miss opportunities to collaborate and deliver more than we could alone. Cooperation with big tech is a good example – while we won’t agree on everything, we do have some shared interest.
11) But we can still do better in shaping the future
Even if we see ourselves as relatively innovative, we can do better. We are relatively confident about what is to come, but this could be higher, as could our readiness to let others co-lead our work.
12) We need to embrace change with confidence
We heard powerful examples both of how traditional boundaries between types of library were being eroded, how libraries could truly include communities in planning, and creating the practical and psychological support necessary for staff to innovate.
Expert contributions
In order to prepare the sessions, we asked key thinkers from across the library field to set out their views on what the world needs from its libraries. The full set of videos is available both of IFLA’s YouTube channel and below, and are available to you for your own reflection and use.
Silvia Ernhagen
Silvia is Secretary-General of the Swedish Library Association.
In her video, Silvia underlines that we need to reconsider the idea of neutrality. This should not mean invisibility, but rather a readiness to stand up for freedoms of expression and access to information, providing a space for people to meet across difference, to stop, and to think for themselves.
To continue to play this vital role, we need to be able to show the impact of our work, stepping up and advocating for the role that we play. Through this, we keep the space open for the conversations that need to happen.
Sam Helmick
Sam is President of the American Library Association, as well as Community and access services coordinator at Iowa City Public Library.
In their video, Sam points out that too often, when libraries are doing their jobs, they can risk passing under the radar, out of sight of decision makers. Yet we neglect advocacy at our own risk – it is not just important but essential!
We need to continue of course to build community, to be spaces where everyone feels welcome and can get what they need, but we also need to be able to articulate why we are a community worth building with.
Jonathan Hernandez Perez
Jonathan is a researcher at the Library and Information Research Institution (IIBI) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the Chair of IFLA’s Advisory Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression.
Jonathan argues that we can no longer see libraries as sanctuaries, but rather battlegrounds as various actors seek to bring our core values into question. In a world where many of the most serious challenges we face have a significant information dimensions, we have a unique role to play, thanks to who we are and what we do.
He challenges libraries to step up, take on the responsibility, and think proactively and innovatively about how they can make a difference in addressing a global issue.
Masud Khokar
Masud is the Chief Digital and Information Officer at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Previously, he was University Librarian and Keeper of the Brotherton Collection there.
In his video, Masud stresses that there are new ways of connecting, learning, thinking, even new definitions of knowledge. We have trust, but this is not enough – we need to bring this asset to a diverse range of partnerships across borders and systems to build resilience.
In this context, we need to be ready to think again about what a library can be, take risks, embrace failure, and build a network for radical innovation. We should reimagine our roles, from gatekeepers of knowledge to designers of experiences, from curators of archives to facilitators of digital citizenship.
Tommi Laitio
Tommi Laitio is an urban strategist, and founder of Convivencia Urbana, as well as a former Executive Director for Culture and Leisure for the city of Helsinki, Finland.
In his video, Tommi challenges us to reframe how we think of libraries as public institutions. We are both holders of the legacy of the past, and at the same time responsible for working with people to understand the present in order to build a better future.
As modern public institutions, we need to be accountable and unafraid of critical questions, flexible enough to change, but also rigid enough to be trusted. We need also to be a true common, ready truly to share power with our users over programmes, space, collections, and to be a space for imagination and joy, pushing the boundary of what is possible.
Rebecca Lawrence
Rebecca is Chief Executive of the British Library.
Her video underlines the importance of international collaboration for libraries, and in particular the skills and knowledge that these bring. These collaborations in turn make it possible to face global challenges with confidence – we cannot do this alone.
She presents the practicalities of how the British Library works on a wide range of topics with a vast range of different institutions, but ones which crucially share a mission.
Pilar Martinez
Pilar is Chief Executive Officer of Edmonton Public Library in Canada.
In her video, Pilar recalls that libraries have always been places where intellectual freedom comes to life, by bringing together people, knowledge and ideas. Crucial to this is deep reading, and the space and time to connect and engage with others, empowering people to build a better future.
However, with intellectual freedom under threat, we need to be ready to explain and advocate for the importance of these possibilities. In this context, we need to be proactive, inclusive and future-ready.
Cher Pong Ng
Cher Pong is Chief Executive Officer at the National Library Board of Singapore.
In his video, Cher Pong argues that we are at a cross-roads. Reading patterns are changing, and attention spans are dropping. Yet what remains constant is that knowledge and skills uplift the world.
We have the opportunity to build on why people love libraries, and use this as a springboard – to embrace change with determination and to be a proactive equaliser. We need libraries that spark innovation, inspire discovery, and open doors – to be portals to possibility.
Elena Ramirez
Elena is the Coordinating Director of the National Library of Mexico.
Elena’s video opens the floor to colleagues working across the institution, collecting their ideas about what libraries offer to the world. They highlight the important of hospitable, empathetic spaces, able to offer a sense of peace and ensure that there is somewhere where everyone can feel welcome in the community.
They also underline libraries’ key role in stimulating creativity, building key information literacy skills, and making a reality of intellectual freedom.
John Szabo
John is City Librarian of Los Angeles Public Libraries in the United States.
In his video, John argues that libraries are more dynamic than ever, but also faced by crises we can’t avoid if we care about our neighbours. Yet we have shown, time and time again, that we are ready to step up.
Crucial to this is our ability to adapt, to offer a personal service to users. To continue to do this, we need to be nimble, looking to anticipate the future and to be creative in finding ways to match services to pressing needs.
We may be the most open and approachable branch of government, but being seen does not mean that we are heard. We need therefore to look hard at how we communicate and tell our own story.
Session Recordings
Finally, we encourage you to view our webinars again, held in July and September/October.